Pharmacist Lena Nymo Helli has built a broad career spanning research, commercial, market access and leadership roles across different therapeutic areas, markets and cultures, particularly in the Nordics and Germany. In recent years, she has expanded her experience beyond the pharmaceutical industry into startups, digital health, medtech and the wider life-science ecosystem, as well as taking on roles as a founder, board member and public-sector leader.

“I’ve always been curious about trying new things, whether that meant moving into commercial leadership, working in another country, or moving from large corporations to startups,” she says.

As Country Manager for Norway at Coloplast, she will focus on healthcare innovation, leadership and improving outcomes for patients and users. “Here in Norway, there is a very strong team and a solid business that has been built over many years. That was very compelling to me, and I’m excited to be part of its continued development,” she says.

Patients at the centre

Coloplast is a Danish medical technology company that develops products and services for people with intimate and chronic healthcare needs. The company was founded in 1957 by nurse Elise Sørensen, whose sister, Thora, underwent surgery that left her with a stoma. Wanting to improve her sister’s quality of life, Elise came up with the idea of an adhesive ostomy bag. Engineer Aage Louis-Hansen then helped turn the idea into reality by developing and manufacturing the world’s first ostomy bag. This invention laid the foundation for Coloplast.

Lena Nymo Helli says she was drawn to the company by the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives. “It really struck me how much impact our customized solutions can have on people’s everyday lives. They want to travel, swim, stay active and simply live the life they want, and our solutions can help make that possible,” she says.

Another strong motivation for her was the vision of the company to become world-leading in listening and acting on what they hear from people. “There are still unmet needs, and I really believe in listening closely to users and healthcare professionals and turning those insights into better solutions,” she says.

Values shaping her leadership

Lena Nymo Helli is value-driven, with an entrepreneurial and innovative mindset, and is motivated by exploring new ideas, she says. “I’ve always been curious and eager to learn new things, find new ways to grow, and help solve unmet medical needs for people and society.”

She emphasizes that the best results are achieved through collaboration and strong partnerships. “People are the most important resource we have, and empowering others to grow and develop has always been a key part of my leadership philosophy.”

The ability to listen and learn has been extremely important throughout my career, particularly when moving into leadership roles in new countries and environments.

When she moved to Germany, she learned the importance of listening and understanding before acting, she recalls. “I learned not to move too quickly, but to take the time to understand the culture, the people, and the context before communicating my ideas or deciding on a course of action. The ability to listen and learn has been extremely important throughout my career, particularly when moving into leadership roles in new countries and environments,” she says.

Her experience in Germany also reinforced the importance of adapting her leadership style to different cultures and environments. Rather than assuming what worked in one setting would work in another, she learned to remain open, observe, and adapt.

She emphasizes the need for leaders to continuously adapt and evolve as the world changes rapidly, particularly with the emergence of new technologies, while creating a culture where people feel included, respected, and empowered to do their best work.

Be bold and embrace new opportunities

As a female leader in the life sciences sector, Lena encourages anyone aspiring to a leadership role to reflect on their purpose and what drives them, while embracing change and being willing to drive it.

Do not underestimate the knowledge and experience they already have when moving between sectors. Skills developed in one environment can be highly transferable to another, particularly in leadership roles.

“Be bold, step outside your comfort zone and try new things. Be curious, listen and learn, and say yes when opportunities come your way, even if you don’t feel you have all the experience you need,” she says.

She notes that, in many roles, learning happens along the way, and encourages women not to underestimate the knowledge and experience they already have when moving between sectors. Skills developed in one environment can be highly transferable to another, particularly in leadership roles.

Opportunities for the life science sector

There are big opportunities in healthcare, particularly as the sector moves from simply delivering solutions to becoming a true partner in addressing broader healthcare challenges, according to Lena Nymo Helli. Beyond individual unmet needs, healthcare systems are facing increasing economic and resource pressures, which means new approaches are needed and closer collaboration between industry, healthcare providers, patients, academia, and investors.

“I see opportunities to bring care closer to citizens, improve standards of care and look across the entire healthcare value chain, from prevention and treatment to follow-up,” she says. “Technologies such as AI can help improve effectiveness and productivity.”

She also highlights the growing importance of data-driven innovation as another major opportunity for the life science sector going forward. “Data is becoming a key enabler for improving healthcare, developing new solutions and finding more effective ways of working,” she concludes.