Eric Steager, managing director, Strategic Innovation Portfolio at Independence Blue Cross (Independence), joined other investor leaders in accepting a Top 100 Rising Star award at the second Global Corporate Venturing (GCV) meeting in Sonoma County, California. The awards presentation was part of the Global Corporate Venturing & Innovation Summit held January 25-26. The event attracts corporate venture leaders managing more than $20 billion in venture assets for companies with aggregate revenues of at least $4 trillion.
In selecting its 2016 Rising Stars, GCV researched more than 10,000 industry professionals across more than 1,000 corporate venturing organizations. The criteria included career development and potential for future leadership roles. Specifically, GCV noted, Rising Star candidates represent the top one percent in the industry and are the “glue in their units” to getting deals accomplished.
Steager joined Independence in 2012 to identify, evaluate, and execute strategic investments including early stage strategic investments, mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships for Independence. He is a sought after speaker on innovation and venture capital in health care. In 2016, he spoke at several national and local investment conferences and internationally as part of a Corporate Venture Capital Delegation to Moscow sponsored by Global Corporate Venturing and the Russian Government.