Scaling a biotech isn’t just about the science — it’s about building the right capabilities, culture, and systems to deliver at pace without losing focus or alignment. Hiring choices should be made in line with the company’s growth stage: sometimes the challenge is protecting culture when resources are limited, other times it’s about finding the right people quickly to match rapid growth and shifting commercial priorities.

You’ll hear how hiring strategies shift depending on whether you’re a startup making your first round of key hires, or a company scaling quickly across borders. Our speakers will share lessons on balancing speed with intention, knowing when to look locally versus globally for talent, and deciding whether a role is best filled by a permanent hire, contractor, or consultant. We’ll also explore how to protect and shape company culture through rapid change, and how to build people and culture processes that are practical, sustainable, and aligned with business priorities.

You’ll leave this session with:

Lessons from people who’ve been through scale-up — on pace, culture, and building resilience
Ideas for matching hiring decisions to your company’s stage and priorities
Insights on when to hire local vs. international talent — and how to make it work
Key legal, policy, and compliance points to watch as your team grows
Quick wins you can apply right away to strengthen your hiring strategy

Keynote Speakers & Panelists

Keith Abbott, Managing Director of Adlerian Consulting
Adlerian Consulting’s Managing Director, Keith Abbott, has several decades of experience in human resource management, organisational change, and capability development. He has worked in multiple sectors across around the world, including pharmaceutical, healthcare, aviation, construction, resources, and oil & gas. His work is underpinned by experience gained from a career spanning Organisational Development, Management Consulting, Human Resources and Leadership Development. In addition to his consulting experience, Keith has held several senior HR leadership roles with CSL, Shell, Jetstar and KornFerry. He completed an Honours in Psychology at Monash University and a Masters in Organisational Psychology at University of Melbourne. Keith founded Adlerian Consulting in 2018 and the firm has grown consistently as it provides HR Consulting and Services, Leadership Development, Training, Employee Engagement and Change Management services to a wide range of organisations.

Meredith Crowe, Senior VP, Global People & Culture at Telix Pharmaceutical
Meredith is a global People & Culture executive specializing in rapid organisation growth and transformation, culture, leadership development, and organisation effectiveness. As Senior VP, Global People & Culture at Telix Pharmaceuticals, she leads a global team with focus on talent acquisition and management, and building flexible and future-proofed People & Culture practises that can scale with a business. Telix is an ASX100 and Nasdaq listed fast growing and highly innovative radiopharmaceutical company with employees in 12 countries across APAC, EMEA and AMER. Meredith has worked in Healthcare and BioTech for most of her career, and excels in high-stakes, purpose-driven environments. She have a keen curiosity for all things people, particularly in how the systems and networks in the workplace influence capacity for accountability, empathy, and self-awareness.

Dr Michael Baker, CEO & Managing Director of Arovella Therapeutics (ASX: ALA)
Dr Michael Baker is the CEO & Managing Director of Arovella Therapeutics (ASX: ALA), a pre-clinical stage company developing personalised therapies for oncology, including cell therapies. He has a deep background in scientific research, drug development and venture investing in the life sciences sector. At Arovella, Michael manages teams in Australia, America and research collaborations in the UK. Michael has led the strategy development at Arovella, including licensing technologies from world-class universities and research institutes, initiating and managing pre-clinical studies, capital raising and business development. Previously, Michael had a distinguished career as a research scientist, where his research led to numerous high-impact research publications. He previously led early-stage biotechnology research programs, guiding them toward clinical trials. He also leveraged his skills in scientific research and drug development to uncover emerging and commercially viable technologies for investment. Michael completed his PhD in Biochemistry at La Trobe University, and his thesis received the Nancy Millis award for the best thesis for the faculty of Science Technology and Engineering. Michael completed his MBA at Melbourne Business School in 2018 and received an MBS award for Distinction.

Host & Panel Moderator

Camille Shanahan, General Manager at Jumar Bioincubator
Camille manages Jumar Bioincubator, ensuring we have a thriving biotech community of diverse biopharma and medtech startups with the support they need to accelerate product development. Camille leads the Jumar team, maintains connections with all residents and across the ecosystem and curates the events and programs to create a culture of innovation and acceleration. Camille drives Jumar's contribution to the broader biotech ecosystem in Australia.

The masterclass will be followed by an optional tour of Jumar Bioincubator. Let us know in the registration form if you're interested in participating.

NOTE: You may be photographed or videod while attending this event for marketing purposes: please approach the organiser if you have questions, concerns, or do not wish this to happen.

About

Jumar Bioincubator serves as a ‘first home’ for 30+ biotech ventures in Australia, providing affordable lab and office space alongside practical support to advance early scientific discoveries. Residents gain access to world-class facilities, a dedicated support team, and curated entrepreneurial training and events.

Established by CSL, WEHI and the University of Melbourne, and backed by Breakthrough Victoria with Cicada Innovations as operator, Jumar’s mission is to connect early-stage and scaling biotech ventures with the support needed to translate discoveries into real-world therapies and build a community of scientists equipped to lead successful biomedical ventures.