New Healthcare Innovation Investment Strategies
The past decade has seen record levels of both venture capital and private equity investment in healthcare. Further, while corporate venture used to be viewed with skepticism, more corporations than ever are getting into venture, and with more sophistication, too. Given today's wide range of investment strategies and models, this panel engages a range of investment professionals and operators to facilitate a dialogue on innovative approaches to healthcare investment strategy, value creation, and the changing investment landscape.
PETER MCNERNEY (Moderator)
KELLOGG SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, PROFESSOR OF FINANCE
Pete has 30+ years of health care operating and venture capital experience. In addition to co-founding Thomas, McNerney & Partners, Pete co-founded Coral Ventures in 1992, where he was responsible for health care investing. Pete has served on the board of a number of the Coral Ventures' and Thomas, McNerney and Partners' portfolio companies.
Prior to joining Coral in 1992, Pete was a co-founder and Managing Partner of The Kensington Group, a firm specializing in providing management services to early stage companies in the health care field. In 1986, he founded and was Chief Executive Officer of Memtec North America, and previously spent 11 years with Baxter Healthcare Corporation, where he held various general management positions in the U.S., Europe, Middle East and Southeast Asia.
He has served as President of the Minnesota Venture Capital Association and is on the Board of Trustees of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. A Certified Public Accountant, Pete received a B.A. from Yale and an M.B.A. from Stanford University. Pete was a 2014 fellow at Harvard's Advanced Leadership Initiative program.
Nicole walker
Baird Venture capital, Partner
Based in Chicago, Nicole is one of four partners who lead Baird’s Venture Capital Team in partnering with entrepreneurs to build innovative, high-growth companies within the Healthcare and Technology & Services sectors.
With over 20 years’ experience in the healthcare industry, Nicole joined Baird from Abbott Labs where she was a corporate venture investor, responsible equity investments for both the biotech and medtech businesses. Prior to that, she held several operating roles within healthcare including Global Strategic Marketing – Abbott Diabetes Care, Principal - ONSET Ventures, and Head of Marketing, Asia-Pac, based in Hong Kong, for Guidant’s Vascular, Endovascular, and Cardiac Surgery Divisions.
In addition to her venture board roles, Nicole currently sits on the Boards of the National Venture Capital Association, the Springboard Enterprises Life Science Council, Minnesota’s Medical Alley Association, Women in BIO – Chicago, AdvaMed’s Business Development Committee, and the Mid-America Healthcare Investors Network.
Nicole holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University, an MBA and Master of Engineering Management degree from Kellogg and Northwestern University, and is a passionate show shopper and foodie.
Joseph Giles, J.D.
Midwest vision partners, President & Chief executive officer
Joseph Giles is the President & CEO of Midwest Vision Partners, and a CEO-in-Residence with Alpine Investors, a leading middle market private equity firm based on San Francisco. Prior to leading MVP, Joseph was the President and Chief Operating Officer of Athletico, the third-largest physical therapy group in the US, where he was responsible for leading the growth strategy and overseeing clinical operations, corporate and business development. Prior to Athletico, Joseph spent 14 years in investment banking and private equity, including as Director of Strategic Programs (Executive-in-Residence Program) at Vista Equity Partners. In those roles, Joseph helped to define company strategies, achieve growth goals, and scale operational best practices.
He serves on the boards of Florida Autism Center and Summit Dermatology Partners. Joseph holds an MBA, JD, and BBA from the University of Michigan.
Anna haghgooie
Sandbox industries, managing director of the blue venture fund
Anna Haghgooie is a managing director in the healthcare group of Sandbox Industries, a Chicago-based venture capital firm focused on implementing innovation by connecting established corporations with innovative startups and entrepreneurs. In the healthcare vertical, Sandbox exclusively provides investment management services to the Blue Venture Fund. The Fund is a unique collaboration between 30 BCBS Plans, BCBSA and Sandbox Industries. Anna currently serves on the board of directors of ExactCare, Somatus, ZeOmega, Contessa, Axial Healthcare, and SonarMD and is a Board Observer on Solera Health. Previously she served on the board of directors of naviHealth and Change Healthcare and was a board observer of Essence Group Healthcare. Anna earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a MBA with honors from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Anna is a Fellow in the Health Innovators Fellowship at the Aspen Institute and lives in Chicago, IL with her husband and two children.
Rob Webb
Unitedhealth group ventures, President
Unitedhealth group, senior vice president
Rob is currently the President of UnitedHealth Group Ventures, leading investment strategies to advance innovative business models that improve the quality and affordability of health care.
Previously, Rob was the Chief Executive Officer for OptumHealth Care Solutions, the leading global provider of consumer health solutions, serving over 70 million people. Before joining UnitedHealth Group he was a partner with One Equity Partners, a global private equity firm managing $10 billion in investments.
Rob is a member of the board for Orthology, Renai and Sanvello.
Rob holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Minnesota and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.