In this episode of She Leads Biotech, host Sharron Cox speaks with Megan Forrest, Chief Operating Officer at Caring Cross, about a purpose-driven career shaped by science, family, and impact.

Megan shares how she navigated:

• Becoming a mother while completing her degrees

• Career shifts between biotech and nonprofit

• Leading a viral vector program through BLA approval

• Taking a full year off — and choosing to come back

• Why the mission of Caring Cross was the “perfect storm” opportunity

This is a compelling story of resilience, reinvention, and how the right role can align everything you've worked for.

🔗 Learn more about Caring Cross: https://caringcross.org

📌 Chapters:
00:00 – Meet Megan Forrest
02:15 – From science to motherhood: balancing ambition early
06:30 – Her early biotech roles and learning fast
09:45 – The leap into nonprofit and what it taught her
14:00 – Running a GMP viral vector program to BLA
17:25 – Walking away (and why)
21:10 – What drew her back to biotech
24:00 – How Caring Cross found her at the perfect time
27:30 – The COO role: building from experience
30:50 – Advice to women making unconventional career moves
33:45 – Rapid fire: role models, reading, and what’s next

🎙️ Listen now and hear how a life built on passion and adaptability led to a role with real global impact.

#SheLeadsBiotech #CaringCross #MeganForrest #BiotechLeadership #COO #CellTherapy #NonprofitBiotech #CareerComeback #CNAUSAExecutiveSearch #LifeSciencesLeadership