Christine M. Robins took over as the CEO of BodyMedia Inc. in August 2009, leaving a $500 million global business to run a company that was struggling to find its place. She moved her family across the country for the opportunity, and she now considers it the biggest risk and most rewarding experience she has ever known.
In 2009, BodyMedia — a leader in smart body monitoring technology — had no clear strategy beyond 60 days. Robins’ approach was thoughtful but swift, analyzing the market, history and driving focus on one key vertical — the weight management market.
She developed the distribution and partnership strategy, the marketing strategy and innovation road map around the positioning of a professionally endorsed consumer product. The focus leveraged both the market dynamic around consumer-empowered health care and the equity the company had previously established in the clinical and medical space.
Robins’ well-defined strategy, along with a drive for innovation, has been the key to the company’s turnaround. In late 2010, BodyMedia launched the first Bluetooth-enabled device with mobile apps in the health and fitness space, receiving awards from Bluetooth and the Wireless Life Sciences Alliance. Today, BodyMedia is seeing rapid growth during the worst recession in years.
Robins’ drive for innovation and taking risks has now turned to developing future innovations to maximize company value without losing the focus of the entire company. A small dedicated group within BodyMedia is exploring new hardware, gaming, feedback engines, additional sensors, expanded algorithms and new user interfaces. These innovations will solidify BodyMedia’s position in weight management and propel the company into new markets such as diabetes, childhood obesity and remote monitoring.
With Robins’ leadership and strategic acumen, BodyMedia is poised to be on the leading edge of the burgeoning wireless and mobile health care market.
How to reach: BodyMedia Inc., (412) 543-1316 or www.bodymedia.com
