Tom Olenzak is Director of Innovation and Corporate Development for Independence Blue Cross, as well as Managing Director of the Independence Strategic Innovation Portfolio. Independence is the leading health insurer in southeastern Pennsylvania serving more than seven million people nationwide, including 2.2 million in the region.

Through the Independence Center for Health Care Innovation, which seeks to develop a culture of innovation within the company, Tom leads the company’s efforts to identify external sources of innovation to support the company’s objectives; and to help lead a dialog among institutions across the health care ecosystem to address some of the largest issues impacting the cost and quality of healthcare. Tom is a Managing Director of the Independence Strategic Innovation Portfolio, which makes investments in venture capital funds and emerging health care information technology companies that support Independence’s strategic initiatives.

Tom’s past experience includes twenty years of entrepreneurial, venture capital, and senior management experience in the health care and information technology industries. He has held Corporate Development and Strategy executive roles at technology companies including First Consulting Group and Integrated Systems Consulting Group. He was a Managing Director of the First Ventures Healthcare and Life Sciences Venture Fund and a Healthcare IT Venture Partner with Safeguard Scientifics. He was a founder and CEO of Cutting Edge Computer Solutions. Tom is a graduate of Princeton University and lives in Malvern, Pennsylvania.