S4 E11, Joanna Ghayad - Founder & CEO of Joanna Ghayad Coaching

In this episode of She Leads Biotech, Sharron Cox speaks with Joanna Ghayad, Founder & CEO of Joanna Ghayad Coaching, about leadership, influence, and the transition many scientists struggle to make as their careers grow.Joanna’s career has taken her from working as an oncology pharmacist supporting cancer patients at the bedside, to roles in biotech and big pharma, and ultimately to launching her own leadership coaching practice focused on developing the next generation of leaders in life sciences. After more than 15 years working across healthcare, biotech, and large pharmaceutical organizations, Joanna began to notice a consistent gap. Scientists are trained extensively in technical expertise, but very rarely taught how to lead teams, influence decisions, and communicate science in a way that drives business and patient impact.In this conversation we explore the shift from technical expert to strategic leader, why scientists often get “boxed in,” and how professionals in life sciences can take ownership of their careers rather than waiting for someone else to define the next step.Joanna also shares practical advice for scientists who want to grow their influence, build visibility within their organizations, and develop the leadership skills needed to move into executive roles.If you're working in biotech, pharma, or the broader life sciences ecosystem and thinking about your next step, this is a conversation worth listening to.Connect with Joanna GhayadLinkedIn: Joanna GhayadYouTube: The Revolutionary StemmistJoanna has also generously offered listeners a complimentary 20-minute coaching session, available through the link below: https://joannaghayadcoaching.com/conference/formChapters00:00 Introduction01:34 Joanna’s journey into pharmacy and oncology03:33 Exploring career paths during pharmacy school05:08 Transitioning from healthcare into biotech and pharma09:08 Discovering the leadership gap in life sciences10:30 Creating leadership training inside big pharma13:38 Why scientists struggle with leadership and influence16:08 The myth that scientists aren’t creative20:40 Launching Joanna Ghayad Coaching23:35 Moving from operator to leader26:13 How coaching helps scientists advance their careers28:20 Advice for scientists who want to grow into leadership32:03 Navigating power dynamics in organizations35:11 Authentic leadership and building respect37:46 How to connect with Joanna