In this episode Alex Alves Khan sits down with Ilya Koltover, President of Minaris Advanced Testing, a contract testing laboratory headquartered in Philadelphia, to discuss his career, craft and his read on where the industry is heading.

Ilya joined the business as chief transformation officer before stepping up to president a few months ago. He talks about leading a testing laboratory through change, why grit matters more than polish, and why he believes comfort with uncertainty is the defining leadership trait going into 2027.

What we cover:

From transformation officer to president, and the value of knowing a business before you lead it.

Why saying yes to opportunities has shaped his whole career.

Grit as a business skill, and the honesty required on the harder days.

Choosing the difficult brief, from turnarounds to building something new.

Value for money, consolidation, regionalisation and a shifting mix of modalities.

What the founding story of Genentech teaches about thinking like an owner.

CDMO Career Stories is part of the Metric Podcast Network.