Active Ingredients

About Active Ingredients

The Active Ingredients podcast dissects the very essence of exceptional leadership in the life sciences. Our quest is to educate, motivate, and inspire life science professionals to soar to new heights of visionary leadership. Join host Thomas Dove, Co-Founder at Fraser Dove International, as he delves into enriching discussions at the intersection of science and leadership.  Wherever you are in your career journey, whether just starting out or leading a team or department, you'll discover a wealth of practical insights and wisdom to carve your leadership journey in the life sciences.

Publisher

Fraser Dove International

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 Apr 2025

Latest episode

5 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

38 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   5 Oct 2026

   Leading With Gemba And Purpose In Manufacturing With Craig Sommerville

   In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove speaks with Craig Sommerville (https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-sommerville-1222025/), Independent Consultant in Supply Chain Strategy and Transformation at Springbank Consulting Ltd. Craig Sommerville built his career in large pharma and CDMO manufacturing, spending over 25 years at GSK before moving into independent consulting through Springbank Consulting Ltd. In this conversation, he shares the three ingredients he believes make a great leader: clarity of purpose, authenticity and building high performing teams. He explains why he chose manufacturing over research for its immediate impact, and how being deliberate, transparent and persistent took him from head office back to a manufacturing site in Scotland. Craig also introduces gemba with purpose, his practice for focused walks around gemba — the Japanese term for “the real place” where the work happens. Key Takeaways · Gain a practical definition of gemba with purpose, Craig Sommerville's practice for walking the shop floor with a specific problem in mind. · Uncover why a gemba with no clear purpose leaves employees disengaged, while a focused, supportive walk builds trust and lifts engagement. · Learn why clarity of purpose, authenticity and building high performing teams are Craig Sommerville's three essential leadership ingredients. · Apply Craig Sommerville's lesson on authenticity: copying a directive leadership style left him feeling inauthentic and drained. · Take away Craig Sommerville's closing advice for new leaders: be bold and ambitious, but lead with humility. · Identify the operating cadence Craig Sommerville uses to keep a site aligned, from town halls to weekly one-to-ones owned by the team. · Explore the strategic and family reasons that led Craig Sommerville back to a manufacturing site in Scotland. · Discover why Craig Sommerville chose manufacturing over research, favouring change with an immediate impact over results that can take twelve to fifteen years to appear. · Understand how being the technical face of an organisation to suppliers built Craig Sommerville's earliest leadership skills. Snippets · "Be deliberate, be transparent and be persistent." · "You try to emulate that style, and it doesn't come across quite well. You come across as inauthentic. It's energy sapping as well." · "Gemba with purpose is not just a walk around... You start the gemba with a view as to what problem you're going to solve, and keep it focused on that problem." Timestamps & Topics The following timestamps are approximations: · [01:25] – Active Ingredients: Craig Sommerville's three leadership ingredients · [04:49] – Career Choice: Choosing manufacturing impact over laboratory research · [13:39] – First Leadership: Becoming the technical face of GSK to suppliers · [16:50] – Purposeful Move: Leaving head office for a manufacturing site in Scotland · [24:24] – Authenticity: Why copying a directive leadership style backfired · [36:59] – Gemba With Purpose: Walking the shop floor with focus · [45:20] – Future Outlook: The rise of AI and why Generation Alpha gives Craig hope Resources • Follow Craig Sommerville on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-sommerville-1222025/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-sommerville-1222025/) • Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/) Don't Miss an Episode Sign up to the Active Ingredients podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.activeingredients.fraserdove.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://fraserdove.com/active-ingredients-life-science-leadership-podcast/). Remember to tune into our next episode for more inspiring insights. You can also subscribe to the Active Ingredients podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/active-ingredients/id1807042435), ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/71cb7e61-ae0c-43c5-83b2-d179651a058f/active-ingredients), ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://open.spotify.com/show/1KjY518XLwRXz9vDAls8Sc), ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.youtube.com/@fraserdoveint) and other leading podcast platforms. Loved this episode? Share it with your friends, family, or your peers!

2. 

   14 Sept 2026

   Behind Glass: What Cdmo Leadership Really Demands With Joerg Ahlgrimm

   In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove interviews Joerg Ahlgrimm, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SK Pharmteco. Joerg Ahlgrimm has led global manufacturing networks at Baxter and Lonza, founded the gene therapy contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) Centre for Breakthrough Medicines during COVID, and now leads SK Pharmteco’s global operations from the United States. In this conversation, he explains why listening, strategy, and fast decision-making remain his three active ingredients of leadership. He shares what changed when he moved from an innovator company to CDMO life, why trust takes years to build and one event to destroy, and how growing up in East Germany shaped his focus on community. Key Takeaways · Explore why CDMO leadership means working “behind glass”, where every deviation and delay is visible to the customer, leaving no safety cushion. · Understand what changes when senior leaders move from an innovator pharmaceutical company into a CDMO, where commercial skill matters as much as operations. · Apply Ahlgrimm’s view on trust: one bad quality result can undo years of goodwill, so proactive communication is as important as getting it right the first time. · Learn why listening, not authority, is Ahlgrimm’s first active ingredient of leadership, since assuming you already know everything is a big trap. · Discover why Ahlgrimm calls himself an “80% guy”. Chasing full certainty before deciding costs speed, and you still make errors regardless. · Gain insight into building a gene therapy CDMO from near nothing, with payroll run hand to mouth before financing closed on Christmas Eve. · Uncover how growing up without freedom of travel or speech in East Germany shaped Ahlgrimm’s lasting belief in community. · Identify why a strong support network, from family to team, carries executives through the loneliest stretches of building something new. · Take away Ahlgrimm’s advice for the next generation: learn the fundamentals broadly, put the patient first, and let results follow. Snippets · “Trust is something which you can’t earn in a very short transactional relationship… It takes a week, or one event, which destroys the trust, and it takes months and years to rebuild it.” · “If you believe that you are a good ops guy in the innovator world, and now you just replicate this to the CDMO world, I think you will fail.” · “Never forget that you will never achieve results by your own work. You will always achieve the results by everybody’s contributions.” Timestamps & Topics The following timestamps are approximations: · [01:25] – Active Ingredients: Listening, strategy and decision-making as Ahlgrimm’s leadership formula · [03:13] – Decisiveness: Why Ahlgrimm calls himself an “80% guy” over endless analysis · [27:28] – Behind Glass: What full transparency demands of CDMO leaders · [34:56] – Trust: Why it takes years to build and one event to destroy · [43:39] – Startup Scarcity: Building a gene therapy CDMO from nothing during Covid · [56:10] – Advice: What Ahlgrimm would tell the next generation of life science leaders Resources · Follow Joerg Ahlgrimm on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joerg-ahlgrimm-315a925/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/joerg-ahlgrimm-315a925/) · Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/) Don't Miss an Episode Sign up to the Active Ingredients podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.activeingredients.fraserdove.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://fraserdove.com/active-ingredients-life-science-leadership-podcast/). Remember to tune into our next episode for more inspiring insights. You can also subscribe to the Active Ingredients podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/active-ingredients/id1807042435), ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/71cb7e61-ae0c-43c5-83b2-d179651a058f/active-ingredients), ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://open.spotify.com/show/1KjY518XLwRXz9vDAls8Sc), ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.youtube.com/@fraserdoveint) and other leading podcast platforms. Loved this episode? Share it with your friends, family, or your peers!

3. 

   31 Aug 2026

   What You Know, Who You Know and How You're Known with John Tomtishen

   In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast (https://fraserdove.com/active-ingredients-life-science-leadership-podcast/), host Thomas Dove interviews John Tomtishen, Cell and Gene Therapy Executive Leader and Recognised CMC Expert John Tomtishen (https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-tomtishen-46b16881/) has spent over a decade in cell and gene therapy, helping deliver the first approved CAR-T therapy at Novartis, building the CMC strategy behind Legend Biotech's Carvykti, and now leading global field application and strategic alliances at Catalent. In this conversation, he shares the three principles- authenticity, integrity and self-sacrifice- that carried him from a 118,000-person pharmaceutical company to his role as Legend Biotech's fifth US employee and into a leading CDMO. He explains why empowerment must precede accountability, what separates a high-performing team from a cohesive one, and his three pillars of career success. Key Takeaways Learn why John Tomtishen treats authenticity, integrity and self-sacrifice as the foundation of every team he builds. Discover why a cohesive team beats a high-performing one, and how non-verbal cues keep results consistent over months, not weeks. Understand why empowerment must come before accountability, and how stepping back strengthens delivery under pressure. Explore Tomtishen's three pillars of career success: what you know, who you know, and the pillar he rates highest, how you're known. Apply the lesson behind Kymriah's approval, captured in his mantra "the process is the product," to any team building manufacturing capability. Gain a grounded view of AI in leadership, where technology supports the work but face-to-face relationships still drive results. Uncover why celebrating small wins keeps teams motivated through the long, high-pressure journey of commercialising a cell therapy. Identify the two factors that decide commercial success against 70-plus rivals: time to market and product quality. Snippets • "I think there's three principles I'm always driven by: authenticity, integrity and self-sacrifice... to lead a team, you have to be willing to take the bullet for your team." • "A high-performing team can last a month or two. A truly cohesive team consistently maintains that performance over time, and can anticipate things before you even say them." • "There's three pillars I've always viewed career success as defined by: what you know, who you know, and how you're known. The most important pillar is how you're known." Timestamps & Topics The following timestamps are approximations: [01:26] – Active Ingredients: John Tomtishen's three foundational leadership principles [04:20] – Origin Story: How a research project pulled him into cell therapy [08:52] – Pivotal Moment: The Novartis lab experience that made him a leader [27:30] – Empowerment: Why accountability starts with letting go of oversight [29:14] – Team Cohesion: The difference between high-performing and truly cohesive [40:28] – Career Framework: What you know, who you know, how you're known [44:14] – AI Readiness: Using technology without losing the human connection Resources Follow John Tomtishen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-tomtishen-46b16881/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-tomtishen-46b16881/) Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/) Don't Miss an Episode Sign up to the Active Ingredients podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.activeingredients.fraserdove.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://fraserdove.com/active-ingredients-life-science-leadership-podcast/). Remember to tune into our next episode for more inspiring insights. You can also subscribe to the Active Ingredients podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/active-ingredients/id1807042435), ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/71cb7e61-ae0c-43c5-83b2-d179651a058f/active-ingredients), ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://open.spotify.com/show/1KjY518XLwRXz9vDAls8Sc), ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.youtube.com/@fraserdoveint) and other leading podcast platforms. Loved this episode? Share it with your friends, family, or your peers!

Who has been a guest on Active Ingredients

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Gaurav Jain
• Laura O'Brien
• Gabriel Morelli
• Alexandre Joyeux
• Aditi Singh Ulvskjold

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

2,681

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 38 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

48

Social presence

0

YouTube

68

Engagement

0