#8 - The Corporate Venturer: Diplomat, Therapist, Magician w/ Patricia Kroondijk (Canon Marketing Japan)
The Corporate Venturing Podcast
<p>🎙️ Welcome to a new episode of <em><strong>The Corporate Venturing Podcast!</strong></em></p>
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<p>What does it take to lead Corporate Venturing in a global organisation, when the rules are shifting, and the real challenge is not building ventures… but making them stick?</p>
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<p>In this episode, I sit down with <strong>Patricia Kroondijk</strong>, Head of Corporate Venture Capital and Venture Building at <strong>Canon</strong>, to explore what it means to drive innovation inside a company known for excellence and legacy, but hungry for transformation.</p>
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<p>Patricia shares her personal framework of the three roles every corporate venturer must master:</p>
<p>🎩 <strong>The Diplomat</strong> — navigating power structures and getting buy-in</p>
<p>🧠 <strong>The Therapist </strong>— helping the organisation unlearn old habits</p>
<p>🪄 <strong>The Magician</strong> — creating value where no one thought it was possible</p>
<p>+ Of course, <strong>The Entrepreneur </strong>(quite obvious)</p>
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<p>We also discuss:</p>
<p>🧭 Why venturing is ultimately a cultural transformation tool</p>
<p>⚖️ The power dynamics between core business and new ventures</p>
<p>🚫 Why pushing too fast can trigger antibodies — and how to pace the journey</p>
<p>🌐 How her team thinks globally but executes in alignment with local units</p>
<p>🧱 The invisible work behind aligning stakeholders before a venture even launches</p>
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<p>Whether you’re building a venture unit, managing a CVC fund, or trying to bring real innovation into a complex organisation, this episode is a masterclass in the nuance, realism, and persistence it takes to make it work.</p>
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<p>Resources:</p>
<p>• <a href="https://openroadventuress.substack.com/" rel="nofollow">Open Road Ventures</a></p>
<p>• <a href="https://www.bundl.com/venture-club" rel="nofollow">Bundl Venture Club</a></p>
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<p>🎧 Follow the podcast for more grounded stories from inside the world of <strong>Open Innovation </strong>and <strong>Corporate Venturing.</strong></p>