Going Global|Sitting Down with Bobby Sheng, Chairman and CEO of Bora Pharmaceuticals, Taiwan
James Strachan | 07/22/2020 | Interview
Did you always want to work in pharma?
My upbringing was a little unusual in that my father owned a pharmaceutical company in Taiwan. Every summer, I worked in the warehouse or the office, and I always felt that the work, in a small way, contributed to society by helping people live healthier lives. My father was keen for me to go into finance, so I studied economics at the University of California, Berkeley, where I grew up. Sadly, my father fell ill while I was at university and I had to take over the company when I was just 21.

How did you go about leading a company at such a young age?
When I took over, the company had an entrepreneurial feel, but had grown to over 200 employees. The first thing I did, with the help of family and consultants, was to create a more professional structure and set up an organizational chart. We tried to respect the board’s governance as much as possible. It might sound daunting having to step in and lead a company at 21, but I had the help of some fantastic professionals – both those who had worked with my father and those we brought in.