# WideCells Group PLC Strategic Development Update

- Link: https://www.directorstalkinterviews.com/widecells-group-plc-strategic-development-update/412730146
- Published: 2017-06-12T07:26:02+01:00
- Author: Giles Arbor

**WideCells Group PLC** (LON:WDC), the healthcare services company focused on providing
stem cell services and ground breaking insurance for stem cell treatment, has today
provided a strategic update on WideAcademy, its 100% owned education and training
division. These strategic developments follow the recent Board appointment of Alan
Greenberg, former Director of Education at Apple, as Non-Executive Director of WideCells
Group and Senior Vice President of WideAcademy, and the recent Placing.

· Mandate: To establish WideAcademy as the thought leader on stem cell technologies
and innovation for medical professionals and families. The proposition must not 
only be self-funded but profitable.

· Strategy: WideAcademy will secure and work with strategic partners in the tech
and education sectors to produce and deliver trustworthy, authentic and digestible
content and courseware focussed on the stem cell industry.

· Global Ambition: WideAcademy will harness technology to drive access to objective
educational tools and content worldwide. It will firstly focus on creating resources
for English-speaking communities. It plans to develop a number of channels to reach
its audiences and establish WideAcademy as the go-to portal for stem cells.

· Target Markets: WideAcademy has identified three core communities which would 
benefit from a strengthened understanding of stem cell innovation:

o Medical professionals – most existing health professionals have not been educated
in stem cell technologies. The same is often true for those currently being taught
and trained who represent the next generation of medical professionals. Even where
stem cell training / teaching has been undertaken, medical professionals are not
educated on best-practise and have no obvious channel through which they can access
news and stay up-to-date with innovation in the sector.

· Enterprise / industry – the insurance broking industry will be a critical channel
in supporting the roll out of CellPlan, the Company’s innovative stem cell insurance
product. This industry, together with cord blood storage facilities, could benefit
from an educational resource.

· The public – these are the consumers. The more they know about stem cell innovation,
the stronger the market becomes.

· Multi-channel – both digital distribution channels for the dissemination of free
content and revenue generative initiatives, including courseware, are being investigated
to deliver intuitive information to target markets

· Who? Joining Alan Greenberg will be Jimmy Leach, an experienced digital consultant
who has previously been Head of Digital Diplomacy at the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office, Editorial Director for Digital at The Independent, Head of Digital Communications
at Downing Street, and executive editor at the guardian.co.uk. As Editor-in-Chief
to WideAcademy, Mr Leach will be responsible for driving intuitive, informative 
and engaging content. WideAcademy is also in the process of making further key appointments,
including a Vice President of Education, with experience in academic research, learning
technology and pedagogy, and a Vice President of Enterprise, with experience in 
Continuing Professional Development and training in the insurance and banking industries.
Further updates relating to these appointements will be made in due course.

WideAcademy Vice President, Alan Greenberg said, “WideAcademy is focused on bringing
stem cell innovation to the world. Through my involvement with Apple Education and
formative role in launching educational podcasts I have first-hand experience of
the huge impact engaging digital content can have in driving education. Technology
will be key to unlocking our proposition, which is centred on creating and distributing
easily-digestible and trustworthy content, much of which will be free to access,
share and ‘like’. Courseware, accreditation, and the access to distinguished networks
will come at a price, enabling this proposition to become self-funding. We believe
that these offerings will be valuable to both individuals wishing to enhance their
knowledge and to professional institutions such as a doctor’s surgery, a teaching
hospital, university or medical school department. I believe stem cell technology
is set to transform our medical world and I am delighted to be a part of the WideCells
team as we look to bring this innovative industry to the wider market.”

> **WideCells Group CEO, João Andrade, said,** “WideAcademy’s focus on promoting
> best-practise and quality whilst driving innovation is highly synergistic to the
> principles held by the rest of the WideCells Group. It also fits ideally with 
> WideCells’ mission to make stem cell treatment accessible and affordable to all.
> By helping people to understand this growing industry from multiple perspectives
> and angles, WideAcademy will help drive the uptake of products and services and
> in turn investment across the entire sector. It is this commitment to both innovation
> and education which recently resulted in us being ranked as the 21st most disruptive
> company globally by DISRUPT 100, which is an annual index celebrating the businesses
> with the most potential to influence, change or create new global markets. We 
> look forward to continuing to disrupt and advance the rapidly growing stem cell
> industry through our multi-focus approach, which alongside the educational focus
> of WideAcademy includes stem cell storage and research and a first of its kind
> insurance plan, CellPlan. With multiple value upside triggers ahead, including
> imminent maiden revenues from CellPlan, I very much look forward to the opportunities
> ahead!”

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