NORC At The University Of Chicago Launches New Innovation Hub - NORC Labs

Chris Kalb to Lead Group Driving Development of Innovative Client Solutions

News provided by

Jan 22, 2015, 01:09 ET

CHICAGO, Jan. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NORC at the University of Chicago has created NORC Labs, a new innovation-focused business unit that will drive the creation and introduction of cutting-edge products and services. To lead this team, Chris Kalb, a 15-year veteran of the healthcare and technology industries, has been named as Senior Vice President of NORC Labs.

NORC Labs combines the best ideas of NORC's research and technology experts with a deep understanding of client needs and market trends to develop and incubate the most effective solutions for NORC clients.

"Innovation has always been at the heart of NORC. NORC Labs represents a renewed and substantial investment in fostering innovation across NORC so we can apply the best ideas and practices to help our clients stay competitive in the marketplace," said Dan Gaylin, President of NORC at the University of Chicago. "Chris Kalb's strong product management track record, combined with his technology expertise and understanding of market dynamics, makes him the ideal person to lead NORC Labs. We're thrilled to have him on board."

"I'm excited to build on the foundation of innovation here at NORC," said Chris Kalb, Senior Vice President of NORC Labs. "As data collection, analytics, and technology continue to advance, clients are looking for a partner who works one step ahead to identify trends, nurture breakthrough ideas, and understand the future potential of new services and solutions. NORC Labs will fill that role for NORC."

Kalb will be based in NORC's Bethesda, Maryland office and will work across all of the organization's departments.

Prior to joining NORC, Kalb worked for several years at GE Healthcare in various leadership roles within the company's e-Health Product Management, Global Engineering, and Global Strategy divisions. As Director of the e-Health Product Management division, Kalb was part of the senior team responsible for building GE eHealth into a multi-million dollar business, and running global product management across multiple product lines and regions.

Most recently, Kalb worked as a Senior Director at Premier, Inc., a leading national healthcare performance improvement alliance and provider of healthcare software solutions. Kalb started his career in software engineering with positions at IDX Systems Corporation and Xerox Parc.

For more information on NORC Labs, please visit http://norclabs.norc.org

About NORC at the University of Chicago
As one of the world's foremost independent research institutions, NORC at the University of Chicago delivers objective data and meaningful analysis to help decision-makers and leading organizations make informed choices and identify new opportunities. Since 1941, NORC has applied sophisticated methods and tools, innovative and cost-effective solutions, and the highest standards of scientific integrity and quality to conduct and advance research on critical issues. Today, NORC expands on this tradition by partnering with government, business, and nonprofit clients to create deep insight across a broad range of topics and to disseminate useful knowledge throughout society.

Headquartered in downtown Chicago, NORC works in over 40 countries around the world, with additional offices on the University of Chicago campus, the D.C. metro area, Atlanta, Boston, and San Francisco.

SOURCE NORC at the University of Chicago