Eva McLellan on leading the change and reimagining leadership for a new health economy
Artemida Leadership Award winner (2023), World Economic Forum YGL (2024), and Canada’s Life Sciences Top 20 Under 40 honouree (2024), Eva McLellan is shaping the future of medicine as a global executive and architect of the new health economy.
In a world where health challenges cross borders and innovation knows no boundaries, international collaboration and empowered leadership are more essential than ever. Eva McLellan embodies this spirit. From leading country operations in Canada, Belgium, and Slovenia to holding global strategic roles across Virology, Oncology, Rare Disease, Digital Health, and now Cardiovascular, Renal, and Metabolism (CVRM) at Roche in Switzerland, Eva’s career reflects the transformative power of science, collaboration, and systems leadership in shaping the future of healthcare.
A Visionary Leader Shaping Healthcare Globally
Eva McLellan is a visionary and results-driven leader who served as General Manager of Roche Slovenia and Vice President of AmCham until 2025. Her leadership delivered measurable impact, building strategic bridges between the public and private sectors, inspiring collaboration, and driving sustainable business growth. Today, leading the global CVRM Commercialization Leadership team from Switzerland, Eva remains deeply committed to advancing a data-driven, patient-centered healthcare system that improves lives while transforming the health economy for long-term sustainability.
Those who have worked with Eva describe her leadership as grounded in trust, clarity, and collaboration. As one colleague shared, “Eva brings a rare blend of rigorous discipline and genuine humanity, all delivered with heart, humour, and a deep sense of purpose.” Her guiding leadership philosophy is simple: to leave every place better than she found it, by cultivating leaders who dare to dream and do more for both business and society.
First Impressions of Slovenia & Relocation Experience
From the moment she arrived in Slovenia, Eva felt a strong alignment with the people and shared values of fairness, excellence, community, and resilience. She was genuinely welcomed and supported. Arriving during the crucial period of post-pandemic recovery, she sensed the country’s readiness to innovate and build a future-focused healthcare system. “One thing is absolutely clear: Slovenia is a country of excellence. For a nation of just over two million, it has produced global standouts—from Luka Dončić to Ana Roš—and is home to one of the largest bee populations per capita, reflecting a deep respect for nature and sustainability.” Slovenia, she notes, is a country of “quiet firsts.” Its status as the third greenest country in Europe, just behind Sweden and Finland, inspired her to ask: What could Slovenia be first in when it comes to healthcare? That question guided much of her leadership journey in the region.
Living and Working Abroad: A Journey of Humility and Curiosity
Living across countries has shaped Eva’s worldview. “It challenges your assumptions while expanding curiosity and empathy,” she says. “It teaches resilience and reminds you of our shared human values.”
Canadian Optimism Meets European Healthcare Innovation
Having lived in Europe for over 12 years, Eva sees both Canada and Europe as evolving while grounded in shared commitments to science, inclusion, and community. She brought a distinctly Canadian sense of optimism and positive ambition to Slovenia, with a mission to inspire hope and co-create a data-driven healthcare system poised to become a European model by 2027. “Canada evolves continuously, just as Europe does. But what remains constant is its core sense of possibility. I brought that spirit of Canadian optimism with me.” Significant progress followed. The Slovenian Government recently (June 2025) adopted the draft Healthcare Digitalisation Act, aiming to regulate healthcare data processing and enable secure data exchange nationwide.
From Scientist to Strategic Leader: Scaling Impact Beyond the Lab
Eva’s passion for science is unshakable, but she realized early on that to truly change healthcare, she needed to engage beyond the lab.
“To change the system, I had to understand the real-world challenges and build the partnerships and strategies to solve them.” This transition has enabled her to guide innovations from discovery to patient impact. As she once told the Slovenia Times, “My love for science is unshakable, but I realized early on: to change the system, I must engage with the real world.”
When Policy Becomes Personal
Eva’s dedication is deeply personal. A loved one’s breast cancer diagnosis revealed to her the critical importance of timely access to diagnostics and treatment. Effective healthcare policies enabled its early detection, paving the way for successful treatment and survival. “That experience changed me. It showed me firsthand the life-saving difference that timely access to diagnostics and treatment can make. Because of the right policies and systems in place, her cancer was caught early. And my mum is still here today because of it.” This experience fuels Eva’s professional mission. “Health policy isn’t abstract—it’s profoundly human. It’s about families, futures, and fairness. It’s what drives me every day to work toward a world where every person—regardless of geography—has access to early detection, prevention where possible, and access to innovative medicine as needed.” She has carried this mission globally, envisioning a world where innovation meets equity and prevention becomes policy through strategic leadership.
Driving Impact and Health System Improvement in Slovenia: Three Pillars
From 2022 to 2025, Eva led Roche Slovenia through a transformation grounded in three core pillars:
Digital, AI, and Data-Driven Infrastructure: Spearheading new collaborations in clinical and AI innovation has positioned Slovenia to lead in data-enabled care. The Government’s recent adoption of the Healthcare Digitalisation Act is a landmark achievement.
Human Capital & Leadership: She supported one of the first academia and industry ecosystem initiatives that resulted in the co-founding of the BILDAI Healthcare Leadership Excellence Program, launched in partnership with IEDC Bled to train future health leaders in digital transformation.
Access to Innovation: Under her leadership, Roche Slovenia introduced five new innovative medicines and conducted eight major clinical trials, advancing patient care. “We brought Vabysmo, Ocrevus SC, Evrysdi, Columvi, Lunsumio, and new indications and diagnostics that improved care. That’s real-world innovation reaching real people.”
Prevention as Strategy
“Bolje preprečiti kot zdraviti — better to prevent than to treat — is a beautiful truth,” Eva stresses. Prevention must be seen as a strategic investment, not a cost centre. Prevention yields economic resilience—fewer sick days, healthier workplaces, and stronger communities. Eva advocates for prevention not as a cost but as an investment in economic resilience. She points to pioneers like Dr. Tadej Battelino, whose pioneering work in paediatric endocrinology and national genetic databases is paving the way for predictive, personalized care. Eva was relentless in supporting public-private partnerships and robust data to support decision-makers to invest in prevention, a focus she continues in her role leading CVRM commercialization strategy globally.
Health Systems: Slovenia & Canada
“Both countries emphasize universal access and equity, though reforms differ. Slovenia’s 2027 plan aims for a sustainable, digital-first, citizen-focused system, paralleling Canadian priorities. Roche supports these goals through data solutions, AI trials, education, and infrastructure.”
Rebuilding Trust Post-Pandemic
“Biotech, second only to aviation in regulatory oversight, relies on public trust,” Eva emphasized. The pandemic tested that trust — but also revealed the power of transparency, clear policies, and data-driven communication in restoring confidence. As leaders and stewards of the industry, we need to ensure we have strong frameworks to support innovation that is safe, scalable, and patient-first.
Aging Populations, Competitive Economies
Europe faces challenges from an aging population and economic competitiveness risks. By 2050, one-third of Europeans will be over 65, pressuring healthcare and labour markets. “To stay competitive, Europe must invest in health innovation, lifelong learning, inclusion, and digital infrastructure—equipping all generations to stay healthy, productive, and engaged,” Eva says.
Women in Leadership: Leading Boldly, Mentoring Generously
Eva credits key mentors for helping her unlock her potential, and she is committed to paying it forward. “Sometimes all it takes is someone to believe in you a little more than you believe in yourself—and I credit more than a dozen people throughout my journey for doing exactly that. That’s the kind of sponsorship I now strive to offer others.” To Eva, leadership is a lifelong practice that requires integrated capabilities. The most impactful leaders blend empathy and deep listening with decisiveness and agency. And in all moments, they lead with courage and humility. “Staying curious and leading generously—that’s the way forward, and friendship, courage, and purpose are the keys to success.” Read more on Združenje Manager
She is committed to empowering a new generation of integrated leaders—women and men alike—who measure success not just by profit, but by the impact they have on people, communities, and the systems we all share.
Founding BILDAI: Vision for Digital Leadership
Founding BILDAI marked a decisive moment in cultivating leaders who can navigate AI’s impact on healthcare. The first Healthcare Leadership Excellence Program in Slovenia had an incredible launch with the top-class participation of business leaders, healthcare professionals, and policymakers from Croatia and Slovenia. “I am immensely proud of the collaboration we forged between government, academia, and industry to establish BILDAI as a beacon for leadership development in these critical areas. This initiative is not just about training individuals; it’s about cultivating a powerful community of changemakers equipped to drive systemic transformation.” BILDAI is about building ecosystems where innovation and leadership flourish, future-proofing health systems, and improving lives at scale. Read more about BILDAI on The Adriatic.
Cherished Memory of Slovenia
Eva’s most treasured memory from her time in Slovenia is the moment she realized that Slovenian partners—experts, patients, and leaders—shared the same dream: accessible, personalized, data-driven healthcare. It wasn’t just a vision; it was a community coming together, co-creating bold ideas and turning them into meaningful reality. As an advisor once told her, “Eva, lead in friendship, with a community of ideas.” That spirit, and the word “LOVE” hidden in Slovenia’s name, capture her experience.
Looking Forward
Eva McLellan’s journey exemplifies the power of international collaboration, visionary leadership, and a relentless commitment to health equity. Her story reminds us that by sharing knowledge, embracing innovation, and creating space for diverse leaders—especially women—we can design healthcare systems that don’t just endure, but evolve to meet the needs of generations to come. The invitation is clear: lead boldly, listen deeply, and build together.
