Joel Whitaker Email & Phone Number

Washington, District Of Columbia, Us

I am General Manager for Advisory Board, the editorially independent research division of Optum and UnitedHealth Group. As GM I am responsible for research, events, client success, and commercial teams across all markets, from hospital systems to health plans, from life sciences to digital health.Advisory Board has discovered and shared best-practice health care insights for over 40 years. My first job was at Advisory Board and I am delighted to return at a time of transformation across the health care industry, when leaders depend more than ever on deeply vetted cutting-edge practices and tools to improve the performance of health care providers and organizations across the broader industry. At this moment I am also incredibly proud of the work my team is doing to help health care leaders with the urgent challenges of Covid-19 as well as health equity in a climate of heightened racial tension. Few things are more satisfying than when one can put one's organization's highest mission into practice as the Advisory Board is doing now.

Washington, District Of Columbia, Us

With Frontier Strategy Group's acquisition of Ducker Worldwide, we adopted the new brand identity of DuckerFrontier. With 9 offices around the world and a 60-year heritage of research-driven excellence, DuckerFrontier helps executives achieve their growth mandates by providing high-quality insight into markets, customers, competitors, partners, and M&A opportunities. I led research, events (international executive roundtables and the Pharma Market Research Conferences), analytics, subscription platforms (FrontierView, RussiaView, and the Wall Street Journal's Strategic Intelligence service), product development, and sat on the board of directors.

Washington, District Of Columbia, Us

I led Frontier Strategy Group’s research organization. I was responsible for research strategy, product innovation, thought leadership, and advising FSG’s most senior clients. I also joined FSG's board upon our acquisition by Boathouse Capital.FSG provides information services and advisory support to senior emerging-markets executives at more than 200 multinational corporations. In 2014, FSG was listed as one of Washington DC's Top Workplaces by the Washington Post. I was based in our Washington DC headquarters and traveled frequently to our regional offices in Singapore, London and Miami, and to client sites around the world. As of 2022, FSG has been rebranded as FrontierView and is part of the FiscalNote family of companies.

Arlington, Va, Us

As head of research for CEB Asia, I was responsible for establishing CEB's research presence in Singapore and providing Asia-focused research and advisory services for senior executives in human resources, sales, finance, and risk management. I advised regional leadership teams about economic trends, management best practices, and emerging insights from a network of Asian business leaders. In the area of talent management, I oversaw CEB's annual Asia Labor Market Survey of 25,000 workforce participants and a research agenda covering employment brand management, attracting and recruiting top talent, engaging and retaining high performers, accelerating leadership team effectiveness, and managing ethics and compliance risk.

Washington, Dc, Us

Founding team of the Center of Innovation for Science, Technology and Peacebuilding at the United States Institute of Peace, a foreign policy and international conflict-management think tank in Washington, DC. The Center has since been reorganized as the PeaceTech Lab. Some highlights:• “Smart Tools for Smart Power” – identifying high-impact opportunities for technology to bolster peacebuilding and stability operations, including improving training through simulations and serious games;• “Blogs & Bullets” – understanding the impact of online discourse in conflict zones, including the Middle East, and the potential to analyze new media for crisis early warning;• “Climate Change and Conflict” – assessing the effects of droughts, floods, and ecosystem breakdown on international hotspots, and identifying potential climate-impacted conflict flash points;• “Science & Engineering Diplomacy for Conflict Prevention” – benchmarking the impact of international technical collaborations on preventing and managing conflict, and using science diplomacy to improve regional stability in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Arlington, Va, Us

Business and research leader for the CIO Executive Board, which delivers best-practice research, decision-support tools, and executive education to a network of CIOs and IT leaders at more than 1,000 corporations, government agencies and non-profit organizations around the world. Prior to 2008 I led the Enterprise Architecture Executive Council (EAEC) in CEB’s IT Practice, which serves Enterprise Architects and IT strategy executives at more than 300 institutions.Focus areas included IT planning and governance, end-user technology adoption, business intelligence and data analytics, enterprise architecture (EA), and service-oriented architecture (SOA).

Arlington, Va, Us

Managed research and executive education for the Research & Technology Executive Council, CEB’s program for CTOs and R&D organizations. Focus areas included collaborative innovation, R&D project management, technology roadmapping, R&D in China, and measuring the business value of innovation.

Arlington, Va, Us

Managed research for the Corporate Strategy Board, CEB’s program for strategy and business development leaders. Focus areas included strategic planning, competitive intelligence, scenario planning, managing international operations, corporate venturing and new business development.

Washington, District Of Columbia, Us

Conducted custom research for the Corporate Leadership Council (CLC), the Advisory Board’s program for human resources executives.

Washington, District Of Columbia, Us

White House Intern for Press Secretary Mike McCurry and Director of Special Projects Rahm Emanuel. Prepared briefing materials, drafted press releases, and monitored news reports for the Press Office and other West Wing staff. Fetched coffee for Helen Thomas before the gaggle, chaperoned WH correspondents like Wolf Blitzer and Brian Williams, and kept Socks the Cat out of the press clippings.

Bachelor'S Degree, International Politics, Economics

European Political Economy

Education record