What does it take to transform a biologics manufacturing business into a global CDMO leader while keeping culture, transparency and patient impact at the centre of every decision?
This week on Making It In Manufacturing, Thomas McMann sat down with Lars Petersen, CEO of Fujifilm Biotechnologies, with more than 30 years of experience spanning biologics manufacturing, engineering, operations leadership, global site leadership and biotech innovation across Novo Nordisk, Genentech, Roche and Biogen.
In this episode, Lars covers:
• Why “Partners for Life” became the foundation of Fujifilm Biotechnologies’ long-term customer strategy and how transparency reshaped CDMO partnerships
• How personal loss, engineering curiosity and early leadership experiences at Novo Nordisk shaped Lars’ approach to people, manufacturing and patient impact
• Lessons from the California biotech ecosystem at Genentech and Roche, including how culture and scientific purpose influenced leadership philosophy
• How the KojoX modular manufacturing platform is helping reduce engineering timelines, improve scalability and rethink biologics facility design
• Why AI will transform pharmaceutical manufacturing and how Fujifilm Biotechnologies is preparing the next evolution of biologics production
Lars shares an honest perspective on leadership, scaling culture globally, operational excellence and the future of biologics manufacturing. For anyone working across biotech, pharma manufacturing, CDMOs or advanced therapies, this conversation offers a rare look into the mindset behind one of the industry’s fastest-growing organisations.
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Lars Petersen
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lars-petersen-5134362/
Thomas McMann
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-mcmann-05540a10b/
Timestamps:
02:14 Introduction to Lars Petersen and Fujifilm Biotechnologies
03:09 The meaning behind “Partners for Life”
06:35 Growth of Fujifilm and the secrets behind its success
07:26 How CDMOs are becoming strategic partners for pharma
08:41 Lars' journey into pharmaceuticals and personal motivation
10:47 Did Lars always want to become a CEO?
12:12 Engineering mindset vs. people leadership
13:55 Advantages of a technical background as a CEO
16:27 Lessons from 16 years at Novo Nordisk
19:15 Leaving comfort zones: moving to China and the United States
21:33 California, Genentech, and biotech culture
24:39 Lessons from Genentech and Roche
27:13 Leading the Biogen site acquisition by Fujifilm
32:03 Winning the first customer and validating the vision
34:11 The vision to become the “TSMC of biotech”
36:19 KojoX: Fujifilm's modular manufacturing platform
41:43 Defining a People-First culture
45:57 Maintaining culture while scaling globally
48:37 Self-awareness and leadership development
53:39 AI in biomanufacturing and the future of KojoX
55:10 What still motivates Lars after 30+ years in biotech
56:18 David Bowie, legacy, and final reflections
56:39 Closing remarks
#MakingItInManufacturing #ARTOTalent #Biotech #PharmaceuticalManufacturing #CDMO #Biologics #AdvancedTherapies #CellTherapy #GeneTherapy #LifeSciences #ManufacturingLeadership
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