In Episode 28 of Thoroughly Thriving, we sit down with Abby Kennedy, Vice President of Clinical Operations at Jasper Therapeutics, to explore what leadership truly looks like inside today’s evolving biotech landscape.

With over 20 years of experience in pharmaceutical and biotech organizations, Abby shares practical wisdom on:

• Navigating difficult workplace dynamics
• Leading with curiosity instead of frustration
• Resetting toxic team patterns
• Integrating contractors effectively into core teams
• Scaling small biotech organizations strategically

This episode dives deep into the human side of clinical operations — from conflict resolution to building high-performance teams in unpredictable development phases.

If you’re a clinical leader, biotech executive, or emerging manager looking to strengthen your leadership approach in 2026 and beyond, this conversation is packed with real-world insights you can apply immediately.

Resource:

• Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People) by Amy Gallo

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#ClinicalOperations #BiotechLeadership #DrugDevelopment #PharmaCareers #ThoroughlyThriving #LifeSciencesLeadership

00:00 – Welcome to Thoroughly Thriving02:07 – Abby Kennedy Introduction04:00 – First Podcast Experience05:17 – Handling Challenging Colleagues07:36 – Taking the High Road in Leadership10:54 – Curiosity vs. Frustration in Management12:55 – Resetting Toxic Team Dynamics14:50 – Working Agreements That Actually Work16:38 – Build vs. Buy: Scaling Clinical Teams18:43 – Contractor Models Explained20:41 – Integrating Contractors Into Core Teams22:22 – Creating Inclusive Culture for Contractors24:21 – Why Contractors Follow Great Leaders26:34 – Final Leadership Reflections