“It is not the idea, it is the execution” that is important in healthcare, according to Amy Kobe, director at Baxter Ventures, the corporate venture capital unit of US-based healthcare provider Baxter International, and the same could be said of what she has brought to venture investing.
Anne Sissel, vice-president and head of Baxter Ventures, said: “Amy is truly extraordinary and cannot imagine a better candidate for your award.”
Havingjoined Baxter last year, Kobe said: “I am excited to have joined Baxter at a time of meaningful opportunities – growth and innovation.
“Large organisations are realising that meaningful innovation happens outside their four walls and an established CVC group can help incubate those ideas and opportunities.
“The confluence of regulatory changes, digital technology and rising consumerism has ushered in an unprecedented era of innovation in healthcare.
“However, many challenges still remain. Data and information systems are siloed. The mindset, behavior changes and capacity for risk needed to nurture innovation can often be improved. Testing new models is difficult and the requirements for evidence are high.
“While the industry is shifting toward value-based, patient-centric care, many structures are not aligned to incentivise this, making it difficult to change from the status quo.
“It takes not only the right idea, but the right team surrounded by the right advisors at the table with the right stakeholders engaged to achieve success.”
Prior to joining Baxter last year after receiving her MBA from Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management following her undergraduate and master’s from Stanford University in chemical engineering, Kobe spent time as an investor in digital health at accelerator Healthbox and as a consultant at McKinsey & Company. She began her career at Genentech.
Kobe said Healthbox began as one of the first business accelerators for the healthcare industry and had grown to provide innovation consulting and venture investing services. “In my three years at Healthbox, I developed and led the accelerator businesses in Nashville and Salt Lake City as well as launched the innovation and investing service lines.”
Another good idea well executed.