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Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1484213
60 BCBUSINESS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 many external hires, to have been less than desirable: "It didn't allow people who were inside Zymeworks to have room to grow and develop and operate." That doesn't mean he hasn't hired new people since he took over (he has), but he wanted a more appropriate ra- tio of new and old faces. Galbraith claims to have drawn inspiration from a num- ber of diverse pioneers since his youth—including some in sports. He remembers admir- ing Bobby Orr's work ethic, how the hockey star would "rather have an assist than a goal," and he applies the same principles in his own work. As a result, his definition of growth isn't always quantifiable. "I sat with my 19-person management team in Seattle in August. Of those 19 people, only five were senior manage- ment when I started. So, I've got 14 new leaders sitting at my table somewhere in the organi- zation, but not in the leadership function. That was 'scale' for me," Galbraith explains. Zymeworks is going through a metamorphosis as it expands beyond Europe into Asia. Part of building a stable of leaders from scratch is to refresh how the company thinks, so a lot of Galbraith's new hires are people with global experience in the biotech industry who can support operations beyond Vancouver and Seattle. At the end of the day, Gal- braith says, the culture is up to those who do the work, from the COO right down to the new lab technician. But persever- ance and bravery are important qualities to have, because the journey from invention to FDA approval is long and risky. As Galbraith puts it: "You take the risks hoping that you've picked the right drug and developed it in the right way to get it to patients." —R.R.