What You Know, Who You Know and How You're Known with John Tomtishen

In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove interviews John Tomtishen, Cell and Gene Therapy Executive Leader and Recognised CMC Expert

John Tomtishen has spent over a decade in cell and gene therapy, helping deliver the first approved CAR-T therapy at Novartis, building the CMC strategy behind Legend Biotech's Carvykti, and now leading global field application and strategic alliances at Catalent.

In this conversation, he shares the three principles- authenticity, integrity and self-sacrifice- that carried him from a 118,000-person pharmaceutical company to his role as Legend Biotech's fifth US employee and into a leading CDMO. He explains why empowerment must precede accountability, what separates a high-performing team from a cohesive one, and his three pillars of career success.

Key Takeaways

• Learn why John Tomtishen treats authenticity, integrity and self-sacrifice as the foundation of every team he builds.
• Discover why a cohesive team beats a high-performing one, and how non-verbal cues keep results consistent over months, not weeks.
• Understand why empowerment must come before accountability, and how stepping back strengthens delivery under pressure.
• Explore Tomtishen's three pillars of career success: what you know, who you know, and the pillar he rates highest, how you're known.
• Apply the lesson behind Kymriah's approval, captured in his mantra "the process is the product," to any team building manufacturing capability.
• Gain a grounded view of AI in leadership, where technology supports the work but face-to-face relationships still drive results.
• Uncover why celebrating small wins keeps teams motivated through the long, high-pressure journey of commercialising a cell therapy.
• Identify the two factors that decide commercial success against 70-plus rivals: time to market and product quality.

Snippets

• "I think there's three principles I'm always driven by: authenticity, integrity and self-sacrifice... to lead a team, you have to be willing to take the bullet for your team."

• "A high-performing team can last a month or two. A truly cohesive team consistently maintains that performance over time, and can anticipate things before you even say them."

• "There's three pillars I've always viewed career success as defined by: what you know, who you know, and how you're known. The most important pillar is how you're known."

Timestamps & Topics

The following timestamps are approximations:

• [01:26] – Active Ingredients: John Tomtishen's three foundational leadership principles
• [04:20] – Origin Story: How a research project pulled him into cell therapy
• [08:52] – Pivotal Moment: The Novartis lab experience that made him a leader
• [27:30] – Empowerment: Why accountability starts with letting go of oversight
• [29:14] – Team Cohesion: The difference between high-performing and truly cohesive
• [40:28] – Career Framework: What you know, who you know, how you're known
• [44:14] – AI Readiness: Using technology without losing the human connection

Resources

• Follow John Tomtishen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-tomtishen-46b16881/
• Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/

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