GLP‑1 medicines have moved from metabolic workhorses to front-page news. Originally designed for diabetes, they now sit at the centre of conversations about obesity, cardiovascular risk – and increasingly, brain and cancer biology. Beneath the headlines, two distinct questions are emerging for R&D and portfolio leaders: In neurodegeneration, are GLP‑1s genuinely touching disease mechanisms in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, or are they mainly cleaning up upstream metabolic and

When you talk to leaders who make it to GM, franchise head, or the C‑suite in pharma and biotech, a different pattern shows up: sideways moves into new functions, therapeutic areas, or business models that didn’t look like promotions at the time, but turned out to be pivotal.

Executive search firms live with constant peaks and troughs in demand, creating pressure on research teams, margins, and delivery quality. This article explores how flexible research capability—blending strong in‑house teams with trusted external support—can help firms manage volatile workloads, protect consultant time, and maintain consistent standards without over‑hiring or risking burnout.

On 23rd July, I’m officially launching Sharon Shields Consulting — a specialist consultancy focused on executive research, market mapping and talent intelligence for life sciences organisations across the UK, Europe and the US. I also partner with executive search consultancies who need deep, reliable research support for complex senior mandates.