Our members shape what VILDA is and where it is going. Through experience, curiosity, and a willingness to share knowledge, they help move both people and the life sciences industry forward.
This time we’re proud to highlight the Lead on VILDA’s mentorship program Karoline Akerjordet:
Karoline Akerjordet has 15 years’ experience as a leader in the life sciences and healthcare sector, with experience spanning both entrepreneurial environments and large global organizations, including a decade at Novo Nordisk. At Novo Nordisk she has served in several areas, from production, quality, sales and support functions. She previously served as Deputy CEO at Pharmiva – a Swedish Nasdaq listed scale up company, where she played a key role in bringing medical products to market by navigating the journey from strategy to execution.
Karoline is passionate about people management and believes that strong results are created by empowered individuals. She sees leadership as paving the way for people to grow, fostering development, engagement, and trust, as the foundation for long-term business success. In addition, Karoline is Lead on VILDA’s mentorship program, where she supports women in life sciences to build leadership capability, confidence, and access to opportunities.
Below explore Karoline’s reflections on three questions:
What inspired her to join the VILDA network
What drives her passion in her current role, and how she hopes to support others in the network
What advice she would give to the next generation of leading women in life sciences
What inspired you to join the VILDA network?
“I joined VILDA because I believe there’s still an urgent need to push for diversity and equal opportunities in life sciences. Even though the evidence is clear that diverse teams perform better, real progress doesn’t happen automatically. VILDA is important to me because it’s a community that helps translate ambition into action – by connecting experienced leaders, strengthening visibility, and supporting one another in ways that drive measurable change.”
What drives your passion in your current role, and how do you hope to support others in our network?
“My passion is driven by a simple principle: strong results come from empowered people. Performance is sustained when people have clarity, accountability, and trust.
In the VILDA network, I hope to support others by sharing leadership insights that are practical and grounded in real execution.
How to build trust, create conditions for development, and enable teams to deliver. I’m also motivated to contribute to a culture where women don’t just get access to support, but also gain confidence and sponsorship to move into leadership roles and influence decision-making.”
What advice would you give to the next generation of leading women in life sciences?
“I would encourage the next generation to be both ambitious and strategic. Build credibility through consistent delivery and seek feedback early so you can grow faster than you think you should need to. At the same time, be proactive about advocacy because equality requires effort, not hope. Invest intentionally in relationships, because access to opportunities and influence almost always travels through trust and sponsorship.
Lastly, my all time important advice: Be true to yourself – with skills. Don’t change who you are, just be smarter.”
