Rob Bell is a Managing Director at Innosight and a leader in the Industrial and Technology Solutions practice. He focuses on helping leadership teams navigate disruptive change and develop future strategies for transformational growth. Rob brings over 20 years of experience serving senior executives on their most significant strategy and innovation challenges in various industries including industrial equipment, agriculture, mining, construction, steel, energy, chemicals, water, telecommunications, insurance, software, and healthcare.
Rob has pioneered cutting-edge approaches to help companies drive sustained profitable growth through more effective management of the growth process – including more effectively identifying growth opportunities, focusing innovation on the highest value customer needs, accelerating learning, mitigating risk, and establishing accountability for results. He has also done substantial work on broadening clients’ innovation capabilities to encompass not only products and technology, but also services, customer experience, go-to-market strategies, and new business models. Rob has particularly deep experience in overcoming the unique challenges of developing sustainably profitable solutions business models within traditionally product, technology or operations-oriented businesses. This includes groundbreaking solutions business model work in precision agriculture, mining, oil & gas exploration, and process automation among others.
In addition, he is the co-author of the HBR article “The Transformation 20: The Top Global Companies Leading Strategic Transformations.”
Rob also has substantial experience working on entrepreneurial ventures inside and outside of large corporations. He has been responsible for generating and evaluating new venture concepts working with both start-up management teams and venture capital/private equity investors. His venture-related work has involved zero-stage business concept development, designing new business models, developing go-to-market strategies, using iterative test-and-learn approaches, and helping to secure financing. Rob has also designed and helped to optimize incubator models for corporations.
Rob received his B.A. in Economics from Dartmouth College. He earned an M.A. in Economics and an M.S. in Foreign Service with honors in International Business from Georgetown University. Rob also holds an M.B.A. in Finance from George Washington University. He resides in Dover, Massachusetts, with his wife, Lisa, and three daughters, Olivia, Emily and Carly.
PUBLICATION HIGHLIGHTS
“Transforming Medtech: Strategies for Shifting from Devices to Digital Healthcare Solutions”
Innosight, October 2024
“Innovation Within Reach: Balancing Growth and Cost Discipline in Times of Uncertainty”
Innosight, May 2024
“Products to Solutions: Three Keys for Industrial Companies to Make the Switch”
Innosight, April 2024