Christian Mueller, CDO at Immutep in Career Crossroads, Culture Missteps, and the Recruitment Disconnect in Biotech

In this episode, I talked with Christian Mueller, Chief Development Officer at Immutep. Christian’s path into biotech wasn’t exactly planned—from summarizing VC business plans during his studies to becoming a driving force behind the world’s first Claudin 18.2-directed antibody.

We talked about the wins and the setbacks: from finally securing Pembrolizumab supply after years of rejections, to those painful moments when you give your all to a project, and still feel unseen. Christian also opened up about hiring, leadership, and what makes a biotech team truly work (or fall apart). He shared why Immutep has gone all-in on LAG-3, what makes their international culture different from most, and why knowing your weaknesses might just be the most underrated leadership skill.

And to wrap things up, we threw in a few quickfire questions, from the book he’s reading (featuring octopuses!) to what he tries to do every single day to stay sharp.

Here’s what you’re in for:

• The red flag that made Christian walk away from a company
• Why great hiring is about cultural fit, not just perfect CVs
• What small biotechs misunderstand most about recruitment

Timestamps:

01:54 – From Economics to Biotech: How VC Summaries Led to Drug Development

07:41 – Career Lows: Feeling Undervalued and Facing a Regulatory Near-Shutdown

13:48 – Why LAG-3? The Science and Conviction Behind Immutep’s Strategy

14:34 – Inside Immutep: Low-Ego Culture, Fast Decisions, and Argument-Driven Thinking

17:00 – Hiring With Humility: The Culture Fit That Matters Most

22:47 – Cultural Fit Over Credentials: What Hiring Managers Really Want

33:44 – Quickfire Questions: Books, Octopuses, and Trying New Things

About Christian

Christian Mueller currently serves as the Chief Development Officer at Immutep, where he has been instrumental in advancing the company's lead compound, Efti, from Phase I through to Phase III clinical trials. ​Prior to his tenure at Immutep, Christian led the clinical development of Zolbetuximab, the first-ever CLDN18.2-directed antibody. 

Christian brings a unique multidisciplinary mindset to his work, describing himself as a “translator” between different scientific and operational domains. Outside of work, he is a lifelong basketball fan and enjoys spending time in nature

Connect with Christian

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-mueller-05199481/ 
• Immutep: https://www.immutep.com/ 

About me

My name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.

In 2023, I decided to launch my firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.

Connect with me:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/ 
• Website: https://www.discera-search.com/ 

Opinions and comments expressed by the guest do not represent the company and are fully their own.