Let's Talk Quality

Hemish Ilangaratne•rx-group.io

“Let’s Talk Quality” is a podcast that seeks to shine a light on quality assurance, a profession that acts as the cornerstone for bringing safer medicine to patients. For life science companies to continue to develop life-saving medicines, a culture of good quality must be driven across the industry, whether that be an early phase gene therapy biotech or a global pharma organisation. This podcast aims to drive that mission forward through inviting industry leaders, experts, and visionaries to share their knowledge, experiences, and strategies for achieving quality excellence. Join us on a journey of discovery as we unravel the importance of quality and its profound impact on businesses and society. Get ready to engage in insightful discussions, gain valuable perspectives, and unlock the secrets to fostering a culture of quality in every aspect of life. Tune in and let’s embark on this exciting quality-driven adventure together.

Last refreshed: April 29th, 2026 at 1:57 AM ⓘ

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Episodes

Jacob Patterson on the skills you need to develop now, to be a quality leader of the future.

This week I spoke with Jacob Patterson, VP quality for a clinical stage biotech in Rhode Island. Jacob, by his own admission, has had to continuously adapt, learn and be flexible in his approach to quality leadership. We had a great conversation about what skills the quality industry will demand in the next 10-20 years. We spoke about what Jacob thinks quality professionals should be doing now, from both a technical skills and a leadership perspective to help grow their career, develop successio...

Oct 26, 2023•38 min•Season 1Ep. 10

Brian Nunnally on building resilience, finding your 'north-star' and developing a world-class QC team.

This week, we spoke with Brian Nunnally, and discussed some of the challenges that Brian faced throughout his journey to where he is now, Global Head of QC at CSL. Brian is hugely passionate and is driven by being a part of and leading the best quality control function in the world. What I liked about this conversation was Brian's honest assessment of his struggles and frustrations that many people will be going through right now. We spoke about why lateral moves and working in different functio...

Oct 13, 2023•35 min•Season 1Ep. 9

Peggy Owens on developing her team to 'operate in the grey'

This week I was joined by Peggy Owens, Head of Quality at Kincell Bio, a CDMO operating in early phase cell therapy. Peggy has an extensive background in cell therapy, having worked on both the CDMO and sponsor side. We had a great discussion about the challenges of building and leading a quality function in an area of medicine which is constantly evolving. We discussed the following: The challenges of overseeing quality at a CDMO in the CGT space How to develop a team that can operate in uncert...

Oct 05, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 8

John McKay on his four key pillars for achieving quality assurance excellence

On this weeks show, I speak with John McKay, a well respected, well loved and highly seasoned quality assurance leader in pharma and biotech across clinical development and commercial manufacturing. John breaks down four key pillars that he believes are critical for achieving quality assurance excellence and developing world-class quality functions. We discuss the following: What it takes to be a great quality assurance leader John's experience of being trained by Dr W. Edwards Deming The import...

Sep 28, 2023•36 min•Season 1Ep. 7

Greg Whitehead on leaving the industry in a better place.

Welcome to episode 6 of Let's Talk Quality. I was joined by Greg Whitehead. Greg is Head of Quality at Editas Medicine and has been working in biotech for 30 years, with a particular focus on cell and gene therapy. Greg has a vision to leave the quality assurance industry in a better place than when he started in the industry. We spoke about why this is important to him and what he is doing to help bring this vision to life. We spoke about the following: How not many people set out to have a car...

Sep 21, 2023•36 min•Season 1Ep. 6

Christy Mazzarisi on her vision of building the next generation of female leaders.

There are 6 female CEO's of biotech companies with a market cap of over $5bn. In this episode, I was lucky to speak with Christy, who is an incredible advocate for females in quality and the wider biotech industry. Christy has an incredible passion for helping other females leaders overcome some of the struggles that she has faced in her career. Christy chairs a women in quality group for ASQ where men and woman come together to break down the barriers and challenges for woman in the workplace a...

Sep 14, 2023•33 min•Season 1Ep. 5

Amnon Eylath on the origins of 'phase-appropriate' quality

What exactly is 'phase-appropriate' quality? In episode 4 of Let's Talk Quality, I was joined by Amnon Eylath to discuss the origins of the well known term, 'phase-appropriate' quality. Amnon and I discuss the following: What exactly is 'phase-appropriate' quality? The history of GxP and how the term originated How the FDA guidance has evolved, and how it started Amon's role in liaising with the FDA to develop a 'graded approach' to quality How this approach evolved into the term 'phase-appropri...

Aug 30, 2023•34 min•Season 1Ep. 4

Ann Farnsworth on how to create an onboarding process through making quality relatable!

Welcome to Episode 3 of Season 1, of Let's Talk Quality: The Podcast. Hemish was joined by Ann Farnsworth. Ann is the VP of Quality Assurance for C4 Therapeutics, a clinical phase biotechnology organisation, headquartered in Massachusetts. Ann explains why understanding the history of quality assurance is a key part of her leadership philosophy and details the practical measures she takes when onboarding new team members. We cover the following in detail: Ann's customizable onboarding process fo...

Aug 23, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 3

Edward Armstrong on Adapting, Overcoming and Improvising as a Quality Leader

Welcome to Episode 2 of Let's Talk Quality! Today's guest is Edward Armstrong. Ed is the VP of Quality at Mustang Bio. What stood out about the conversation with Ed was his passion for continuous learning in quality and why all QA professionals should always be looking to adapt, overcome and improvise in quality and compliance. What makes a great quality assurance leader in today's world How has quality evolved in the past decade The significance of what the team at Mustang Bio are doing Autolog...

Aug 16, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 2

Jaspreet Gill on scaling quality functions and leading with authenticity.

Welcome to Episode 1 of Season 1, of Let's Talk Quality: The Podcast . Hemish was joined by Jaspreet Gill , Chief Quality Officer at Sangamo Therapeutics. We discussed the incredible potential of cell and gene therapies and the role that quality leaders play in helping the industry reach its full potential. Transitioning from small molecule to cell and gene therapy The global potential of CGT, its impact on healthcare, and why it is exciting? The hurdles we will face which could slow down progre...

Aug 09, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 1

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