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What does it really take to build a world-class pharmaceutical manufacturing business from the ground up while navigating risk, regulation, and rapid innovation?
This week on Making It In Manufacturing, Harry Sloan sat down with David Stevens, CEO of Kindeva, with over 20 years of experience spanning CDMO leadership, startup scale-ups, and pharmaceutical manufacturing across both Europe and the United States, including leadership roles at Kindeva and prior ventures acquired within the pharma ecosystem.
In this episode, David Stevens covers:
(00:01:02) Transitioning from startup CEO to leading Kindeva, and the strategic vision behind building advanced sterile fill-finish capabilities
(00:02:50) Scaling a biologics CDMO from zero to 250 employees during COVID, including lessons from building facilities and teams from scratch
(00:05:41) The future of inhalation technologies, including the shift to low-carbon propellants and the impact on sustainability and patient choice
(00:07:44) Designing next-generation sterile manufacturing facilities with Annex 1 compliance, advanced robotics, and contamination risk reduction
(00:09:57) Why trust, transparency, and operational discipline are critical in a competitive CDMO landscape, especially when managing capacity and client expectations
If you are working in pharmaceutical manufacturing, CDMO strategy, or scaling complex life sciences operations, this conversation offers a grounded perspective on leadership, growth, and building for long-term impact.
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David Stevens
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davecstevens/
Harry Sloan
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-sloan-605620154/
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:14 Guest introduction and CEO journey
01:02 Career background and move into @Kindeva
02:50 Building and scaling a biologics CDMO
05:41 Vision for inhalation technology and sustainability
07:44 Future of sterile manufacturing and facility design
09:57 Trust and partnerships in CDMO relationships
12:12 Managing growth, capacity, and reputation
12:36 Long-term vision and defining success as CEO
#MakingItInManufacturing #ARTOTalent #PharmaceuticalManufacturing #CDMO #Biologics #LifeSciences #ManufacturingLeadership
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