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Driving Transformation with Empathy: A Conversation with Mike Hampton, Chief Commercial Officer at Sapio Sciences

From helping grow IDBS into a major player in R&D informatics to his involvement in M&A at Danaher to leading commercial expansion at early-stage AI-focused startups, Mike’s path has been anything but linear. But one thing has remained constant: a deep belief that improving human health is the most noble mission there is—and that digital transformation, when done right, can help us get there faster.

We sat down with Mike to talk about what drives him in life sciences tech, how he thinks about serving customers in a rapidly evolving R&D landscape, and why, for him, it’s always about people.

What drew you to Sapio—and what keeps you committed to life sciences tech?

I’ve always felt called to this space. I started in science—I wanted to be in the lab, discovering therapies. But early on, I realized I wasn’t meant to be at the bench and looked for more stimulation. So I started asking, “How else can I contribute?”

That question led me from the lab to tech, to digital transformation, and ultimately to leading teams that help bring new ways of doing science into being at our client partners. But the goal hasn’t changed. I want to help scientists work more effectively and efficiently to deliver treatments that save and improve lives, faster.

Sapio felt like a natural step. It brings together the things I care most about—science, data, AI, innovation, and scalability. And while it’s already something special, I felt my experience could have an impact. From the outside looking in, there were a few things I felt were just a couple of turns of the Rubik’s Cube away from unlocking even more growth and expansion. It’s a company with strong ideas, strong tech, and a strong team. I’m here to help unlock that next phase of growth. And I truly believe that if we can be just a bit more together and structured in how we approach the problem, we can take something already great and make it exceptional.

How do you align marketing, sales, and customer success to meet the evolving needs of R&D teams?

It starts with empathy. I still consider myself a scientist in my mindset. Scientists aren’t looking for a vendor—they’re looking for someone who understands the complexity of their work. We must remember that they’re solving complex problems every day, often with legacy tools and siloed systems. If we can understand the scientific challenge and make their lives easier, everything else follows.

So we begin with the customer’s goal, not ours. That customer-centric mindset becomes our North Star. When teams align around that—whether in sales, marketing, or post-sales support—it changes how you operate. You hire differently. You communicate differently. You stop tolerating lone wolves and those who might focus on what can’t be done. And then, you and your customer grow together by delivering and creating real outcomes.

Getting the right people with the right mindset is critical. It sounds simple, but it’s rare to find people willing to prioritize the team and customer over individual success. That’s the culture I try to build.

How do you help customers define digital success and navigate the complexity of modern R&D workflows?

Many customers are great at describing their current state but less clear on where they could go. That’s where we come in. Because we speak to hundreds of customers each year, we can synthesize patterns, best practices, and lessons learned, bringing those insights to the table.

Sometimes that means nudging them 45 degrees off the plotted course—not a full 180—but just enough to unlock real change and value. It’s not just about solving the problems the customer has diagnosed; it’s about asking what else we can help with. That’s where real partnerships form.

To do that well, you need domain experts—people who have the industry knowledge to jump in at a high level and help shape those future-state strategies.

How do you foster a customer-first mindset with such specialized scientific users?

Focus. That’s something I have emphasized from day one. Sapio has a powerful platform, but we can’t be everything to everyone. We have to choose where we become specialists. That might be bioprocessing, NGS, or cell therapy. We are already great at going wide, perhaps the best. And while we already go deep in certain areas, I want to get all our energy behind going progressively deeper where it will help our customers most. This way, we can build trust—and muscle—faster.

Internally, it’s about information flow. We’re improving the flow between product, marketing, sales, and customer success so that what we hear from our customers gets back to the teams who can act on it. It’s all part of creating a more responsive, more strategic organization.

How are you rethinking customer success to support scientists more strategically?

It’s not just about headcount and processes—it’s about people. The best customer success professionals I’ve worked with have 15–20 years of experience. They’ve either worked in science themselves or led complex tech organizations. They know what success looks like and how to navigate when things go sideways.

Projects will have challenges. That’s a given. But what matters is how we respond—how we guide customers back to their goals, align both sides and stay accountable. That’s the kind of customer success I believe in.

Where do most labs stand on the path to full automation—and what sets the leaders apart?

Courage and vision. The leaders are those willing to let go of sunk costs and embrace change now. They see that this is an inflection point in our industry. Organizations that move decisively toward digital workflows and AI integration will have a serious edge.

Five years from now, we’ll look back and see who had the foresight—and the courage—to modernize early. And that foresight is already starting to pay off.

I’m even teaching my kids how to use AI responsibly—because this shift isn’t just about science. It’s reshaping how we all work and think.

As AI transforms biotech, where do you see the greatest urgency for modernization?

Just starting is the key. One major consulting firm reported that less than 10% of AI projects in 2024 were directed toward production use cases. That means 90% is still exploratory.

AI isn’t a product; it’s a capability. And it works best when there’s clarity and traction around a specific use case—whether that’s target selection, lab automation, or trial design. My advice? Start with something that will move the needle in your business and where you have conviction, and build from there. You might think you’ll dip your toe into something, but the technology and the companies exist today to leapfrog that approach. The organizations that find focused, practical applications—and partner with the right experts—will move faster and further.

Trying to build, grow, deliver, and maintain AI solutions entirely in-house—especially at the current pace of technological evolution—is incredibly challenging. Most organizations can’t keep up with the rapid innovation. It almost always makes more sense to work with a best-in-class partner who’s already investing all their resources into solving these problems.

How do you support customers through the human side of digital transformation?

Change management is critical. For every project I’m involved in, I ask how we are preparing users for change. Our job is to understand what’s in it for each stakeholder: the scientist, the lab manager, and the executive.

Digital transformation, in the short term, can feel like more work. But we help customers plan for that. If we can clearly show how this benefits everyone, we get buy-in. At the start of the project, we communicate openly and ensure the long-term wins are realized.

Every team is different. Some are ready for change; others are resistant. It’s our responsibility to tailor the approach, get everyone aligned, and keep delivering value.

What’s the biggest misconception R&D leaders have about going digital?

That they have to do it all at once. Many think, “We’re at 0 and need to go to 100 right away.” But that’s overwhelming—and unnecessary. That mindset often leads to overly complex rollouts.

I recommend starting with shared workflows that bring value to a broad group—like instrument calibration or sample management—or using out-of-the-box workflows without over-modifying them. And then, each user takes steps on their journey of understanding how to use the technology. Let the value build as the system matures. It’s like a kitchen remodel: you start with a design, and then, as you see it come to life, you begin to realize what works.

What’s your vision for a fully digitized R&D environment—and how close are we?

For starters, the lab environment should already be digitized. In 2025, we need to make that a reality, if it isn’t already, and most labs are to some degree. But what excites me now is what comes next—how we use that data to drive real-time decisions, prediction, and automation. Don’t get me wrong—I do believe most labs that digitized 5, 10, and 15 years ago do need to revisit and modernize; otherwise, they won’t be able to reach that future reality.

Ultimately, it’s about freeing scientists to be more strategic: have and use tools to accelerate the interpretation of data, synthesize insight, and drive therapeutic breakthroughs. And beyond that, it’s about accelerating progress in underserved areas—like mental illness or women’s health—that often don’t receive the same level of investment or attention as more commercially attractive conditions. If we can move faster and make better decisions earlier, we can help shift that focus and make a broader impact on human health.

That broader mission is also personal for me. I have immediate and extended family members who suffer from chronic illnesses. When I see progress in areas that affect them, it motivates me to do more—to ask how I, and how we at Sapio, can help push that work forward.

What advice would you give future commercial leaders in life sciences tech?

Don’t forget the customer. It sounds simple, but it’s easy to lose sight of. Your goals are important, but they come second. Over my career, I’ve definitely made decisions that weren’t the best for Mike Hampton, but they were right for the customer—and I’ve never regretted that. Doing the right thing serves everyone well in the long run.

Looking back, is there a moment that reminds you why this work matters?

Yes. Early in my career—it was very innocuous at the time. I was early in this sector. We had just won our largest client ever and were doing the implementation. I was part of the delivery team translating scientific needs into our software. And I was goal-oriented. A user who was part of my rollout opened up the meeting by announcing that she was six months from retirement and didn’t want to learn a new system. All I thought was, “Wow! Nobody trained me for that.” But I paused and just asked, “What do you do?” We connected over her role in the company and her assays. We discussed the impact her work was having at her company. Fortunately, I understood her science very well. We discussed her goals and her team’s goals in their therapeutic program. Eventually, she started leaning in. She ended up staying for much more than six months—about a year and a half. And she became one of our greatest advocates.

That moment was meaningful to me. It’s not about my agenda. It’s about listening, connecting, and meeting people where they are. That’s what we’re here for.

And when you’re not working?

Family, always. I’ve traveled a lot for work—one year I was traveling 46 out of 52 weeks. So I prioritize time with my wife and kids, especially as they approach college. We take vacations whenever we can squeeze them in, we stay active with sports, and stay rooted in our church. It’s about raising good people—and having fun along the way.

Also, exercise keeps me grounded. I’m in the gym whenever I can, but I still love running and playing volleyball and basketball with my kids—though they’re getting close to beating me (don’t tell them that).