Jackie Selby, EMBA ’21, hosts a conversation with Robert Wickham, SB ’93, SM ’95, on Venture Capital, Innovation, and the Magic of MIT. Robert is a founding partner of Synthesis Capital, an emerging venture capital fund supporting health and medtech ventures across the Asia-Pacific. His experience and expertise spans strategy, growth, leadership development, and capital raising with a focus on emerging tech, health and wellness, and high-performance sports. As trustee and past president of the MIT Alumni Association, Wickham will also discuss his involvement with the Institute and how it continues to inspire him today.
Robert Wickham is a founding Partner at Synthesis Capital, a specialist venture capital firm backing early-stage health technology companies across Australia and Asia-Pacific.
Robert brings more than 30 years’ experience across technology, startups, venture capital, global go-to-market, and corporate leadership. He was previously General Manager, Tableau Asia-Pacific at Salesforce, where he also held senior regional leadership roles including APAC Chief of Staff and Head of Platform and Emerging Technology. During his time at Salesforce, Robert helped launch the company’s A$50 million Australian venture fund, supporting local enterprise technology startups.
Earlier in his career, Robert was part of the founding team of two startups with successful exits: Go, a London-based low-cost airline sold to easyJet, and Empirix Web Test Unit, which Oracle acquired. He started his career at the Boston Consulting Group. He has worked across Australia, the United States, Europe and Asia, with deep networks in technology, venture capital, health innovation and global research ecosystems.
Robert is a Non Executive Director of Republic Financial Holdings Limited, a Senior External Advisor to BCG, Chair of the MIT Aero/Astro Visiting Committee, and a member of the MIT Corporation. He is also a former President of the MIT Alumni Association.
Robert holds SB and SM degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
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