Christina Busmalis on Risk, Reinvention, and Showing Up Fully

Christina Busmalis is a senior executive in tech, life sciences, and biotech, with a global career built on curiosity, courage, and momentum. From consulting at PWC and IBM to commercial leadership at Google Cloud and BenevolentAI, her journey has been anything but linear. In this episode, Christina shares the power of choosing challenge over comfort—again and again.

Guest Shoutout:

Christina Busmalis is a commercial leader and strategic advisor across tech, life sciences, and biotech. Known for her candor and drive, she empowers teams to grow through challenge. Connect with her on LinkedIn.

The Story Behind the Episode

Christina’s story is about big decisions. Saying yes to opportunities that didn’t feel entirely safe. Moving to Switzerland in her twenties. Leaving a rising consulting career to join a struggling pharma account. Jumping into a biotech leadership role just as its CEO stepped down. At each step, she asked herself the same question: What if I don’t?

We talk about how that question shaped a career that spans continents and industries. Christina reflects on the moment she turned down a safer, more predictable path in financial services to lead transformation in life sciences—an industry she didn’t yet know, but believed in deeply. That leap led to 12 years of work with Novartis and a lasting shift in direction.

She also shares how mentorship and sponsorship have influenced her path, especially one relationship that evolved from leadership to friendship during a chaotic business trip rerouted by a volcanic eruption. Her reflections are candid, energizing, and full of warmth—a mirror of how she leads.

Key Takeaways:

• Challenge reveals capacity.
• The best choices are often the boldest.
• Mentors and sponsors create lasting ripple effects.
• Authentic leadership invites connection, loyalty, and legacy.

Watch or Listen:

YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcast

Shortened Transcript Highlights

00:45 – Christina’s global background and identity as a tech and life sciences leader.
03:15 – The pivotal decision to leave consulting for a struggling pharma account.
06:25 – Finding passion in the life sciences and leading with evidence.
08:30 – Taking on biotech leadership amid executive transitions.
11:45 – The legacy of mentorship and a friendship forged in crisis.
15:00 – What authenticity and connection really look like in leadership.