"We sit on the brink of unparalleled opportunities in the healthcare and
life sciences fields. Three major forces are coming together: the accelerating
pace of scientific innovation, an aging population, and an unprecedented
interest in entrepreneurship. Inevitably, these will combine to cause great
companies to emerge."
Bob has more than twenty-five years of experience in venture capital and has served as a director of many public and private companies. He is a former director of the National Venture Capital Association and President of the New England Venture Capital Association. In addition, Bob has been recognized by the prestigious Forbes Midas List as one of the top venture capitalists in the industry, and has earned the 2008 HBS Healthcare Alumni Achievement Award.
Background
Bob has been an investor in many successful healthcare service, medical device and biotechnology companies. Some of the services companies he has backed are Community Health Systems (NYSE: CYH), Mariner Health Group (IPO/acquired), New England Critical Care (IPO/acquired), Renal Treatment Centers (IPO/acquired) and U.S. Labs (acquired). Bob's medical technology investments include AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Codon Devices, Conor Medsystems (IPO/acquired), Generation Health, Helicos BioSciences (Nasdaq: HLCS), iZumi, Magen BioSciences, Mitotix (Neuer Market: GPC Biotech AG), Origin Medsystems (acquired), PerSeptive Biosystems (IPO/acquired), Pervasis Therapeutics, PRAECIS PHARMACEUTICALS (Nasdaq: PRCS) and RedBrick Health. Before co-founding Highland, Bob was a general partner at a Boston-based venture capital partnership. Immediately prior to entering venture capital, he spent four years as the Executive Director of the John A. Hartford Foundation. He also was the Chief Executive of the Clark Foundation and the Burden Foundation. Bob is a former Assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and an Assistant to the head of the international division of the U.S. Treasury.
Education
Harvard College, A.B., History
Harvard Business School, M.B.A.
Interests
Bob is involved in many activities related to venture capital, healthcare and social enterprise. Currently, he is a member of the Advisory Board of the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School and the Advisory Board of the Harvard - MIT Division of Health Sciences & Technology. Also, Bob has been a faculty member at the Harvard Business School since 2001. At HBS, he teaches a second year course called Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital in Healthcare, and at KSG, he teaches a course called Entrepreneurship in the Private, Public, and Social Sectors. Additionally, Bob is a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a Board Member of the NHP Foundation, a National Board Member of The Smithsonian Institution, and an Overseer of The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
Bob lives with his wife Kristine in Cambridge and has a son and two daughters.
