Heidi Wang, CEO at OBI Pharma & Chairwoman at OBIGEN Pharma on Losing Her Father to Cancer, Hiring Without Humility, and Building a Culture That Lasts

In this episode, I talked with Heidi Wang, CEO of OBI Pharma and Chair of OBIGEN, who shares her powerful story, from losing her father to cancer while raising two children, to leading oncology drug approvals at BMS, and now, building out a bold ADC pipeline in biotech.

Heidi opens up about the pressures of leading during personal tragedy, how BMS supported her through it, and why she now builds teams around values like authenticity and innovation. This episode is equal parts personal and professional, offering rare insight into what true leadership looks like, especially in biotech.

Here’s what you’re in for:

• Why staying at BMS for 30 years wasn’t planned
• A behind-the-scenes look at OBI’s antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) platform
• What authenticity looks like in interviews (with stories from Stanford PhDs to Shanghai branding workshops)

TMI Segment:

• Coffee intake? Hint: Usual number for a regular coffee drinker
• Hidden gem in Taiwan? Hint: You see it every day, do not think too much.
• Favorite book? Hint: It has something to do with “Hidden”
• Most grateful for? Hint: POV of a good leader
• Can’t guess the answer? Listen to the episode to find out.

Timestamps:

01:56 – How Losing Her Father to Cancer Shaped Her Life's Work

04:53 – “It Was Only Chemotherapy Back Then”—Facing the Limits of Treatment

06:34 – What 10,000 Stomach Cancer Patients Meant to Her

08:45 – Would She Have Quit BMS If They Didn’t Support Her?

10:21 – Why She Joined OBI and Her Vision for ADC Innovation

13:34 – What She Really Looks For When Hiring

15:34 – The Arrogance Trap in Interviews

17:16 – Humility vs. Branding: Hiring Across US and Asian Cultures

20:20 – The Worst Outcome of Rushed Hiring

22:50 – When You Don’t Need a Hire

25:40 – Quickfire Questions

About Heidi

Dr. Heidi Wang is the CEO of O-B-I Pharma and Chairman of OBIGen, a biotech specializing in oncology. With nearly 30 years of experience in drug development and regulatory affairs, Heidi has led approvals for immuno-oncology and antiviral drugs globally. O-B-I Pharma has a unique pipeline of ADCs and cancer immunotherapies of which we will learn during the episode.

She holds a Ph.D. in molecular biology and completed postdoctoral training in cancer biology. She also mentors and teaches extensively - rarely accepting payment personally and always donating to charity instead, love that. She has kindly donated her time here, welcome. ​

Connect with Heidi:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiwang/
• OBI Pharma: https://www.obipharma.com/
• OBIGEN: https://www.obigenpharma.com/

About me

My name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.

In 2023, I decided to launch my firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.

Connect with me:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/
• Website: https://www.discera-search.com/

Opinions and comments expressed by the guest do not represent the company and are fully their own.