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When Dr. Eveline Trachsel set out on her career in pharmaceutical sciences, she never imagined she would one day lead a team of 200 at Swissmedic, the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products. Her journey – from cancer research to biotech, from the pharmaceutical industry to regulatory leadership – was shaped not just by ambition, but also by adaptability, perseverance, and an openness to life’s unexpected turns.
Eveline’s passion for making a difference in healthcare began early. After earning her PhD in pharmaceutical sciences at ETH in Zurich, she worked in a Swiss-Italian biotech firm, bringing products from the lab to clinical trials. She then moved to Boston in 2011, where she led a team involved in phase 1 trials at the renowned Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. It was there, managing a diverse team with backgrounds ranging from Harvard graduates to former hospital dishwashers, that she discovered her passion for leadership.
Returning to Switzerland in 2015, she encountered a challenge many professionals face: she didn’t fit the conventional industry molds. Despite this, she secured a role at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), where she helped launch a breakthrough immuno-oncology drug for lung cancer patients. Hard work and a willingness to step up led her from an individual contributor role to medical director for Switzerland and Austria. In this role, she navigated the company’s largest-ever merger – amid a pandemic – while leading a growing team.
Then, in 2023, came a phone call she wasn’t expecting. A recruiter introduced her to an opportunity at Swissmedic, a move she never would have envisioned for herself. “A few years ago, I might not have thought of myself in a regulatory role,” she admits. “But sometimes the best opportunities are the ones you don’t see coming.” As she learned more, she realized Swissmedic offered a unique chance to shape healthcare on a national scale. In January 2024, she stepped into her new role as Head of Medicinal Product Authorisation and Vigilance.
While many career choices were based on opportunities, hard work and life circumstances, one decision was deliberate: enrolling in the Executive MBA at the University of Zurich. Choosing the EMBA UZH with focus on Digital Transformation, she balanced leadership experience with new skills – lessons that are now proving invaluable as Swissmedic undergoes a major digital transition.
Eveline’s career has been defined by bold decisions. “Walking up to a director of Dana-Farber at a networking event and asking for a job was the bravest thing I’d ever done,” she recalls. It was a defining moment – one that reinforced the importance of taking initiative and advocating for herself. As a leader in a highly technical field, Eveline’s story is a testament to the power of courage and seizing opportunities for people and especially women aspiring to leadership.
Her advice for young professionals? “You can only plan your career to a certain extent. Life happens. Be open, be courageous, and work hard.” And, as she has shown, sometimes the bravest thing you can do is simply ask for an opportunity and then take it.
