How do you drive innovation inside one of the most regulated, complex industries in the world?
In this episode of Transformation 2.0®, we sit down with Stephen Ranjan - Global Head of Digital Health at Roche - to explore how the pharmaceutical industry is embracing (and resisting) change, why strategic partnerships matter more than ever, and how leaders can build learning cultures that enable real transformation.
From accelerating R&D with AI, to navigating compliance and risk, to scaling ideas beyond pilot purgatory - this conversation unpacks the human and organisational shifts required to make innovation work in practice, not just theory.
If you work in pharma, healthcare, or any highly regulated sector, this episode offers practical insight into how transformation actually happens - and why people, not platforms, are the key to change.
Key Takeaways:
✅ Innovation in pharma must balance risk, compliance and experimentation
✅ Strategic partnerships can de-risk innovation and accelerate learning
✅ Pilots fail when they don’t have a landing zone in the core business
✅ Culture change begins with curiosity, not control
✅ Compliance shouldn’t kill innovation – it should guide responsible progress
✅ Organisational friction is inevitable; leaders must actively manage it
Resources & Links:
🔗 Learn more about the work we do at Anthosa: https://www.anthosa.com
🔗 Connect with Stephen Ranjan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenranjan/
About Our Guest:
Stephen Ranjan is a collaborative healthcare executive with over 20 years of experience leading high-performance teams and delivering digital innovation across global markets. Currently serving as Global Head of Digital Health at Roche, he has held senior roles at Merck, Johnson & Johnson, and Epic, and sits on multiple advisory boards.Stephen’s leadership combines strategic vision with a deep commitment to people development, making him a trusted voice in the evolving world of pharma innovation.
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