Ashish Kachru began his career at a venture capital firm, then moved to a market strategy and planning role at Procter & Gamble. As he thought about making his next career move, Kachru became interested in healthcare and joined United Healthcare as a national director of business risk management. In this role, he managed more than 3 million Medicaid members across 20 states.
As he learned and experienced more in the healthcare space, he recognized that the United States healthcare delivery system was designed around reactive rather than proactive care. Kachru saw an opportunity for technology to help payers work more proactively in addressing chronic conditions at a large scale. This realization led him to strike out on an entrepreneurial journey by founding Altruista Health and GuidingCare, which was acquired by HealthEdge 13 years later.
Kachru now serves as the chief executive officer of DataLink, a leading healthcare technology company dedicated to empowering better health. Grounded in more than 20 years of experience, DataLink develops integrated, data-driven solutions that deliver actionable insights, automated workflows and true data interoperability. This streamlined delivery of value-based care optimizes quality, ensures risk accuracy and corresponding reimbursement, and helps contain costs at the point of care.
Throughout his career, Kachru has been recognized for his insight as a well-respected thought leader. He was named the best tech leader for the Washington, D.C. region, a top 25 chief executive officer by the Northern Virginia Technology Council, a top 10 emerging healthcare leader by Managed Healthcare Executive magazine, and the EY entrepreneur of the year in the health category.
He is a member of the Forbes Tech Council and contributes thought-provoking articles on the latest technology trends impacting healthcare and other industries. He serves on the board of the Department of Medical Assistance Services, the agency that administers Medicaid programs in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Hes a member of the Young Presidents Organization and a judge for the University of Chicago Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovations New Venture Challenge.
Leadership requires empathy and agility, said Kachru. Leaders must be agile to succeed in todays business climate the fast pace at which new technologies are launched and adopted requires leaders to move quickly, he said. Speed to market is extremely important, requiring decisions to be made quickly and confidently. Leaders also need to be able to pivot quickly and adapt to not just succeed but survive.
