We talk with Marc de Garidel, one of Europe’s most respected biotech leaders - former CEO of Ipsen, now leading Abivax, with more than 3.9Bn $ in combined exits.

But beyond the headline numbers, this conversation goes deeper.

We explore the personal side of leading in biotech: how a CEO thinks about risk, how you prepare yourself to step into the top job, and how leaders protect their judgment from complacency as responsibilities and pressure grow.

We discuss cultural roots (France/Europe VS U.S.), failure tolerance, and the discipline needed to lead science, investors and teams through uncertainty, including the human work of building a team that tells you the truth, not what you want to hear.

Episode Timeline:

[1:10 ]: France vs. the U.S.: two ways of understanding risk
[6:08 ]: Differentiate or don’t play: how a CEO evaluates risk
[7:38 ]: De-risking without killing innovation
[11:07 ]: The Amgen school: science, autonomy and learning through mistakes
[14:07 ]: Less perfection, more learning cycles
[17:00 ]: The first 100 days as CEO
[18:45 ]: Talent accelerators
[20:25 ]: How to avoid “yes-men”
[23:02 ]: Radical transparency and early-warning culture
[26:12 ]: IPOs: planning, milestones and equity story

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