Industry Essays

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The Corner Office

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Most-Favored-Nation Impact Study

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Strategist & Economist for Biopharma Leaders

Policy changes, competitive breakthroughs, technology innovations—most leaders see these coming too late. I bring my economics, strategy, and foreign intelligence background to help executives forecast the next bet that blindside their competitors.

Meet Julien
ceo office strategy

Dedicated CEO office advisory

Make sense of trends

For pharmaceutical clients, I make sense of economic and industry trends, explain their implications for business revenues and growth, and develop practical strategies to respond.

Data-driven thought leadership

I develop innovative, data-driven thought leadership to help set strategic agendas within organizations and in public.

Applied economic analysis

I leverage subject-matter expertise and apply economic analysis tools and techniques to generate evidence that helps the CEO office understand the implications of future and past decisions.

Regulatory impact assessment

I undertake systematic assessments of the positive and negative effects of proposed and existing regulations, and of non-regulatory alternatives, to address the pharmaceutical/public policy issues at hand.

Business case development

I leverage business-case best practices to help the CEO office build convincing, evidence-based business cases for investment, infrastructure, and public-policy proposals.

Therapeutic area intelligence and strategy

I analyze therapy areas end to end—mapping the science, standard of care, pipeline, guideline shifts, and competitor moves. I quantify patient flow, unmet need, and access headroom, and deliver market models, preparing you to make a decision.

AI transformation program recovery

AI pilots became a distraction—my approach is different

Delivering business value from any transformation program requires significant focus, an appropriate strategy, and understanding of where your saboteurs reside.

CEO-owned ambition and guardrails

I help define the value hypothesis, unit economics, and decision rights. Incentives and reviews align to adoption and business results.

Focus on big bets, not the number of pilots

Together, we will select three to five domains that matter for profit, speed, or risk. Write domain charters with target metrics, scale unit, and dependencies. Kill the rest.

Zero-based process design

I will help map the "point of departure" and "point of arrival" for each domain. Redesign work with AI at the core, not as a layer. Produce new workflows, controls, and handoffs that can scale. You wouldn't remodel your bathroom while the plumbing is crap, would you?

Two-speed operating model

I'll help stand up a small transformation team that enables business-owned solution teams. Run the business and change the business in parallel.

Lorenzo Matteucci
Julien is an exceptional economist, diplomat, and strategist. We worked together on a $450 million public health lending operation. He's a strong leader and subject matter expert in healthcare strategy and international healthcare/pharmaceutical financing. Julien possesses two critical traits: non-intuitive thinking and skill in high-pressure negotiations. He is a very confident and ruthless operator.
Ellen Bien
Ministry of Defense, The Netherlands
Julien is a forward-thinking perfectionist. His work as a business and technology advisor was critical to our company's innovation success. He delivered strategic analytics for the CFO and designed product operating models for the IT organization. If you're looking for a yes-man, Julien is NOT that person. He will challenge you and disagree, backed by heaps of data and research. He helped connect our technology pursuits with the CEO's overall strategy.
Carissa Rollins
Illumina
Julien brought a unique skill combination: expertise in therapeutic areas (oncology, pediatrics), technical understanding of pharmaceutical data science applications, and strong business strategy acumen. He led a year-long strategic program for Pfizer, applying these skills daily to deliver clinical development innovations and new computational techniques.
Jonathan Crowther, PhD
Pfizer
biotech turnaround and restructuring

Biotech turnaround services

Many U.S. biotech firms are indeed in need of a turnaround in 2025, driven by cash shortages, market instability, and regulatory uncertainty. Yet the sector is still innovating and growing in select areas. Firms prepared to refocus on fundamentals and efficiency are well-positioned to rebound when industry conditions improve.

Managerial: Minimize distress

I partner with former industry operators to quickly install clear decision rights, an interim control tower, and board-ready reporting. Use a CRO-caliber playbook to steady leadership focus and restore stakeholder confidence

Operational: Stabilize and recover performance

I provide hands-on leadership support to control costs through working capital optimization, capital expenditure management, workforce rebalancing, triage vendors, optimize physical structures and their operations.

Financial: Runway and liquidity defense

Together we will build a 13-week cash forecast, manage daily liquidity, and renegotiate terms with creditors and suppliers. Pair it with a restructuring-ready plan and a tight communications cadence.

biotech turnaround and restructuring

Biotech turnaround services

Many U.S. biotech firms are indeed in need of a turnaround in 2025, driven by cash shortages, market instability, and regulatory uncertainty. Yet the sector is still innovating and growing in select areas. Firms prepared to refocus on fundamentals and efficiency are well-positioned to rebound when industry conditions improve.

Managerial: Minimize distress

I partner with former industry operators to quickly install clear decision rights, an interim control tower, and board-ready reporting. Use a CRO-caliber playbook to steady leadership focus and restore stakeholder confidence

Operational: Stabilize and recover performance

I provide hands-on leadership support to control costs through working capital optimization, capital expenditure management, workforce rebalancing, triage vendors, optimize physical structures and their operations.

Financial: Runway and liquidity defense

Together we will build a 13-week cash forecast, manage daily liquidity, and renegotiate terms with creditors and suppliers. Pair it with a restructuring-ready plan and a tight communications cadence.

Executive diligence

Assessing executive team behavior prior to capital deployment

Empirical research demonstrates that CEO and executive team composition significantly impacts firm performance. Developing a comprehensive behavioral profile of the executive team prior to PE/VC investment helps ensure your capital is backed by leadership equipped for success. This engagement requires a multi-hour in-person activity.

Cognitive ability

  • Assess reasoning and decision speed under pressure
  • Identify ability to adapt judgment when faced with incomplete data
  • Gauge how executives integrate complex information into strategy

Personal leadership

  • Map track record of leading diverse teams and initiatives
  • Evaluate range of roles across industries, markets, or functions
  • Test resilience and willingness to challenge entrenched views

Productivity traits

  • Measure consistency of execution across high-stakes contexts
  • Detect patterns of focus, prioritization, and follow-through
  • Benchmark energy and output against comparable leadership roles

Personality patterns

  • Stress tolerance and emotional stability under pressure
  • Openness to new ideas, learning, and adaptive thinking
  • Reliability, discipline, and follow-through on commitments

Unlock Your Potential with Expert Strategic Consulting Tailored for the Pharma Industry

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Benefit from Proven Industry Expertise and Customized Strategic Solutions

Julien's deep understanding of the pharmaceutical landscape ensures impactful strategies.

Achieve Results with Tailored Solutions Designed for Your Specific Needs

Julien crafts bespoke strategies that align perfectly with your business objectives.

Gain Strategic Insight that Propels Your Business Forward in the Pharma Sector

Leverage Julien's insights to navigate challenges and seize opportunities in the market.

PODCAST

Any transformation program requires behavioral analysis

Neglecting behavioral factors—such as attitudes, mindsets, resistance to change, and leadership role-modeling—can result in transformation failure, regardless of how well-designed the new processes or structures are. I am trained to profile your people to identify risks and prepare a mitigation plan.

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To be launched soon… My notes on strategy, business, and life sciences industry from the the lens of a former intelligence professional.