For first-time biotech CEOs and other emerging leaders, the job can be isolating. The decisions are high-stakes, the learning curve is steep, and the expectation is to lead with clarity even when the path is uncertain. In honor of January’s National Mentorship Month, the Termeer Institute is highlighting how mentorship reduces the isolation of first-time CEOs by creating a trusted space for honest questions, practical guidance, and a steady perspective.

At the Termeer Institute, mentorship is also how leadership capacity is built at scale. Our model is an intentionally networked ecosystem in which mentors, peers, and advisors reinforce one another rather than operate in parallel. Over time, those relationships compound into a durable community that leaders can draw on long after a program ends.

That network effect is visible in our reach. Since Termeer’s founding, the organization has supported 83 patient-focused innovators, with support from 70+ mentors, 28 advisors, and 200-plus community members across the globe. (Read our 2025 Impact Report for more success stories and stats.)

One of those mentors is Kristina Masson, PhD, MBA, co-founder and executive vice president of business operations at Acrivon Therapeutics Inc., and president and CEO of the company’s research subsidiary, Acrivon AB, in Medicon Village, Sweden. With a career spanning biomarker science, platform development, and biotech company building, Masson brings a practical, operator’s lens to the challenges early-stage leaders face, especially as they build organizations while staying anchored to patient impact.

“Being a mentor for the Termeer Fellows is a fantastic way to contribute to shaping tomorrow´s leaders and enhance our collective efforts to improve patient outcomes,” Masson said. “It is important to me because it allows me to give back in a way that is personal, impactful, and lasting. Participating in the journey where fellows gain confidence and experience is a true privilege, and I also believe that mentorship is an investment in the future for science.”

That investment shows up in the day-to-day realities of leadership. Within the Termeer Fellows Program, leaders are supported by a peer cohort—an intentional design element that helps fellows develop stronger networks and feel less alone in the CEO role. They also have access to advice and strategic guidance from mentors and advisors, strengthening decision-making at moments when experience matters most.

Masson also views mentorship as a way to strengthen the community, especially for women leaders navigating the pressures that come with visibility and responsibility. “Through the Termeer Women’s Retreat, I’ve seen firsthand how powerful it is to network, build community, and support female CEOs and founders,” she said. “It is an opportunity to uplift emerging leaders while learning from their perspectives and helping strengthen the next generation of women in science and leadership. There is a lot of potential to unlock and amplify when such a network of mentors, fellows, experts, and advisors comes together, and I am very grateful to the Termeer Institute for enabling that.”

The Termeer Institute leads by doing what Henri Termeer modeled, showing up for leaders early, staying close as they grow, and proving that mentorship is not a gesture, it is infrastructure for patient-focused leadership.