Building a B2B Product Function in a Scaling Health Tech Organisation

Context

A health tech scale-up, best known for its consumer business, identified a major growth opportunity in B2B. After several years of success in the direct-to-consumer market, the organisation wanted to diversify by offering its technology and services to enterprise clients across the NHS, pharmaceuticals, retail pharmacies, and insurance companies.

Although the potential was significant, the company had limited experience in building or selling B2B products. I was brought in to shape and lead this transition, establishing a new product function capable of delivering to large-scale partners and positioning the organisation within a new category of health technology.

The Challenge

The business had strong consumer expertise but little understanding of the B2B landscape, from enterprise sales cycles to the demands of multi-partner platforms. The product leadership team, including the founders, came from B2C backgrounds, and there was minimal sales capability in place.

My remit was to build the B2B product function from the ground up: to recruit and develop the team, define the product strategy, and establish the systems, leadership, and clarity needed to deliver confidently to enterprise clients.

The Approach

1. Focus on Inputs

The first priority was getting the right people in place. I built a new B2B product team comprising internal transitions and external hires with experience in large-scale healthcare and pharmaceutical organisations. This blend of familiarity with the business and sector-specific expertise provided both continuity and credibility.

Working closely with the Director of Partnerships, I led extensive discovery work to understand market demand and shape a proposition that played to the company’s technical strengths. From this, we set clear goals and created a product strategy grounded in customer insight rather than assumption.

2. Understand Group Dynamics

With a new team in place, I established the operating rhythms needed for collaboration and accountability: fortnightly sprints, shared demos across the product organisation, and transparent documentation of priorities and releases.

I worked to create a clear sense of identity and momentum within the B2B function, engaging senior leaders through regular demos and updates that made progress visible and built confidence in the team’s direction. I also acted as a bridge between Product, Partnerships, and Clinical teams, joining calls with key partners and translating feedback into product direction to ensure alignment between commercial and technical delivery.

3. Harness Time and Attention

I introduced a quarterly OKR process to bring structure and focus to the team’s work. This approach helped drive alignment with the wider leadership group and provided a framework for protecting focus, allowing us to say no to distractions and maintain steady delivery cadence.

4. Expand Perspective

Alongside delivery, I invested heavily in developing the team’s capability and confidence. I defined and implemented a career progression framework, giving every product manager clarity on expectations, responsibilities, and growth paths. Through coaching-focused one-to-ones, I supported individual development while building collective accountability across the function through weekly alignment sessions.

The Results

• Two flagship retail pharmacy partnerships were secured within the first year.
• A new B2B platform was launched, supporting pilots with the NHS and in the pharmaceutical sector.
• Delivery cadence improved to fortnightly value releases.
• Two internal team members were promoted, reflecting growth in capability and confidence.
• The organisation established itself in a new category within health tech, moving from concept to credible market player in under a year.

By the end of the engagement, the business had a clear value proposition, a confident team, and a credible B2B function delivering results at pace. It was a strong demonstration of how clarity and capability unlock confidence and delivery.