Dr. Leen Kawas: Growth of Female Biotechnology Leaders

Dr. Leen Kawas, a biotechnology industry leader, discusses the increase of resources available to female innovators in the traditionally male-dominated industry.

Dynamic, capable leaders are well-positioned to move their respective companies forward. The executives’ commitment to the business’ mission complements their industry expertise and management skills. Each leader’s ability to motivate and inspire others is a testament to their talents.

Leen Kawas, Ph. D. is Propel Bio Partners’ Managing General Partner. She helms this expanding Los Angeles-based biotechnology venture capital firm. Dr. Kawas previously served as Athira’s Chief Executive Officer (or CEO). During Dr. Leen Kawas’ time at Athira, she successfully managed multiple drug development cycles.

As a highly successful biotech industry leader, Dr. Leen Kawas advocates for more women in the CEO suite . She emphasized that women-led firms have three impressive characteristics. “There’s a lot of research showing when you have a woman on the helm (or part of the executive team), returns are higher, cultures are more inclusive, and innovation has a different, unique flavor,” Dr. Kawas concluded.

In June 2022, the BIO Industry Diversity Report analyzed the state of diversity in the growing biotech field. At the time, researchers found that United States, UK, and European biotech firms’ workforces were together composed of 40 to 50 percent women.

The same report noted that just 20 percent of biotech C-suite employees were women. The term “C-suite” pertains to executives with CEO, CFO, CMO, CSO, and similar titles. Women are also under-represented as startup founders and non-executive board members.

Multiple factors contribute to the current shortage of female biotech CEOs and executives. Dr. Leen Kawas emphasized that these factors may also affect female leaders’ ability to achieve their respective companies’ goals.

Gender Bias

First, gender bias (intentional or not) manifests itself in several ways. Biotech women are often faced with unconscious bias from industry peers and board colleagues. In addition, venture capitalists often ask biotech founders different questions based on their gender. Dr. Leen Kawas said this could affect the respective company’s funding opportunities and subsequent growth.

Next, women are sometimes excluded from key networking events. Worse yet, some qualified female biotech professionals are not seriously considered for higher-level opportunities. Finally, microaggressions from coworkers are not uncommon.

Workload Navigation Challenges

Leaders in primarily male industries typically handle hefty workloads that require a significant time commitment. Dr. Leen Kawas said women who navigate professional and caregiving tasks may be unable to stay current with their career responsibilities.

Hesitation About “Stretch” Roles

Candidates applying for any position are unlikely to possess 100 percent of the qualifications. Men readily apply for a role even if they don’t meet all the criteria. In addition, they are more likely to expect consistent promotions.

Women are often reluctant to apply for positions for which they don’t possess every qualification. Therefore, they self-disqualify themselves from consideration.

Lack of Female Role Models

The biotech industry’s female executive shortage translates into fewer role models and mentors. Without accomplished, supportive women, female professionals may find it harder to achieve success in a male-dominated industry.

Uneven Investment Playing Field

Women-led companies must often present their ideas to male-dominated investment boards. This skewed demographic, along with female leaders’ tendency to lack confidence in this setting, can affect candidates’ success rates.

Two Initiatives are Helping to Turn the Tide

Increasing the number of women in biotech leadership roles won’t happen overnight. That said, Dr. Leen Kawas highlights recent progress on multiple fronts.

The Biotech Sisterhood Takes Shape

In March 2024, Nature Biotechnology profiled a distinctive biotech community that continues to gain traction. Three highly successful female biotech CEOs have come together over shared professional experiences and challenges. Julia Owens, Angie You, and Sheila Gujrathi each managed executive teams and multiple boards.

During their wide-ranging discussions, the women came to a consensus. They agreed that male and female values-related conflicts, and other executive-level management issues, likely also affected other female biotech leaders. They launched a plan to change the situation’s dynamics.

Impactful Three-Day Summits

Aware that biotech women lacked sufficient networking opportunities, these three CEOs organized a three-day networking summit in 2022. They invited 50 female biotech CEOs and approximately half of them accepted. During this inaugural event, the women discussed business and strategy while voicing concerns about significant challenges. This highly successful summit spurred the Biotech Sisterhood’s launch.

In 2023, the group’s second summit drew twice the number of female biotech CEOs as the first. A dedicated Slack channel and a commitment to support other women are part of the Biotech Sisterhood’s makeup.

Addressing Key Issues

Biotech Sisterhood members address universal issues such as female executives’ compensation and family leave policies. Members offer guidance on managing non-gender-diverse boards, accessing investment sources, and protocols for a company’s shutdown. Seasoned CEOs actively mentor small groups during bimonthly meetings.

Local and International Outreach

Local biotech CEOs often participate in small group activities. Finally, although most Biotech Sisterhood members hail from the United States and Europe, efforts are underway to expand the group’s reach.

Support Networks and Targeted Initiatives

In March 2023, Nature Biotechnology published an intensive article on female biotechnology professionals’ progression into the leadership ranks. Today, female biotech leaders (and aspiring leaders) slowly continue to make inroads into higher-level executive and board positions.

Female CEOs and others in C-suite roles are often integral to female professionals’ career advances. Women who lead biotech investment firms also provide support to women ascending through industry ranks. For perspective, women-led investment groups are more likely to invest in a larger percentage of female founders. Dr. Leen Kawas is especially receptive to pitches from female and minority candidates.

Surprisingly, forward-thinking men are increasingly recruiting women for executive biotech roles. Some of these men also mentor women entering leadership positions.

Targeted Initiatives for Women in Biotech

Certain biotech companies have developed programs to empower women toward greater career achievements. To illustrate, the United States-based Forge Biologics recently introduced the “She Forges” Program. This initiative is designed to develop and retain female team members.

Stronger Recruitment for Women into STEM Fields

Increasing the number of women in STEM fields will gradually lead to more women in executive roles. For reference, significantly more women receive degrees in biotech-linked fields compared to men. However, women continue to be under-represented in fields such as chemistry, computer science, and engineering.

Recruiting women into STEM fields during the high school and college years makes sense. Offering executive career pathways for qualified women is also key. Finally, Dr. Leen Kawas urged recruiters for executive and top management positions to seek more qualified women to fill these roles. Over time, more female biotech CEOs and executives will drive innovation throughout the industry.

Published By: Aize Perez

Originally published at https://cagazette.com on August 27, 2024.