A member of the top 100 from the Global Corporate Venturing Powerlist

Tom Rodgers’ return to US healthcare provider McKesson in 2014 has inspired a fast-moving corporate venturing unit launch and the hire of top industry names, such as Dave Schulte.

McKesson Ventures, the $250m corporate venturing unit of the US healthcare provider, made six deals in its first 10 months after launching in 2014, Rodgers said, and now has a public portfolio of nine companies, including Accolade, Carena, ClearCare, Kyruus, Landmark, PipelineRx, Pokitdok and Retrace Health.

A decade ago, Rodgers had been vice-president of corporate strategy and business development for McKesson between 2001 and 2004 before joining venture capital firm Advanced Technology Ventures where he had been a partner for nearly eight years. He then had a two-and-a-half-year stint as director of strategic investments at healthcare technology provider Cambia Health Solutions before rejoining McKesson.

Schulte’s arrival last year from its peer Kaiser Permanente Ventures brings more than a decade of experience to the now-six-strong team at McKesson Ventures.

Rodgers said of the appointment: “Schulte joins McKesson with a notable and high-profile recent string of digital health investments. McKesson has made six investments in its first 10 months since launch so Schulte is joining a team with strong momentum.

“He is well respected and liked – which is not always the case in venture – with a broad network. Having him on board definitely played a role in McKesson being ranked the number-one most-trusted corporate venture capital firm in digital health by MedCity News.”

Back in 2014 at its launch, John Hammergren, McKesson’s chairman and CEO, said: “McKesson Ventures will help us support the development and commercialisation of innovations taking place across healthcare. By investing and partnering with entrepreneurs and other investors that can bring new approaches to the challenges our customers are facing, we will accelerate the innovation cycle and further strengthen the value we provide to industry stakeholders across all segments.”