S4 E9, Sailaja Battula - Chief Scientific Officer at Ankyra Therapeutics

What does it really take to move from academia to industry… and then into the C-suite?In this episode of She Leads Biotech, I sit down with Sailaja Battula, Chief Scientific Officer at Ankyra Therapeutics, whose journey is anything but conventional.Born and raised on a farm in South India, Sailaja became the first in her family to attend college. She completed her PhD while raising two young children, applied for over 200 industry roles to make her transition, built immunology teams from scratch, and ultimately stepped into the CSO role at a pivotal moment for her company.This is a conversation about intention, discipline, leadership growth, and knowing when you are ready, even before you fully believe it yourself.We cover:• Transitioning from academia to industry• What hiring managers really look for• Building and leading discovery teams• Moving from VP to CSO• Leadership vs management in scientific roles• Raising a family while building a biotech careerIf you are thinking about your next move, especially into leadership, this episode is packed with clarity and practical insight.Chapters: 00:00 Introduction01:40 Growing up on a farm in South India07:01 Education, marriage, and moving to the US08:48 Breaking into biotech with a newborn11:19 PhD, postdoc, and moving into immuno-oncology14:37 Why transitioning from academia to industry is hard19:21 The three questions to ask before applying for a role22:46 Career progression from scientist to VP30:12 Stepping into the CSO role at Ankyra36:16 What changes when you join the C-suite38:10 Leadership vs management in science40:38 Advice to her younger self42:03 Using LinkedIn strategically for career growth43:42 What’s next as CSO🎙️ Subscribe for more conversations with women shaping the future of biotech.#SheLeadsBiotech #SailajaBattula #AnkyraTherapeutics #ChiefScientificOfficer #BiotechLeadership #WomenInScience #CNAUSAExecutiveSearch