Initial Impressions Exercise: Conducting After-Action Reviews in BD

Session details:

This interactive session brings attendees into a structured “after-action review” of real-world deals, designed to surface practical insights from across biotech and pharma organizations. 
  
After a brief overview on the value of conducting an “Initial Impressions” exercise, participants will break into groups and reflect on some recent deal experiences, sharing anonymized perspectives on what worked, what didn’t, how next time one might approach the issue more effectively and evaluate how decisions were made. Through guided prompts, each table will identify common success factors, recurring challenges, and organizational dynamics that shape deal outcomes.

Key discussion areas will include:

• The most significant drivers of successful deals—and where value was lost
• Common pitfalls and over/under-investments during evaluation and execution
• How decision-making processes vary across organizations (speed vs. bureaucracy)
• Where misalignment between strategy, science, and execution impacts outcomes