James Mackay, Ph.D., Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Aristea Therapeutics, has over 25 years of development and commercialization expertise in the pharmaceutical industry, including 6 drug product approvals across multiple therapeutic areas. James learned early in his career to always do the right thing and tell the truth even when it hurts. The following guiding principles served him well during his successful career at AstraZeneca and now shape the leadership of Aristea.
In this in-depth conversation, you’ll learn about creating a culture where people don’t have to be told what to do and have the flexibility to create and make decisions within the context of a strong vision.
Some highlights of our conversation include:
1:48 – Who is James Mackay?
3:05 – James’ Hero and his impact
5:59 – Drug Development is Really Hard
7:44 – Amazing Experience of Drug Approval
13:26 – Life Science Leadership is About People
15:11 – What Characterizes the Best Leaders?
16:58 – The Value of Anti-Heroes of Leadership
19:14 – Be Prepared to Admit Mistakes
21:04 – The Necessity of Openness and Trust
22:36 – A Case Study is Empowering Leadership
26:16 – Always Do the Right Thing
27:27 – Enrolling Other Leaders in Your Vision
29:32 – Surround Yourself with People Who Challenge You
31:37 – The Spirit vs. the Letter of the Culture
37:33 – Open to a Winding Career Path
40:21 – Advice to My Pre-CEO Self
To connect with David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-m-mackay/
To learn more about Processa Pharmaceuticals: https://aristeatx.com/