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A Day in the Life of a CEO: Martin Babler, Principia
July 7, 2015
By Riley McDermid, BioSpace.com Breaking News Sr. Editor

Prior to joining Principia, Martin Babler was president and chief executive officer of Talima Therapeutics, Inc. Previously, he held positions of increasing responsibility at Genentech , most recently as vice president of Immunology Sales and Marketing. He began his pharmaceutical industry career at Eli Lilly and Company focused on sales, sales management, global marketing and business development. Babler is a Guest Lecturer for the BioExec Institute at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley (CAL).

He also serves on the board of ZS Pharma and the BIO Emerging Companies Section Governing Board. He holds a Swiss Federal Diploma in Pharmacy from the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. Babler also graduated from the Executive Development Program at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. BioSpace talked with him about his career arc, the company’s upcoming milestones and his typical workday.

1. Walk us through your typical workday. What does it entail?

I love working in a small company as there is no such thing as a typical day. Every day is new, with different challenges and surprises as we develop new chemistry and biology and advance our programs towards patients. Most days I can focus on supporting my team to make fast and effective decisions, moving our programs forward and managing our relationships with the board, our investors and the community in which we operate as a startup company.

2. What’s your proudest career achievement to date?

From a technical point of view, it was establishing the commercial development function at Genentech. The whole company moved from a serial model where programs were handed from Research to Development to Commercial to a parallel model where alignment around program attributes happened all along the development continuum.

But overall, what I am most proud of are all the people that I have been able to work closely with throughout my career and seeing the successes they have achieved. Whether it is through hiring great people and building high functioning teams or by challenging people to focus on their passion and to get them to do extraordinary things they never thought was possible.

3. Anything in particular that makes you grateful?

Being able to work in an industry full of complexity, with a great team of people who are on a mission to change patients’ lives is a fantastic privilege. The fact that I can do this and live in and experience the dynamic nature of the Bay Area makes me thankful every day.

4. If you had to choose between a startup or an established company, which would you pick?

The startup. It is amazing what a small team of dedicated people on a mission can do with limited resources to ultimately impact patients’ lives. I love that dynamic that brings out the best in people and enables innovative problem solving.

5. Any pieces of advice for people looking to get to where you are now?

My career wasn’t just a series of different roles in several organizations; it was also about understanding who I was, what I am passionate about and in what environment I am most productive. So my key advice is to take the time to understand yourself, find out what you are truly passionate about and pursue your dreams. The path might not always be the most direct but never, never give up. Realize that you are the only person who can get you there. It’s your responsibility.

6. What’s your hometown and do you get back there often?

I grew up in different places so the closest place to what I would call my hometown would be Zug, Switzerland. I still do get back there a couple of times as year to visit family and friends. [It’s a great place to visit and because of its tax laws actually a great place for business; however, the innovation and startup culture of the Bay Area is so compelling to me that I have no plans on moving back.

7. Best book you’ve read lately?

Atul Gawande’s “Being Mortal” is a great read for anyone in this industry as we all need to think about how to make our healthcare system sustainable in the long term and whether the “treatment at all cost” model remains viable.

8. Pets? Hobbies?

Although my kids keep asking for pets, we do not have any. I do have a few hobbies. I sailed dinghies competitively growing up and I still love to be on the water. As a Swiss, I am an avid skier.

As a great balance to the office work during the week, I am a farmer on the weekend in Sonoma County where we grow mostly olives and figs. Getting my hands dirty grounds me and it is great to literally see the fruits of your labor.

9. Why have you stayed doing what you do for so long? What makes it worth it?

There is no other industry where small groups of people can have such a meaningful impact on human life as in biotech. For me it’s an honor that we can do this and make a living doing it.

10. When did you know this industry was for you?

Very early in my career I had a patient thanking me for what I did and telling me “You changed my life.” I knew at that moment this was the path I was meant to be on.

11. Company milestones coming up?

In the second half of this year we anticipate starting numerous clinical development programs with molecules that we discovered and developed at Principia. We hope to have some initial proof of concept data from these trials in 2016 and 2017.


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