Business leaders rarely face decisions that are purely legal. The most consequential decisions sit at the intersection of strategy, governance, commercialisation, innovation, risk and execution.

For more than 35 years, Michèle Linde has partnered with CEOs, boards of directors, general counsels and executive leadership teams across the global life sciences sector, helping organisations navigate complex business issues in highly regulated environments. Today, she serves as Partner and Practice Lead for Life Sciences & Healthcare at Outside GC, combining deep industry knowledge with the practical perspective of having served as General Counsel five times.

Michèle works closely with executive teams to align legal strategy with commercial priorities, enabling organisations to make informed decisions that support growth while protecting enterprise value. Throughout her career, she has advised companies across the product life cycle—from research and development through commercialisation—on global corporate governance, global compliance, strategic transactions, regulatory strategy, risk management and cross-functional decision-making. Her experience includes work with global pharmaceutical companies, as well as emerging and growth-stage life sciences businesses in the United States and Europe.

Drawing on that experience, Michèle also serves as an executive adviser to general counsels and other senior legal leaders. She provides practical, confidential guidance on stepping into and succeeding in the GC role; navigating CEO, board and executive-team dynamics; building and leading effective legal functions; developing executive presence and organisational influence; and exercising sound judgment in complex, high-stakes environments.

Before joining Outside GC, Michèle served as EVP of Global Corporate Governance, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary at Virpax Pharmaceuticals. After practising with Mannheimer Swartling in Stockholm, she founded Sapphire Solutions AB, a legal consulting firm through which she served as General Counsel and strategic legal advisor to companies in Sweden and elsewhere in Europe. Earlier in her career, she was Vice President of Legal Affairs at Endo Pharmaceuticals and held senior legal roles with AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb and DuPont Pharmaceuticals.

Michèle believes the strongest legal leaders do more than identify risk. They understand the business, distinguish material risk from theoretical risk and help leadership teams find a responsible path forward. Her practice is grounded in practical judgment, commercial pragmatism and a commitment to helping organisations achieve their strategic objectives with confidence.

Michèle has served on the Board of Directors of the Biotechnology Industry Organization. She earned her J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law (now Penn State Dickinson Law).

Outside of her legal practice, Michèle enjoys travelling with her husband, cooking and baking—including the decidedly European ritual of making her own bread each week. Having lived and worked in the United States and across Europe, she values the different cultures, cuisines and perspectives that have shaped her life. At home on North Carolina’s Crystal Coast, she enjoys a quieter pace of life with her husband and their two much-loved dogs.