From Freelancer to Award-Winning Founder: How to Build a Thriving Business in Pharma

In this episode #20 of The Pharmacovigilance Podcast, host Julia Appelskog sits down with Dr. Stephanie Jones, Founder & Chief Medical Officer of Pharmora, to trace her path from independent consultant to leading a high‑performing medical services company supporting clinical development and pharmacovigilance worldwide. We discuss early pivots, the leadership habits that scale quality, and why “quality without compromise” became a guiding principle for sustainable growth. We also explore how to build a values‑aligned team, deliver consistently under pressure, and win trust as a specialist partner in lifecycle safety and medical review. Pharmora was founded in 2010 and today serves the global pharma and biotech sectors. In 2025, the company was recognised in London’s Gherkin with the Best Pharma Contract Services award at the IAE & Euro Star Global Awards, an emotional milestone for the team and a practical lesson in long‑game execution.You’ll learn:• How to move from freelancing to a scalable service model in pharma• The operational meaning of “quality without compromise” and why it compounds over time• Hiring for values, training for excellence, and building delivery capacity that clients rely on• Advice, pitfalls, and playbooks for would‑be founders in PV, clinical, and medical affairsLinksDr. Stephanie Jones — LinkedIn profile linkedin.com/in/stephanie-j-jonesPharmora Pharmora | Clinical Development support | PharmacovigilanceIAE & Euro Star Global Awards announcement (The Gherkin, 2025) IAE Awards post