SpreadLove In Organizations - Healthcare Leadership

In this episode of Spread Love in Organizations, Naji Gehchan sits down with Lina Polimeni, Chief Marketing Officer, Consumer at Eli Lilly, to explore what it truly means to lead with purpose in healthcare marketing. Lina shares her unconventional journey into the industry, from aspiring to work in music and film to building a 20+ year career at Lilly, and how her passion for meaningful, impactful work...

In this insightful return to Spread Love in Organizations, Naji welcomes back award-winning leadership professor and executive coach Amer Kaissi to discuss his newest book, The Positive Intent Mindset. Building on the foundation of his previous work, Humbitious, Amer shares how his upbringing in war-torn Lebanon, and the example of his mother leading an orphanage during the civil war, shaped his belief...

In this episode of SpreadLove in Organizations, Naji sits down with Hafedh Haddad, medical director and founder of B2G Life Sciences, to explore a career shaped by curiosity, courage, and meaningful encounters. From medical school in Tunisia to leading pioneering gene therapy clinical trials in France, Hafedh shares how openness to opportunity, rather than rigid planning, guided his journey across acad...

In this episode of Spread Love in Organizations, host Naji Gehchan welcomes Nelson Repenning, Faculty Director of the MIT Leadership Center and Distinguished Professor at MIT Sloan, to explore why so many organizations struggle to turn proven management ideas into real, sustained impact. Drawing on decades of research in system dynamics and organizational design, Nelson unpacks the hidden forces that k...

In this deeply human and wide-ranging conversation, Giovanni Abbadessa shares the personal journey that shaped his vocation as a physician, scientist, and leader. Growing up in Naples as the son of a prominent hematologist, Giovanni initially resisted medicine, only to discover his calling through lived experiences that blended science with humanity. A transformative humanitarian trip to India, working...

In this episode of Spread Love in Organizations, Naji Gehchan welcomes Dr. Basil Upton, executive business director at Eli Lilly, servant leader, and catalyst behind the podcast itself. Basil shares his deeply personal journey from growing up in Maine under the guidance of his grandparents to building a 24-year career in healthcare. With a background in psychology and counseling, Basil reflects on how ...

In this special episode, part of our collaboration with the Biosciences Lebanese International Network (BIOLINK), I had the joy of welcoming an extraordinary leader whose career sits at the intersection of science, innovation, and purpose: Rania Abou Samra, Vice President and Head of Innovation & R&D for Nestlé Middle East and North Africa. With more than two decades of experience across global...

In this inspiring episode of SpreadLove in Organizations, in partnership with the Termeer Institute, host Naji Gehchan welcomes Charlene Son Rigby, CEO of Global Genes, who shares the deeply personal journey that brought her into the rare disease space. After years of searching for a diagnosis, her daughter was found to have STXBP1, a rare neurodevelopmental disorder. That life-altering moment led Char...

In this inspiring conversation, Naji welcomes Sekhar Naik, a serial entrepreneur, aviation enthusiast, long-distance runner, and community builder who believes deeply in authentic human connection. Sekhar shares his remarkable journey from growing up in a small town in South India to navigating the bustling streets of Mumbai, exploring opportunities in Dubai, and finally coming to the United States for...

In this inspiring episode of Spread Love in Organizations, Naji Gehchan welcomes Vanessa Almendro Navarro, Vice President and Head of Science and Technology Innovation at Danaher. Vanessa shares her powerful personal story — from growing up in Spain as the first in her family to attend college, to witnessing cancer’s impact on her loved ones, and ultimately dedicating her career to driving innovation i...

In this special episode of Spread Love in Organizations, Naji sits down with Rose Saia, Executive Director of the Centre Street Food Pantry, to explore the deep connection between food, health, and dignity. Rose shares her powerful personal story — from growing up food insecure in South Boston to leading a community-driven food relief organization that now serves six Greater Boston communities.

In this episode of SpreadLove in Organizations, Naji is joined by Jean-Noël Pellegrin and Alain Eudaric, two veteran leaders in biotech and pharma, to discuss their new book, The Thriving Biopharma Business. With decades of experience shaping strategy, finance, and innovation across global markets, they share how purpose, clarity, and collaboration fuel success in one of the world’s most complex indust...

In this special episode of SpreadLove in Organizations, in partnership with the Boston Biotechnology Summit, Naji Gehchan welcomes Benjamin Hadida, co-founder and CEO of Exeliom Biosciences, a French clinical-stage biotech company pioneering microbiome-based immunomodulation therapies. Benjamin shares his inspiring journey from studying finance and molecular biology to creating his “dream job” — buildi...

In this inspiring episode of SpreadLove in Organizations, in partnership with the Termeer Institute, host Naji Gehchan welcomes Dr. Fernando Vieira, CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI). A physician-scientist and engineer, Fernando shares his deeply personal journey from aspiring inventor to leading one of the world’s foremost non-profit biotechs dedicated...

In this special episode of SpreadLove in Organizations, produced in partnership with the MIT Club of Boston BioSummit, Naji Gehchan welcomes Dimitrios Skaltsas, CEO and co-founder of Intelligencia AI. Founded in 2017, Intelligencia is a pioneer in applying artificial intelligence, data science, and biomedical expertise to transform decision-making in pharmaceutical R&D. Dimitrios shares his remarka...

In this episode of SpreadLove in Organizations, I am joined once again by my longtime friend and colleague, John Bamforth, to celebrate the launch of his new book Race to Innovation. John’s remarkable journey has taken him from his roots in Wigan, England, to building global brands at Eli Lilly, and most recently, leading the Eshelman Institute for Innovation at UNC-Chapel Hill. He was my very first gu...

In this special episode of SpreadLove in Organizations, I had the honor of hosting Dr. François Nader and Khalil Barrage, the visionary co-founders of BioLink. This New York–based nonprofit is on a mission to connect biosciences professionals of Lebanese origin around the world, while building a sustainable life sciences ecosystem in Lebanon. François shared his inspiring journey from physician in Leba...

In this episode of Spread Love in Organizations, Naji Gehchan had the pleasure of hosting Catharine Smith, the inaugural Executive Director of the Termeer Institute. The Institute honors the legacy of former Genzyme CEO Henri Termeer by supporting biotech leaders who are driven by patient impact. Catherine shared her powerful journey, from growing up with limited access to healthcare, to leading initia...

In this episode, Naji Gehchan welcomes Selin Kurnaz, CEO and co-founder of Massive Bio, a health tech company using AI and data-driven solutions to expand access to cancer clinical trials. Selin shares her personal journey from a structured career in engineering and private equity to founding Massive Bio after her family’s experience with cancer. What started as a side project quickly became her full-t...