The Digital Healthcare Executive Talent Pool
Heritage Partners’ Charlie Grebenstein and The Medicines Discovery Catapult’s Chris Molloy have collaborated to characterize a group of the key executives in emerging digital healthcare companies. The choice of companies was structured to include the major areas of focus in the industry and reflects our subjective view of a representative cross-section of current activity.
Our principal conclusions are:
Digital Healthcare Companies are Chimeras
Leading companies know whether they are leading with a healthcare specialism or a technology approach. They must contain the two but must specialize in one.
Combined cross-sector vision trumps over-specialization
A management team that is appropriately balanced and collaborative avoids foreseeable pitfalls.
Multiculturalism is essential
The best companies have a vision combining domain and technology but Board and executive must be able to speak the language of both domains. Technology, product and clinical cultures need to co-exist and co-operate.
Pragmatism trumps credentials
Many leaders are credentialed, but the dominant culture is a meritocracy, with focus on the product and the patient, not just IP.
Generation X is in charge, but needs to respect the evidence
Innovation/disruption drives progress, but clinicians and regulators demand scientific rigor and diligence. Success embraces curiosity, eschews arrogance and accommodates process.
Successful leaders are driven and engaged problem solvers
Vision is not enough. To achieve success in this area, disruption requires a clear understanding of the problem to be solved, and the determination to travel the critical path to market.