S3 E10 Kristien Van Vlasselaer, VP of Operations at Gordian Biotechnology

In this episode of She Leads Biotech, I’m joined by Kristien Van Vlasselaer, VP of Operations at Gordian Biotechnology, a neuroscientist turned biotech exec, and someone who brings heart, systems thinking, and radical honesty to the leadership table.

Kristien shares how her journey through academia, consulting, and startups was shaped by personal challenges, neurodiversity, and a refusal to settle for environments that didn’t fit.

We dive into:
🔹 Making the leap from PhD to business roles
🔹 Her experience with late-diagnosed ADHD and how it reshaped her view of success
🔹 Why we need to stop calling them “soft skills”
🔹 The challenges of leadership as a woman and a mother in biotech
🔹 What it means to build healthy, human-centered teams in fast-paced environments

This is one of those conversations that stays with you, equal parts strategy, vulnerability, and real talk.

📌 Chapters / Timestamps
00:00 – Meet Kristien and her career path from neuroscience to biotech
03:00 – Consulting at BCG and the reality of burnout
06:45 – Getting diagnosed with ADHD and what changed
10:30 – Navigating imposter syndrome and perfectionism
13:00 – Leaving toxic environments and finding career clarity
16:45 – Building better teams: why leadership starts with empathy
19:30 – Why scientists need training beyond the technical
22:00 – Breaking the myth of “soft” skills
25:00 – Parenting, identity, and embracing non-linear careers
28:30 – Advice to early-career scientists: say yes, then figure it out
30:00 – What she’s building now at Gordian and why it matters

🎧 Tune in for an honest and empowering conversation with someone who’s redefining leadership on her own terms.

#SheLeadsBiotech #KristienVanVlasselaer #GordianBiotechnology #WomenInSTEM #ADHDLeadership #BiotechOperations #AuthenticLeadership #NeurodivergentVoices #LifeSciences #CNAInternationalUSA