Sarah Marshall
Head of Human Resources Alexion AstraZeneca Rare Disease
Seminars
As AI reshapes the life sciences operating model, CHROs are uniquely positioned to lead the
reinvention of workforce strategy, role, and organization design and future skills development. This
interactive workshop will explore how HR leaders can move beyond reactive change management
to proactively design roles and organizations where human potential and AI capabilities evolve and
work in tandem. The focus will be on long-term value creation, sustainable talent strategies, and
the leadership mindset required to navigate continuous transformation.
This workshop will address:
- What work should be reimagined vs just automated, and how AI is shifting the boundaries of work, roles, and decision-making – and what this means for organizational design and leadership
- The strategic risks of underinvesting in human capability development as AI accelerates – and how to balance efficiency with long-term resilience
- How CHROs can influence enterprise-wide thinking on skills, culture, and the employee experience in an AI-augmented environment
You will leave this workshop able to:
- Identify the most urgent strategic questions HR must answer to future-proof the workforce in an AI-enabled life sciences industry
- Evaluate your current workforce strategy through the lens of adaptability, hyper-efficiency, and long-term capability building
- Lead cross-functional conversations that position HR as a driver of innovation, not just a responder to disruption
- How a new AI skills development initiative has transformed AstraZeneca and Alexion into AI-first organizations and driven efficiencies in R&D and commercial operations
- Tying this approach into strategic workforce planning to decide whether to hire experts, buy expertise, or leverage a combination of approaches (buy, build, borrow, bot)
- Lessons learned from driving change, starting small and failing fast, and the strategic workforce planning considerations of moving towards a fully AIenabled workforce
Join Lauren and Sarah for a dynamic Q&A exploring how two global biopharma leaders are embedding digital and AI capabilities into their workforces. This is your opportunity to ask questions, unpack key lessons, and gain practical insights into scaling transformation in complex, regulated environments.
