What happens when 3,500 staffers lose their jobs due to FDA layoffs, venture capital (VC) term sheets shrink, and AI drug-discovery startups raise $600 million rounds? 

Executive recruiter William Holodnak (ex-Fidelity, global biotech headhunter) breaks down 2025’s wild hiring market—and how founders can still build A-teams.

In this episode you’ll learn:

- Why the April-1 FDA layoffs could delay approvals—and open new career doors for ex-regulators. 

- The three traits VCs demand in first-time biotech CEOs during a funding slump. 

- How AI-driven platforms like Isomorphic Labs raised mega-rounds in a down market. 

- Immunology’s surge and why oncology startups are pivoting. 

- Board-level recruiting tactics that de-risk your Series B.

🎙️ Guest: William Holodnak | Founder and President of Occam Global
🔗 Connect with Bill: LinkedIn

📌 Chapters:
00:00 Intro
05:45 Cambridge—“the Florence of Biotech” origin story
08:20 FDA layoffs: threat or opportunity?
13:30 Biotech venture capital mood swings & funding checkpoints
18:00 What VCs really screen for in scientific founders
25:05 The “horses for courses” CEO model explained
33:00 Hot therapeutic areas: AI drug discovery, immunology, repurposing
38:30 Why boards need operators, not just investors
47:00 Career improvisation: William’s closing advice

For transcripts, check out the podcast website - www.lifesciencespod.com