Hanns-Christian Mahler, Chief Enablement Officer at ten23 health, is redefining leadership in pharmaceutical manufacturing: “I believe collaboration at the workplace should be primarily based on trust and motivation, not on typical carrot and stick command and control models.”
Founded in 2021, ten23 health has a mission to be a human-centric and sustainable strategic partner of the pharmaceutical industry. With extensive experience at companies including Merck, Roche, and Lonza, Hanns-Christian brings a fresh perspective to the CDMO space, combining technical expertise with innovative leadership approaches.
In the latest episode of the PharmaSource podcast, Hanns-Christian shared insights into how ten23 health is revolutionising the CDMO sector through three key pillars: expertise-driven services, human-centric leadership, and sustainable operations. The company’s unique approach demonstrates how CDMOs can differentiate themselves in a competitive market while prioritising both people and planet.
Connect with ten23 health at CDMO Live 2025. Find out more about the event here
Redefining Sterile Fill-Finish Services
ten23 health launched with a focus on specific market segments within sterile fill-finish, particularly targeting self-administration and subcutaneous delivery devices. However, what truly sets them apart is their emphasis on development expertise alongside quality manufacturing capabilities, says Hanns.
“Many think their job is just to focus only on the fill-finish – to fill and execute a customer’s list of requirements.” he explains.
“Our development knowledge plays a significant role. Being able to have a dialogue with customers about formulations and process details and interaction such as filter and tubing selection, or fill volume targeting demonstrates our expertise beyond mere execution.”
Breaking Traditional Leadership Models
The company’s organisational structure eschews traditional hierarchies in favour of a role-based system focused on individual strengths.
“Our organisational charts are circles and roles, not pyramids,” Hanns-Christian shares. “We had a colleague who operated as a technician but was interested in taking on more responsibility for our diversity strategy and LGBTQ activities. She became our LGBTQ officer while working in the lab, and later additionally moved into EHS and biosafety roles that played to her strengths and interests.”
This approach extends to recruitment and performance management. The company uses tools like Profile Dynamics for hiring, self-reflection and feedback, focusing on work preferences and individual strengths rather than traditional performance ratings.
Setting New Standards in Sustainability
ten23 health has embedded sustainability into every aspect of its operations, from coffee machines to server locations. The company operates CO2-positive and includes carbon emissions data in customer invoices.
The company recently reported a 44% reduction in carbon footprint and diverted 43% of waste from disposal in 2023.
“We thought about sustainability when we bought the coffee machines, when choosing paper suppliers, everything,” Hanns-Christian notes. “Currently, we add CO2 emissions data to customer invoices for batch manufacturing, certifying how many emissions we caused and to ensure it’s been offset (with offsetting not being the goal, really, rather than avoidance). Sadly, I haven’t come across a single customer who actually asked for it.”
Looking ahead, Hanns-Christian believes sustainability will become a fundamental requirement in the industry: “Five years from now, I would be surprised if sustainability wouldn’t be just a right to operate, just like any other quality topic.”
Personal Mission
A formative experience for Hanns-Christian was his father’s battle against lung cancer, at a time when we was racing to get a new lung cancer therapy through clinical trials.
This experience drives Hanns-Christian to keep a strong focus on patient outcomes, even though as a contract manufacturer they are a step-removed from the end patient.
“We’re definitely trying to do our part to make sure we can help deliver convenient, effective, and safe products,” he emphasises.
“I tell everyone joining ten23: if you’re not 150% sure that this product is safe to be used with your kids, you have to make yourself heard, even if all the SOPs would say compliant.”
Join ten23 health at CDMO Live 2025, 7-8th May 2025 at World Trade Center, Rotterdam, and experience the future of contract manufacturing. Download the agenda here
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