Career Path of an Innovation Manager

Lecture · Skillbox Open Day 2021

Ekaterina Egorova, Innovation Manager, Large Enterprise Financial Organisation (Russia) · 2021

About

This lecture was delivered at the Skillbox Higher Education Open Day in 2021 — a programme for professionals looking to deepen their expertise in innovation and product management. The session covers what innovation management actually means across different contexts: inside a corporation, in a startup, and as an independent entrepreneur. Drawing on experience at Gazprombank's Innovation Department, the lecture explores the three core roles of a corporate innovator, the full lifecycle of a startup product, and what it takes to build and scale innovative solutions within large organisations.

Topics Covered

What innovation means: from new products and methods to market disruption (Schumpeter's framework)
Four types of innovation: radical, incremental, pseudo-innovation, and disruptive
The ideal innovator profile: business + technical + market knowledge in one person
Three roles in corporations: Innovation Manager, Project Manager, Technology Scout
Three roles in startups: Business Development Manager, Product Director, Product Owner
The innovation entrepreneur: full business model ownership and P&L responsibility
The corporate innovator's three-step cycle: find the need → find or build a solution → drive implementation

Quote

"The ideal innovator knows the business and product from both a technical and economic perspective — and can find solutions even for problems that don't yet exist."

Innovation Management

Career Development

Corporate Innovation