Michael Collins Michael Collins  ·  Growth-Stage Biotech  ·  Speciality Pharma  ·  Large Cap

Not there yet.
You will be.

I build the R&D plan and operating model that close that gap — from review to delivery, embedded with your team.

Take the R&D Pressure Test → Book a Discovery Call →
Entry Offer
The R&D Plan Pressure Test
New to Collins Helvetia? Start here — CHF 10,000 · Written report · 8 weeks
Free self-assessment → Book a Pressure Test →

From growth-stage biotech to large cap pharma — I build R&D operating models and plans that earn conviction, then deliver them.

Growth-Stage Biotech
Building the operating model that gets you to your next milestone
  • R&D plans that survive investor and board scrutiny, with scenarios
  • Hands-on programme delivery — from early discovery through full development
  • Operating model built from the ground up
  • CRO selection and vendor accountability
Speciality & Mid-Size Pharma
Professionalising R&D delivery without the big-pharma overhead
  • Portfolio & operating model design
  • Interim R&D leadership cover
  • PM function build & capability development
  • Process redesign & operational excellence
  • AI/ML integration in R&D workflows
Large Cap Pharma
Independent expertise for transformation and strategic initiatives
  • M&A & in-licensing due diligence
  • R&D operating model transformation
  • Specific programme rescue & recovery
  • Independent portfolio review
  • AI/ML strategy & deployment
Entry Offer
"You have a plan. I'll tell you if it will hold."
The R&D Plan Pressure Test — CHF 10,000 · Written report · 8 weeks
Take the free self-assessment → Book a Pressure Test →
25+
Years pharma R&D
leadership
10+
FDA & EMA drug
approvals
30%
Cycle time reduction
at Fortune 500
200+
PMs trained via
PM Academies built
Speaking at
European Pharma PPM Conference · Basel · April 2026 Pharma PPM Toolbox Conference · Prague · May 2026
Michael Collins, Founder Collins Helvetia
Michael Collins
Founder
Basel, Switzerland
CSL Behring
Executive Director, R&D Project Management
Roche
Programme & Portfolio Management Leader
Novartis
Head, Development PM & Operational Excellence
PMP PMI-ACP Lean Six Sigma ICF Coach PROSCI IMD Leadership
What clients say

Client
Perspectives.

Michael got to the heart of the matter and delivered key actionable insights in a constructive way.
CEO & Co-Founder
Life Science Start-Up
Michael's passion to find pragmatic solutions and his ability to remove unnecessary obstacles has always amazed me. His strong project management skills and deep drug development know-how set him apart.
Head of Portfolio Governance & Analytics
Large Cap Pharma, Basel
Michael brings a rare combination of strategic vision, operational excellence, and deep expertise in portfolio management that consistently drives innovation and accelerates impact.
Corry Elzenga
Global Clinical Development & Portfolio Leader
Case Study
Project Optima & Project Arete

Fortune 500 R&D transformation programmes — proven methodologies applied to every Collins Helvetia engagement.

Challenge
Two major pharma organisations facing escalating R&D costs, timeline slippage, and operating models that could not keep pace with portfolio complexity.
Approach
End-to-end operating model redesign — new decision-making architecture, AI/ML-driven planning tools, PM capability build, and embedded delivery leadership.
Outcome
Sustained improvements across both programmes. Frameworks embedded as standard operating model. Lessons applied to every Collins Helvetia engagement.
30%
Reduction in R&D cycle times and costs — delivered across both Fortune 500 programmes and built into every engagement.
Services

What I do
for you.

⭐ FLAGSHIP SERVICE
Investor-Ready Plan Review

Your R&D plan will face hard questions from VCs, boards, and partners. I pressure-test every timeline, budget, and risk assumption against industry benchmarks — producing the data-backed narrative that earns investor conviction.

Book a Call
Programme management
01
Programme
Programme & Project Management

End-to-end programme leadership from early discovery through NDA/MAA — with hands-on CRO and vendor management.

For: Growth-Stage Biotech · Speciality Pharma
R&D operating model
02
Operating Model
R&D Operating Model Design

Designing the operating model, decision-making structures, and real-time pipeline visibility that let your organisation move fast and deliver consistently.

For: All Segments
Due diligence
03
Advisory
M&A & In-Licensing Due Diligence

Independent assessment of pipeline assets — timelines, regulatory risk, CMC readiness — for buy-side decisions.

For: Large Cap Pharma · Speciality Pharma
Operational excellence
04
Transformation
Operational Excellence

Process design and operating model transformation that embeds efficiency and accountability across R&D.

For: Speciality Pharma · Large Cap Pharma
AI/ML integration
05
Digital
AI / ML Integration

Practical AI adoption in R&D workflows — automated risk prediction, intelligent portfolio analytics, digital PM tools.

For: All Segments
PM function building
06
Capability
PM Function Building

Designing world-class PM functions from the ground up — PM Academies, maturity benchmarking, structured capability pathways.

For: Speciality Pharma · Large Cap Pharma
How I Work

The 4D
Approach.

01
Diagnose
Diagnose

Structured discovery — understand your pipeline, culture, and the core challenge before recommending anything.

02
Design
Design

Co-develop a pragmatic, fit-for-purpose solution grounded in your context, not off-the-shelf templates.

03
Deliver
Deliver

Hands-on execution alongside your team. I hold accountability for outcomes, not just recommendations.

04
Develop
Develop

Knowledge transfer so your organisation owns the solution — no ongoing dependency on external support.

Working With Me

Three ways
to engage.

Start with a no-obligation 30-minute conversation →
Self-Assessment

Where does your
R&D plan stand?

R&D Plan Confidence Check
Six questions. Three minutes. An honest read of whether your R&D plan is ready for what comes next.
Question 1 of 6
R&D Governance Health Check
Four questions. Two minutes. An honest read of where your R&D operating model stands.
Question 1 of 4
Insights

Perspectives on
R&D Leadership.

Decision latency in pharma
Operational Excellence
The $2.6 Billion Question: Why Are We Still Waiting Weeks for Decisions?

12–17 months of development time is spent waiting for governance meetings — not experiments, not trials.

Read on LinkedIn →
AI molecule innovation
AI / ML & Digital
Does AI Leadership Equal Molecule Innovation?

The biggest AI investors in pharma are struggling to translate technology into molecules. An analysis of what separates the leaders.

Read on LinkedIn →
Stage gates in pharma
Portfolio Governance
The Case Against Rigid Stage Gates in Pharma R&D

Stage-gate processes were designed for predictability. Drug development is not predictable.

Read on LinkedIn →
PM function building
PM Capability
Building a PM Function That Earns Its Seat at the Table

Most R&D PM functions are built to report, not to lead. Here is how to change that.

Read on LinkedIn →
Follow on LinkedIn for regular perspectives →
Entry Offer · Discovery through Late-Stage
The R&D Plan
Pressure Test

Whether you are mapping your first discovery programme, preparing for IND-enabling studies, or defending a late-stage development plan in front of investors — the same question applies: will it hold under scrutiny? Most plans don’t fail because the science is wrong. They fail because the timelines aren’t credible, the risks aren’t quantified, and the investment case doesn’t survive a hard question from someone who has sat on the other side of the table.

Using the principles of Decision Science, I assess your plan and produce a detailed written report covering the opportunities and challenges — timelines, investment assumptions, and risk management — with clear recommendations on what needs to change to ensure investor or C-suite readiness.

CHF 10,000
Written report · Delivered within 8 weeks of receiving your materials
Book a qualification call → Take the free self-assessment →
01
Timeline Credibility
Are your timelines benchmarked against comparable programmes or based on internal estimates?
02
Investment Assumptions
Will your cost and resource assumptions survive detailed scrutiny from an investor or board?
03
Risk Management
Have you identified, quantified, and planned for the key risks in your programme?
04
Development Options
Did you evaluate meaningfully different paths before committing to your current plan?
05
Investor Readiness
Can you defend your development rationale under hard questioning from an investor or C-suite?
Holds
Fix First
Rebuild
Holds
Your plan has the foundations in place. Timelines are credible, investment assumptions are defensible, and risks are identified. An independent review may still surface refinements — but you are not walking into a room with obvious structural weaknesses. The Pressure Test confirms what holds and sharpens what could be stronger.
Book a qualification call →
Fix First
Your plan has identifiable gaps — in the timelines, the investment case, or the risk framework — that will be found under scrutiny. Not by you. By an investor, a board member, or a go/no-go committee. The Pressure Test tells you exactly what they are, so you can address them before that moment arrives. A written report. Clear recommendations. Eight weeks.
Book a qualification call →
Rebuild
Your plan is not ready for external scrutiny in its current form. That is a structural diagnosis — not a judgment on the science. The Pressure Test gives you a clear roadmap: what to change, in what order, and what investor-ready looks like for your specific programme. The sooner you know, the sooner you can get there.
Book a qualification call →
Contact

Start a
Conversation.

"Every engagement begins with a no-obligation 30-minute call to establish fit and scope."

Emailmichael@collinshelvetia.com
Mobile+41 79 722 68 17
BasedBasel, Switzerland
ReachGlobal · Europe · US
AvailabilityAvailable now
Book a Discovery Call →

I respond to all enquiries within 24 hours.