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.

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

For executive search firms and VC talent managers operating in life sciences, ESG has become one of the most consequential forces shaping who gets hired, who gets funded, and which organizations attract the leadership talent capable of building enduring companies.

Five controllable factors that determine whether your next executive hire accelerates progress or derails your search.