David Esposito, President & CEO of ONL Therapeutics, joins Personable. From graduating West Point with a BS in Civil Engineering, to leading an infantry platoon in combat with the 101st Airborne Division, David brings a unique perspective from military service to biotech leadership.

With experience spanning pharma sales at Merck, diagnostics leadership, and biotech exits (Armune BioScience to Exact Sciences, Phadia to Thermo Fisher), David has navigated high-stakes environments from battlefields to boardrooms. 

In this episode, David Esposito discusses:
◽️ Military service: calling to serve, leadership in combat, and teamwork lessons
◽️ Transition to civilian life: from infantry to pharma sales and biotech
◽️ Discipline vs. motivation: building endurance in sports, military, and business
◽️ Pharma career path: consistency, exits, and navigating big vs. early-stage companies
◽️ Biotech innovation: pricing, risk, trials, and balancing science with business

00:00 Intro
00:42 Why David joined the Army: calling to serve
01:57 Rallying cries for causes greater than self
03:44 Sports camaraderie parallels military teamwork
05:23 Leadership growth in sports, high-stakes army roles
06:37 Navigating debates, execution in high-pressure environments
08:26 Australia: respect, rules, transitioning to civilian life
10:03 From team environments to solo sales rep
12:52 Military discipline drives corporate hustle, endurance
14:50 Consistency over flash: path to senior roles
16:27 Career journey: Merck sales to biotech CEO
18:55 No overnight successes: grinding, practical realities
19:24 Long-form podcasts reveal successful people’s essence
22:45 Diverse experiences, personal trade-offs in careers
25:24 Pharma marketing, pricing, and staying grounded
28:24 Rewarding innovation: risk capital, vision value
28:54 Boots on the ground: frontline insights matter
30:10 Risk, incentives: why innovation needs rewards
37:32 Holistic health: diet, sleep, nuanced treatments
40:02 Pharma misconceptions: innovation improves lives despite failures
44:02 Building biotech: problem-solving, teams, capital
47:11 Success commonalities: relationships, honesty, learning
50:06 ONL Therapeutics: vision protection in retinal diseases
53:45 Managing risk: lean teams, transparency, dilution
1:05:57 Key takeaway: purposeful innovation moves society forward

📌 Resources
David Esposito:
◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidesposito2/

Harvey Bracken-Smith:
◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith
◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith
◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_
◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/

Personable Podcast:
◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast
◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast
◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips
◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api
◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111

Additional:
◽️ The Draft (Sign up): https://thedraft.io
◽️ Fundraising: https://justgiving.com/crowdfunding/LouLouRacefoiundation?utm_term=PvByaxmdn

Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world’s best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023. 

This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performa

Support the show