Andrea Karpinecz on building QC teams to commercial cell therapy

This week on Let’s Talk Quality, we sat down with Andrea Karpinecz, VP of Quality Control at Iovance Biotherapeutics, to discuss what it takes to build a successful QC career, scale teams for commercialization, and thrive in a high-pressure environment.Andrea has been in cell therapy for 16+ years, playing a pivotal role in bringing multiple therapies to market - including some of the first commercially approved CAR-T and TIL therapies. She’s seen firsthand what it takes to move from the bench to executive leadership and shares key insights for QC professionals who want to grow their careers but aren’t sure where to start.🚀 In this episode, we cover:✔ How to transition from a technical QC role to leadership ✔ Lessons from leading QC for two commercialized cell therapies✔ The biggest challenges in preparing for commercialization and how to solve them✔ Why hiring for mindset is just as critical as technical expertise in QC ✔ How to build resilience as a leader in a high-pressure, fast-moving environment✔ The future of cell therapy and what it means for QC careersFor QC professionals wondering what’s next in their careers, Andrea breaks down why moving into leadership doesn’t mean leaving QC. There’s a clear path forward—whether you want to become a VP, Director, SME, or eventually step into executive roles.🔹 This episode is a must-watch for QC leaders preparing for the commercialization of an ATMP.