Recently, TrekIT Health took a major step toward firming up its executive leadership team and governance structure. Veteran tech executive Rick Valencia has been appointed Executive Chairman of the company, advising and supporting strategic decision-making.
The long-time Qualcomm, Inc. senior vice president has a breadth of experience leading growth funds and scaling business operations. Valencia oversaw two healthcare-focused funds in his career under the telecommunication giant’s umbrella, including the Qualcomm Life Fund and dRx Capital, in partnership with Novartis. For more than 25 years, he’s been a progressive leader, commercializing medical devices and improving healthcare outcomes with proven technology solutions.
Valencia established his reputation as an entrepreneur and startup leader after founding and building ProfitLine, Inc., a telecommunications services management company, in the 1990s. He would go on to sell the company in 2009.
“Rick has an exceptional track record, and at every stop in his career he’s had a positive impact on the people around him,” said TrekIT Health Chief Executive Officer Subha Airan-Javia, MD. “We believe that in order to ignite real change in healthcare – especially improving the way clinicians manage their patient workload – it will take a diverse team of interdisciplinary leaders driving serious innovation.”
In 2003, Valencia was an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and he has served on numerous non-profit boards, including the Global eHealth Initiative chaired by the Archbishop Desmund Tutu and the World Economic Forum’s Global Health and Governors.
“In recent years, I’ve been paying close attention to the challenge clinical professionals’ face and the overwhelming burden they bear as they work tirelessly to manage patients in a stagnant environment for innovation,” said Valencia. “It’s no secret that COVID-19 has only exacerbated these conditions. TrekIT Health has the rare ability to bring a technology consensus to the industry, as clinicians now have a forum for dialogue and structure in place to better engage with patients. I’m excited to help the company grow its position in the market and support healthcare workers at a time when they need it most.”
Currently, Valencia is the CEO of Waveform Diabetes and is also a board member and chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee at Tandem Diabetes Care (NASDAQ: TNDM), an insulin therapy management company. He resides in San Diego, California.