To gain an insight into key technology developments in the medical field, Digital Journal caught up with Seth Bogner, who serves as Chairman and CEO of HeartPoint Global Inc. Bogner seeks to use his leadership abilities to develop a business that is both profitable and socially responsible.
In an earlier interview we assessed the technology specifically. In this second feature, we look at what it takes to run a successful medial technology firm.
Bogner began his career at Loeb Partners Realty, where he was crucial in securing many multi-million-dollar financing deals. He later served as the Chairman of Hearthstone Management Group Ltd., where he invested in and managed a portfolio of over 14,000 apartments. Seth was a pioneer in commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS).
With over three decades of experience in principal investing, structured finance, restructurings, and merchant banking across numerous industries, Seth Bogner is a visionary entrepreneur who has served as the CEO and president of many funded and/or financed entities. To date, he has closed over 200 investments and merger and acquisition transactions during his career.
Before joining HeartPoint Global, Bogner was the managing partner of Union Square Partners Ltd., which operated as a principal partner with institutional investors in various fields. He also founded Ohr Partners in 2007, where amongst other responsibilities, he managed and was a director of two licensed, regulated mutual funds that operated globally.
DJ: What inspired you to feel passionate about this cause?
Bogner: I was initially approached as an investor in this project. What attracted me as an investor was that there is a great humanitarian aspect to it, and the opportunity to make a difference in the world. I saw blue babies with congenital heart disease, which was heartbreaking. At HeartPoint Global, we are taking what can already be done surgically in a safer and more accessible way to a much broader population, and it is exciting to have the opportunity to provide access to medical care, especially for those that can’t afford surgery.
DJ: How do you build an effective company culture at HeartPoint Global?
Bogner: Assemble a team of experts. The medical team I work with at HeartPoint Global is phenomenal. As a businessperson, it is important to me to surround myself with the smartest people that I can find. Our team is a wonderful group of professionals. I am always amazed at the uniqueness everyone brings to the table and their enthusiasm for helping sick kids with cardiovascular disease.
Also, cultivate a culture of creativity and innovation. At HeartPoint Global, we value originality and innovation and foster productive dialogue, bringing diverse perspectives and ideas to decision-making. I’m a firm believer in hiring the most brilliant people we can find, and the fact that they all joined us because they have the same vision provides synergistic thinking and great collaboration.
Plus, stay true to your company’s mission and values. The company’s missions and values represent its purpose and encourage your team’s progression, long-term. They serve as a guide for the company and should be used to remind your team that even through tough times, there is an end goal that serves a greater purpose for everyone their work will impact.
It is also necessary to prioritize equality and Diversity in your team. At HeartPoint Global, we try to find the smartest people to collaborate with us, resulting in a diverse workforce that can adjust to the many different countries and cultures where we operate. Diversity is important, and we endeavour to be more diverse and culturally sensitive because it adds value to our organization. It is also important to understand that profit and doing social good are not mutually exclusive. At HeartPoint Global, having a dual model of servicing both the developed and developing world allows investors to profit and do social good simultaneously. This is part of my core belief system, and we must reinvent capitalism to be more caring without interfering with the profit motive. I don’t think those two things are mutually exclusive if a business is structured correctly.
