Research shows that women remain woefully underrepresented at the highest levels of leadership in the life sciences industry. Those who have broken through that glass ceiling, however, are not only doing groundbreaking work in pharma, biotech, medtech and beyond but also reframing what it means to be a leader in the sector—as evidenced by the often-unconventional career paths and management philosophies of the 10 women featured in this year’s Fiercest Women in Life Sciences report.

In this week’s episode of “The Top Line,” Fierce’s Andrea Park and Gabrielle Masson dive into the report, highlighting several honorees’ paradigm-busting approaches to leadership, mentorship and building inclusive teams.

To learn more about the topics in this episode:

• 2025's Fiercest Women in Life Sciences

• 4 reasons life sciences still fail women at the top, despite a female-majority workforce: report

• GSK's Emma Walmsley to step down as CEO in shock move, giving way to commercial lead Luke Miels

• Merck KGaA, grappling with geopolitical tensions, ⁠reveals CEO transition

• Takeda taps Julie Kim to take over for retiring CEO Christophe Weber