In this week's episode, Hemish was joined by Scott Pherson, Senior Director of Quality Assurance at AS2 Bio.
Scott has made the transition from big pharma to startup biotech three times. And now, he’s building quality from scratch at a company that hasn’t even dosed a patient yet.
Scott has nearly 20 years’ experience across QC, operations, and quality leadership, having worked at Biogen, Shire, AvroBio and more. Now, as the first quality hire at AS2 Bio, he’s building systems, shaping culture, qualifying vendors, and laying the groundwork for clinical success.
He talks about the following:
🎙️ Moving from large pharma to lean biotech
🎙️ How to stand out in startup interviews
🎙️ Why AS2Bio hired quality *before* going to clinic
🎙️ How to prioritise when you’re the first quality hire
🎙️ What founders get wrong about consultants
🎙️ Cultural priorities when embedding quality early
🎙️ Building brand value to attract talent in Boston
🎙️ The mindset needed to thrive in ambiguity
🎙️ His player-coach leadership style
🎙️ His advice to aspiring quality leaders
Scott is a thoughtful, experienced and humble leader - someone who blends strategy, scientific rigor, and people-first leadership to help biotech companies move fast without cutting corners.
Thank you Scott for sharing your incredible journey.
Hope everyone enjoys the show!
