True Launches Dedicated MedSci Functional Team

January 27, 2025 – Global talent provider True has launched a dedicated MedSci functional team within its healthcare & life sciences practice. The firm explains that the MedSci team is designed to meet the growing demand for highly scientific, technical, R&D, and medical leadership across industries transforming healthcare and science. “The lines between discovery, treatment, prevention, and population health are becoming increasingly interconnected,” said Jim O’Sullivan, managing director, global co-lead of True’s healthcare & life sciences practices. “MedSci was created to address the growing need for strategic medical and technical leaders who can navigate this multi-layered landscape. By aligning the right talent with the right opportunities, MedSci aims to accelerate breakthroughs that improve lives and shape the future of healthcare”

“The convergence of breakthroughs in biotech, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare is ushering in a transformative era in medicine,” said Sophia Mowla, managing director, global co-lead of True’s healthcare and life sciences practices. “Scientific innovation is driving the development of precision treatments, novel diagnostics, and preventative solutions that have the potential to profoundly impact patients’ lives. MedSci was created to address the urgent need for leaders who can navigate this complex landscape, bridging cutting-edge R&D with real-world patient outcomes.”

True’s MedSci consultants identify and place senior executives driving advancements in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare services, digital health, and beyond. “While True has been placing R&D and medical talent for years, formalizing this sub-function will bridge the gap between scientific discovery and patient impact, addressing the evolving needs of organizations in an era defined by breakthroughs in precision medicine, genomics, and population health,” the firm said.

The launch of MedSci comes during a period of remarkable growth for both True Search and the MedSci space. In 2024, True expanded its healthcare and life sciences practices to include 20+ dedicated partners, enabling the creation of a specialized MedSci team that focuses on permanent and fractional roles such as:

• Chief medical officer.
• Head of clinical development.
• Chief scientific officer.
• Head of R&D.
• Head of manufacturing.
• Head of regulatory.
• Head of computational sciences.

Meeting the Demand for R&D and Technical Leaders

True notes that the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and healthcare sectors are undergoing rapid technological advancements, driving unprecedented demand for R&D and technical leadership. The momentum behind R&D hiring reflects this strategic focus. In 2023, R&D placements in True’s U.S. healthcare and life sciences practices grew by 42.9 percent, while 33 percent of international searches in the same sector were for R&D roles.

Related: True Acquires Jopwell

Mr. O’Sullivan joined True after a 15 year tenure at Ross & Company. Over his career, he has completed more than 500 projects, ranging from CEO, president, COO, board member, CRO, CFO, and other top management searches to capital sourcing and company formation. Mr. O’Sullivan specializes in health information, health data analytics, medtech, pharma IT/services, healthcare services, managed care, tech-enabled services and enterprise software/SaaS/cloud computing businesses.


True Appoints Head of Talent Advisory in North America

True has named Tom Granado as the new head of talent advisory in North America. With his extensive leadership advisory background, he will collaborate with Debu Mishra, global head of talent advisory, to enhance the practice’s leadership impact. “Tom’s experience helping companies strategically define what clear leadership, successful talent management, and cultural alignment looks like will be indispensable for our clients and candidates,” said Joe Riggione, co-CEO of True Platform. “After speaking to a few of Tom’s VC clients, we knew he’d built a business that values client relationships the way True does, and we’re excited for him to continue that work here.”


Ms. Mowla is the co-founder of True’s global life sciences practice and now leads True’s healthcare and life sciences practices in EMEA & APAC specializing in biotech & pharma, life science tools / techbio, diagnostics and medtech. She was the chief growth officer / member of the executive team of an ARCH backed San Diego / Oxford biotech, leading HR, talent and investor relations where she built out the company’s U.S. presence, organizational structure, trans-Atlantic leadership and board. ​Prior to True, Ms. Mowla was a key member of the global healthcare practice at Russell Reynolds Associates placing executives and building boards across Fortune / FTSE 100 companies to ground breaking startups pioneering transformational technologies. She has placed more than 200 executives / board appointments including VC and PE-backed companies that have since gone through a successful exit. ​

Working in both the private and public sectors, True Search has offices throughout the U.S. as well as the EMEA and APAC regions. Since the late 1990s, the firm’s founders have refined their search process with a blend of data-centric insights, relationship-building, and experience to produce a methodology that consistently improves hiring decisions and accelerates growth. The firm’s clients include Jet, Work Front, and Summit Partners. True Search is a subsidiary of True Platform, a global portfolio of human capital services and products for high-growth tech and tech-enabled organizations. True recently placed No. 6 on the Hunt Scanlon Media “Top 50 Recruiters” ranking.

Related: True Appoints Regional Lead for Middle East and North Africa

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor  – Hunt Scanlon Media

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