A Conversation with Medical Affairs Leader Olivia Kager

Published 10 August 2026

Olivia Kager, Global Commercial Lead, Hemato-Oncology at Kyowa Kirin, joins Linda Traylor on OnPoint: The Mentor Sessions to talk about a career built on crossing between medical affairs and commercial leadership — and what it taught her about strategic partnership, accountability, and the future of the medical affairs function.

In this conversation, Olivia unpacks why "stay in your lane" is the worst career advice she's heard, why success in medical affairs should be measured in outcomes rather than activity, and why AI will only make teams faster at staying the same unless it's paired with clear purpose and human judgment.