The Non-Linear Path to Quality Leadership, with Cinta Burgos

The non-linear path is often the most powerful one.Cinta Burgos on Building a Career Across Functions, Modalities, and Mindsets.In today's episode I was joined by Cinta Burgos, Senior Vice President of Quality and Regulatory CMC at New Amsterdam Pharma.I really wanted to speak to Cinta because her career does not follow the path you might expect for someone at SVP level. She has moved across pharma, medical devices, and biologics, held roles in quality engineering, validation, regulatory, and consulting, and built her executive presence not through a linear climb but through curiosity, flexibility, and a willingness to take opportunities as they came.Cinta's journey began with a biophysics degree, a near-completed master's in mechanical engineering, and early laboratory work on human growth factors and the varicella zoster vaccine. Life changed direction more than once - moving across the country, starting a family, building a consulting practice that spanned 17 years - and through each transition, she added a new dimension to her expertise. Today she leads quality assurance, quality control, quality systems, and CMC regulatory at a company she describes as scientifically driven, ethically led, and genuinely exciting.What stands out about Cinta is her philosophy of leadership. She talks about moving from task-oriented thinking to big-picture ownership, about not micromanaging the talented people around you, and about the importance of keeping a personal board of directors - mentors you check in with at different stages of your career. She is also candid about the moments where she did not immediately see an opportunity for what it was, and honest about what that taught her.We talk about the following:- How a biophysics background and an unfinished master's became an asset in a 30-year career- Why Cinta moved from R&D to validation to quality and what each transition taught her- The value of 17 years in consulting and the leadership jump it created- How quality professionals can move from task-oriented contributors to big-picture leaders- The role of AI in quality and manufacturing, and why human oversight is non-negotiable- Why quality voices are still largely absent from board-level conversations- What it means to treat everyone in your company as a quality professionalCinta Burgos is a thoughtful, pragmatic quality leader who understands how to balance compliance, collaboration and business reality in complex development environments.If you are a quality professional working in an early-stage biotech and trying to build the right systems with limited resources, then this episode is for you.Thank you Cinta for sharing your incredible journey.Hope everyone enjoys the show.Timestamps:(00:00) Cinta's Background and Career Start(03:14) Career Path: Pharma, Devices, and Biologics(06:02) Moving Across Functions: R&D, Validation, Quality(10:59) The Value of Cross-Functional Skills(14:17) Industry Collaboration and Remote Work(20:26) Future of Quality at the Board Level(22:55) AI in Pharma and Manufacturing(25:20) Advice for Aspiring Quality Leaders