Rare disease is no longer a niche topic — it has become a strategic priority for global commercial leaders and asset teams. As regulatory momentum builds and companies refine how they identify patients, generate evidence, and shape markets, rare disease is increasingly where scientific innovation and commercial differentiation meet.

Your first five hires will decide whether your “platform biotech” ever becomes more than a pitch deck. In the first 18 months you’re not building an org chart, you’re building an engine: one person who truly owns the platform, one who runs everything that isn’t science, one who turns data into a scalable system, an early regulatory voice to stop you tripping over yourself later, and a business partner who keeps capital and deals flowing.

Fractional vs Interim in Life Sciences – Not the Same Thing I’m seeing more life sciences organisations explore fractional senior roles – and they’re often confused with interim roles. Interim: usually full‑time, time‑limited, covering a defined role for a fixed period. Fractional: usually part‑time, longer-term, adding senior expertise for a set number of days or hours without owning the whole role. In a milestone‑driven, resource‑constrained environment, fractional models

Stepping away from a long career in life sciences executive research brought unexpected clarity. After years of working within established organisations, garden leave gave me the rare chance to pause and reflect on what I truly wanted from my professional life. The answer came quietly, while tending to my garden: I wanted to build something of my own. This post shares my journey from being an employee to launching Sharon Shields Consulting, a specialist consultancy focused on