Not all career paths follow a straight line, and for Dr. Lauren Giorgio, the road into science and biotech leadership was anything but conventional. Today, she serves as Chief Operating Officer at GPN Vaccines, a global biotech company founded in Australia in 2017, recognised for its groundbreaking bacterial vaccine research and a deeply people-focused team culture.
Lauren’s journey began not with a master plan but curiosity, resilience, and a drive to carve out space for others in science and leadership, particularly for women. We sat down with Lauren to unpack her story, which is one of unexpected turns and the importance of intertwining innovation with inclusion in biotech.
Like many students, Lauren originally aspired to a career in medicine. However, after failing the entry exam, she turned to science as the “next best thing,” a twist of fate that sparked a deeper passion. Drawn to empiricism and guided by early mentorship, Lauren embraced science, even if academia wasn’t her long-term goal.
She completed an honours degree in neuroscience, focusing on traumatic brain injury, followed by a PhD in cancer biology, simply because it was the next thing on her path that came up. As her PhD came to an end, she found herself at a crossroads: disheartened by the relentless funding struggles in academia and uninspired by the associated career paths ahead.
Building out her network using LinkedIn changed the game. Lauren started cold-calling biotech leaders, something she describes as “terrifying, but necessary.” It paid off. She was introduced to two people who would significantly alter her career trajectory: Dr Tim Hirst, now CEO of GPN Vaccines, and Dr Melissa McBurnie, Partner & Head of Impact at Brandon Capital.
Tim first introduced Lauren to the commercial world through an internship at Gamma Vaccines, followed by Melissa’s invitation to join Brandon Capital’s competitive internship program. Experiences that expanded her network beyond Adelaide and ultimately led her to Melbourne, where roles at WEHI and CERA paved the way to her leadership in biotech and, eventually, to GPN Vaccines.
Through these internships, she gained hands-on experience and stayed closely connected to the biotech investment world. These experiences sparked her ambition to one day lead a biotech company. That opportunity came full circle when she reconnected with Tim Hirst, who had just launched GPN Vaccines and invited her to help build the company. She accepted without hesitation.
As Chief Operating Officer, Lauren wears many hats, from product and clinical development to assembling an in-house team. Unlike most Australian biotech firms that outsource lab work, GPN required deep bacterial expertise to develop its vaccine, prompting the company to build not only a specialised team but also a strong internal culture to support it.
For Lauren, the heart of her work at GPN Vaccines goes beyond the science. It’s about creating a workplace where people thrive. “Since 2017, we’ve only had one resignation, and I am very proud of that,” she says. It’s not just a statistic—it’s a signal that trust-based management, supported by equitable policies, flexible working arrangements, and shared ownership, aren’t just perks, but principles.
This people-first mindset doesn’t stop at the office door. Eight years ago, over dinner with friends, Lauren co-founded ‘WILD for STEM’, a leadership program driving systemic change for women in science. Frustrated by the limitations of existing initiatives, she helped secure significant government funding to bring WILD to life. Since then, the program has propelled over 100 women into leadership and board roles, creating not just opportunity but a powerful peer network. “Every time I open LinkedIn, I see another WILD woman achieving great things, and it’s so rewarding,” she says. For Lauren, inclusion isn’t a box to tick—it’s a movement, and she’s helping lead it.
Looking back on her career, Lauren credits one thing above all: the power of networks. “I have never found a full-time job through a recruiter. Every opportunity has come through my network,” she says. She advises young professionals to lean into their curiosity and authenticity, create their own opportunities and never underestimate the power of reaching out.
As GPN Vaccines looks ahead, including an ambitious $100 million raise to fund its upcoming Phase 2 study, Lauren credits the company’s momentum to a leadership model built on balance and diversity. She and CEO Tim Hirst bring different strengths to the table: he drives the financial strategy, while she ensures operational excellence through people and culture. “I am rarely the smartest person in the room, but I pride myself on being able to find the smartest people and bring them into the team”, she says.
It’s a dynamic that reflects Lauren’s evolving leadership philosophy. “I’m more of a people person than I thought. And I’ve learned that employees are a company’s greatest asset”.
