Biotechnology Industry Series begins with one industry leader’s road to success

Cellarity CEO Ted Myles leads with a growth mindset. While he is the first to admit that he’s made “lots of mistakes along the way,” he believes, “the magic is how you learn from these mistakes and bring people along to drive better outcomes.” At the first event in the new Biotechnology Industry Series in the School of Engineering, Myles spoke with Karol Family Professor and Dean of the School of Engineering, Kyongbum Lee about how some of those mistakes led him to a successful and fulfilling career in the biotechnology sector.

Myles began his career in accounting and discovered biotechnology along the way. He felt intrigued by the entrepreneurial nature and high-risk, high-reward mindset of many biotechnology companies. “I just really got bit by the company-building bug,” he said. He’s been in the C-Suite for six different companies holding CFO and COO roles and now as a CEO, he helps to grow organizations that develop life-changing drugs and other medical technology. Tufts students and faculty gathered in Joyce Cummings Center to hear more about his career path and advice for aspiring biotechnology professionals.  

Myles embraces the challenges that come with an industry like biotechnology, and reminded attendees that enduring hard times can build strength. In one example, he shared how he guided a company through a very challenging capital market environment. Despite a rapidly falling stock price, Myles rallied employees and the company emerged stronger, with the knowledge that they could handle whatever came their way. Paraphrasing the CEO of J.P. Morgan, Jamie Dimon, he reminded students that failure may hit their net worth, but they should never let it hit their self-worth as they find their way in whatever industry they choose.  

Finding mentors who believe in you is also critical. Myles recounted his experience attending an investor conference shortly after starting with a new company. Since he didn’t know much about the company yet, the CEO asked him to cover three prepared questions during their presentation. When they got on stage, the CEO invited him to weigh in on questions he hadn’t fully prepared for. Being put on the spot created some temporary discomfort but the bigger picture was that the CEO knew he could think on his feet.  After the session, Myles asked the CEO why he went off the plan and the CEO responded, “I knew you could handle it, you’ve got this!”  

When it comes to building a career path, “there’s very few straight lines,” according to Myles. He advised students in the audience to identify their passion by studying what’s interesting to them. From his perspective as an executive, he shared tips on how to network successfully with higher-ups in the industry, including meeting and networking with a lot of people to learn about their pathways. 

Myles holds an M.B.A. from John M. Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis and a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Hartford. He joined Cellarity in 2025 as Chief Executive Officer and a CEO-Partner at Flagship Pioneering. He previously served as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Scholar Rock. During his tenure at Scholar Rock, Myles led the company through its evolution from an early development-stage through a successful Phase 3 registrational study and raised more than $1 billion in capital to advance the company’s product and pipeline strategy.

The Biotechnology Industry Series, sponsored by the School of Engineering Dean’s Office, features top biotechnology professionals to showcase potential career paths in the field. The next event in the series will be held on Wednesday, March 4, at 5:30 PM in Nelson Auditorium. Featuring a conversation with Dean Lee and Atsuko Polzin, EG21, Tufts alumna and Senior Vice President and Head of Intellectual Property at Scholar Rock, the pair will discuss Polzin’s career change from neuroscience to patent law. Register now for “Careers Outside the Lab from Neuroscience to Patent Law: A Conversation with Dean Lee and Atsuko Polzin, EG21”.