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Career Catalyst | From Guidance to Growth: Unlocking CQV Careers Through Mentorship
Mentorship is one of the most powerful drivers of career growth in the biopharmaceutical industry. In this Career Catalyst session, John Weisgerber, Regional Manager at ValSource, and Kayla Britt, BioBuzz CQV Track Host, will explore how strong mentorship accelerates individual development, strengthens teams, and creates long-term organizational stability, with a special focus on CQV.
Attendees will gain insight into why CQV plays such a vital role in biopharma operations, how mentorship unlocks growth at every career stage, and why being both a mentor and a mentee creates compounding value. Whether you’re early in your career or a seasoned professional, this session will show how shared experience, knowledge transfer, and intentional mentorship can double learning opportunities while ensuring continuity, consistency, and future-ready teams.
Key Takeaways:
Actively seek mentorship
Embrace mentoring others at every career stage
Multiply growth through shared experience
Who Should Attend
Early-career professionals exploring biopharma career paths
Engineers, scientists, and operations professionals curious about CQV
Mid-level professionals seeking leadership growth and broader impact
Managers and team leads focused on knowledge transfer and team continuity
Anyone interested in building resilient careers and organizations through mentorship
About the Speaker
John Weisgerber
John brings more than 25 years of experience across the pharmaceutical, life sciences, manufacturing, and packaging industries. He has spent the past 19 years focused on biopharmaceutical validation and CQV (Commissioning, Qualification, and Validation), following seven years supporting manufacturing and product operations in the food and hygiene sectors.
John began his life sciences career in 2007 as a Validation Specialist with Validation Inc., quickly transitioning into a full-time role at SAIC-Frederick (now part of Leidos). There, he developed deep expertise in validation lifecycle management, including deviations, CAPAs, SOP development, and equipment qualification across a wide range of systems—from bioreactors to LN2 freezers.
He later returned to CQV consulting with Azzur Group, further expanding his technical and regulatory knowledge. During this time, he pursued advanced training in calibration through National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and American Society for Quality (ASQ), strengthening his foundation in quality and compliance.
After launching his own LLC as an independent contractor, John joined ValSource in 2017 as a CQV Project Manager. Since then, he has steadily advanced from Validation Lead to Regional Manager. Today, he oversees multiple client engagements across Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, managing cross-functional teams of 25–40 professionals across multiple sites.
John is known for building high-performing teams, driving operational consistency, and delivering compliant, future-ready validation programs that support long-term organizational success.
About the Host
Kayla Britt, M.S.
Published scientist and former cell-therapy validation engineer (Kite/Gilead) turned AI validation specialist. I translate context-of-use into acceptance criteria, URS/VP, executed evidence packs, and change-controlled releases—so R&D assistants and GxP-adjacent workflows are not just accurate, but audit-defensible.
About the Program
Career Catalyst
Career Catalyst is BioBuzz’s flagship weekly virtual series connecting life sciences professionals with experts and actionable insights. The program runs every Tuesday @ 12 PM EST for approximately 45 minutes:
20-minute expert presentation
25-minute live, open Q&A
Sessions rotate through four thematic tracks with new experts each week, ensuring content stays relevant for life sciences professionals at every career stage. Each track is community-led and hosted by our Career Community Ambassadors.
Tracks include:
➡️ Career Navigation — Networking, skill-building, and strategies to advance your career across all life sciences disciplines. Hosted by Crystal Richards, Principal & Owner, MindsparQ.
➡️ Research — Deep dives on research and opportunities shaping the life sciences ecosystem and their relevance to your professional growth. Hosted by Gautam Kumar, Postdoctoral Candidate, NIH, NIDA
➡️ Biomanufacturing — Insights into the backbone of biotech success, shaping the industry and your career. Hosted by Paris McKenzie, Manufacturing Technician, Longeviti Neuro Solutions.
➡️ CQV & Validation — Insights into compliance, quality systems, and operational standards that underpin high-performing life sciences organizations and support your professional growth. Hosted by Kayla Britt, Founder & Principal Consultant, Britt Biocomputing.
Sponsors
Bio-Trac
With over 30 years of expertise, Bio-Trac® workshops have trained more than 17,000 scientists and engaged 300 scientist instructors. Designed by active researchers and open to the scientific community, these workshops equip bench and research scientists with the latest lab techniques and provide training on cutting-edge biotechnology advancements to a global audience across all biotech sectors.
Workforce Genetics
Workforce Genetics (WGx) is a premier recruiting firm serving the life sciences, MedTech, and healthcare sectors, supporting companies from startup to commercial. The firm delivers transformative talent strategies through retained and executive search, contingent search, and outsourced talent acquisition.
Important Information
BioBuzz's Career Catalyst sessions are intended to provide insights, guidance, and support for professionals navigating their careers. These sessions are not a platform for selling services, recruitment pitches, or business solicitations. They are designed for job seekers and those looking to make connections and build community.
Please be respectful of fellow participants and help ensure this remains a valuable, trusted resource for all.
Participants who engage in solicitation, promotional activity, or behavior that disrupts the intent of the session will be asked to leave.
Repeated or serious violations may result in removal from the session and exclusion from future Career Catalyst events.
Want to be an expert guest?
If you’re interested in sharing your knowledge with the BioBuzz community, get in touch via hello [@] biobuzz.io.