Leading with Trust, driving innovation: Paul Peter Tak on culture, Teams, and Growth in BioTech

Through conversations with founders, board members and decisionmakers, we explore the human side of scaling life sciences companies. How do you attract top talent, keep your startup spirit, and build a culture that drives both science and business forward? We help companies answer these questions every day, but this is about more than what we know—it’s about learning together and sharing real stories. Read our interview, with insight from Paul Peter Tak – CEO, and Board Director at Candel Therapeutics.

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Paul Peter Tak, M.D., Ph.D., FMedSci, is a business leader in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries with over 30 years of experience spanning business, academia, and clinical medicine. He currently serves as President, CEO, and Board Director at Candel Therapeutics and is also the Co-Founder and Board Director of Sitryx Therapeutics, as well as a Board Director at Levicept and Citryll.

A renowned expert in Immunology, Internal Medicine, and Rheumatology, Paul Peter has made significant contributions to advancing medical science, both as an industry leader and in academia. He has served as Professor of Medicine at the University of Amsterdam and has received numerous honors for his work in immunology and rheumatology. His leadership philosophy is deeply rooted in fostering high-performing teams, embracing cognitive diversity, and building a culture of trust—principles that have shaped his impact in driving innovation and organizational growth in Biotech.

About Candel Therapeutics

Candel Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing multimodal biological immunotherapies designed to harness the power of the immune system to fight cancer. Under Paul Peter’s leadership, the company is advancing a pipeline of transformative therapies aimed at improving patient outcomes.

Paul Peter, you’ve had a distinguished career in biotech, pharma, and academia. From an executive perspective, what do you see as the key pillars of success in biotech?

The way I see it, every biotech company stands on two key pillars: the people and the science. The intellectual property, the knowledge, the innovation—these are fundamental. But none of it matters without the right people to drive it forward.

It’s not just about hiring the best talent; it’s about ensuring they work effectively together, embracing diversity—not just in gender or ethnicity, but in leadership styles, thought processes, and experiences. Success in biotech depends on creating high-performing teams that demonstrate the right behaviors, align with core cultural values, and ultimately drive innovation forward.

How do you define high-performing teams in biotech?

I often compare teams to a sports team rather than a family. In a sports team, not everyone is always on the field, but everyone plays a critical role in achieving the ultimate goal. It’s not about individual contributions but about how the team wins together.

For a team to be high-performing, trust is absolutely essential. I build trust systematically by hiring trustworthy individuals, fostering open communication, and ensuring we have transparency in decision-making. Trust also means addressing toxic behaviors quickly—there’s no room for corporate politics or passive-aggressiveness.

One key behavior I eliminate is triangulation, where one team member complains about another to a third person. My response is always: “What did that person say when you told them directly?” That forces people to address issues head-on and fosters accountability

You’ve spoken about diversity being more than just demographics. What do you look for when hiring leaders?

I’m looking for individuals with a T-profile— a mix of deep expertise (vertical part of the T) and broad knowledge (horizontal part of the T). I also value cognitive diversity, ensuring the team doesn’t consist of people who think the same way.

Another aspect I consider is hiring in my “allergy zone”—bringing in people with leadership styles that might even irritate me at times. Why? Because they push me and the team to think differently, challenge assumptions, and contribute to a better, more balanced organization.

Above all, I look for coachability. A leader who can’t receive feedback and grow will eventually hinder progress. I’ve invested heavily in executive coaching myself, and I expect my team to be open to it as well.

You’ve been both an executive and an investor. How should investors evaluate leadership in biotech companies?

Investors should spend time observing how teams work together, not just analyzing the science. The way leaders interact in meetings— whether they acknowledge each other’s contributions, how they handle disagreements—tells you a lot about the underlying culture.

One red flag I look for is toxic or psychopathic behavior. It’s more common than people think, and there’s a fantastic book called “Snakes in Suits” that delves into this. If I sense toxicity, I act fast. I’ve removed individuals from organizations who weren’t aligned with a high-trust, high-performance culture.

I also push decisions down to the lowest appropriate level—that’s something investors should check for. Is the CEO making all the calls, or is there a culture of empowerment? The latter is far more sustainable.

“Human Capital is a company’s most valuable asset – how you lead your people will determine your company’s success.”

What’s your final piece of advice for leaders in biotech?

Leadership is about creating an environment where people can do their best work. That means hiring smartly, fostering a culture of trust, eliminating toxicity, and staying adaptable. And finally, remember that human capital is a company’s most valuable asset—how you lead your people will determine your company’s success.