The rest of the 100 (in alphabetical order): Michelle McCarthy, director, Verizon Ventures
A part of the Verizon family for the past 20 years, Michelle McCarthy found herself pulled towards Verizon Ventures because of the opportunity to foster innovation in entrepreneurial companies. Inspired by corporate venturing’s ability to propel innovation, the corporate strategy and M&A veteran views her role as one driven by strategy, not just a pure return on investment activity.
“Striving to deliver and prove the value of a strategic partnership to young startups is important to make corporate venturing a stronger industry,” said the Georgetown University MBA graduate. She added that a successful corporate venturing and portfolio relationship was a symbiotic one with the corporate ensuring that a portfolio has strong access to resources to better compete as they grow.
McCarthy said she took pleasure in seeing how the Verizon team had increased substantially over the previous few years, and prided herself on her own contribution in developing the structure and discipline of the unit, as well as developing streamlined processes and collaboration across internal corporate units. She has had a notable impact on increasing the efficiency, agility and synchronisation of Verizon’s venture transactions. She has also driven forward a number of Verizon’s deals.
McCarthy, who oversees advertising technology, internet of things, and telematics technologies, is on the boards of Verizon portfolio firms AdTheorent, Antengo, Bug Labs, and Driversiti.
She said: “To remain meaningful and competitive in today’s landscape requires continuous innovation.
“Being personally accountable for fostering innovation at Verizon is an ambition I continue to work towards – finding ways to harness and best implement creativity within the larger corporation.”
