David Sylvan

Bio

David Sylvan is Chief Strategy, Innovation & Marketing Officer of University Hospitals, a comprehensive health system with annual revenues of $6 billion, 21 hospitals (including 5 joint ventures), more than 50 health centers and outpatient facilities, and over 200 physician offices located throughout 16 counties. He is also President of UH Ventures, the innovation and commercialization arm of University Hospitals.

As Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, Mr. Sylvan's responsibilities span core operations, industry partnerships, technology transfer, commercialization, investments, business development and strategic initiatives. Collaborating with UH leaders and the broader ecosystem, his team propels system growth through fresh business ventures and program expansions. He also identifies, evaluates and recommends opportunities for acquisitions, investments, joint ventures and more.

As Chief Marketing Officer, Mr. Sylvan partners with other leaders within University Hospitals to ensure that Marketing is aligned with the system’s strategic plan and operational priorities. While leading the strategy, development and implementation of UH’s multi-channel marketing, which spans both traditional (TV, print, radio) and digital media, donor/philanthropy marketing support, and marketing research and analytics, he is transforming Marketing to a more strategic, analytical, revenue-driving function by developing a data-based, results-oriented culture grounded in test-and-learn strategies that support continual optimization. Mr. Sylvan also oversees strategic partnerships and events, which includes overseeing UH’s sports medicine partnerships with the Cleveland Browns, the Cleveland Monsters, the Cleveland Ballet, Cleveland’s Playhouse Square and more than 80 university, high school and community sports teams.

As President of UH Ventures since 2020, Mr. Sylvan and his team leverage UH Ventures’ design and process expertise alongside the Strategy & Planning platform, accelerating UH’s position as the premier health care provider in Northeast Ohio. This role places him at the forefront of UH's efforts to drive system-wide transformation, streamline clinical operations and expand its impact on health care delivery and wellness. Mr. Sylvan is directly responsible for strategic planning, spearheading innovative initiatives, identifying disruptive health care trends and aligning them with UH's mission. His team fosters a culture of innovation and integrates advanced technology solutions to ensure patient care excellence, enhance caregiver experiences and maintain financial sustainability.

Mr. Sylvan has over 35 years of diverse corporate experience, including a 15-year capital markets and investment banking tenure with Keybank Capital Markets, leading derivatives’ structuring and trading, and public finance teams across the country. Prior to that, he worked eight years at sports marketing giant, IMG. Mr. Sylvan started his career in public accounting with Deloitte in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Mr. Sylvan serves on various boards, either as a member or advisor, including Ohio Life Sciences, Axuall, Inc., Unify Labs, Farmers National Bank of Canfield, BioEnterprise, Hospice of The Western Reserve at University Hospitals, LLC, and Hawken School. He also is a Board Member for Paradigm, a Singapore-based FinTech firm, where he served as interim CEO.

Mr. Sylvan was recognized by Becker’s Healthcare in 2023 as one of “35 Hospital and Health System Chief Innovation Officers to Know” and one of “65 Health System Chief Strategy Officers to Know.” He was also named one of the top “113 Healthcare Leaders in 2022” by Becker’s.

Mr. Sylvan is an adjunct professor at Case Western Reserve University’s (CWRU) Weatherhead School of Business in the department of Design & Innovation, where he mentors and coaches students and practitioners throughout their professional journeys. He is also a frequent panelist and contributor at industry-specific forums.

Mr. Sylvan received a bachelor’s degree in Commerce and Business Law from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the CWRU Weatherhead School of Management.