Get to Know Kelly Brough

Talking leadership and the future with Fitzsimons Innovation Community’s New President and CEO.

By: Fitzsimons Innovation Community

Kelly Brough likes to get stuff done. Her fast-moving, no-nonsense leadership style, commitment to meeting goals, and ability to bring people together are the qualities that drew the Fitzsimons Innovation Community Board of Directors to bring her on as our new President and CEO. This month, we were excited to sit down with her and discuss her style, her agenda, and what she’s ready to get done for Fitzsimons Innovation Community. It’s a Q and A that left us inspired and fired up for what she has in store.

What type of leadership style do you bring to Fitzsimons Innovation Community?

Kelly Brough: My leadership style is to trust that people are experts at their own jobs. I fully expect that you can do your job without me, and when people prove me right, I have no problem giving them the ball and saying, “Hey, you know where the goal is, start running for it.” If my team needs help or if I see a way where I can help, I will, but mostly, I trust them to accomplish things. And I love accomplishing things.

I’m a person who reaches out to have partners and stakeholders join me on projects. I want to put people in places that maybe feel like a risk to them, something they haven’t tried before, and then let them thrive there. I assess risk well, and I encourage teams to get out of their comfort zones and expand their skills. One of the things I value most is people who want to grow their skillsets. I value technical skills, too, but I love when a team wants to learn new things and try something different. Growth is the foundation of my leadership style. I want people to grow, I want Fitzsimons Innovation Community to grow, and I want to grow, too. This is the foundation for building teams.

How are you looking to move Fitzsimons Innovation Community forward?

Kelly Brough: I think one of the most important things about our campus is the partnerships and collaboration that happen here, as well as with companies across the state, and I really want to build on those. Knowing when to compete and when to collaborate is essential, and I love that life sciences is an industry where both are extremely important. I have some very immediate goals that involve building additional trust and confidence within our current partnerships, as well as developing important new partnerships, too. These are symbiotic relationships, and I want to help our partners as much as I hope they help us.

What do you want to be known for as the leader of Fitzsimons Innovation Community?

Kelly Brough: Leadership is bringing together vastly diverse and different views of where we should be going and how we should get there and aligning them. I want to be known for enabling an alignment between all stakeholders around a plan that we all buy into completely, a goal that we all have ownership of. I thrive when I’m part of building a vision like that. But it’s not about the leader; the magic is in the shared view of the future and what we accomplish together. I think our new master plan is a great example of many teams and entities aligning to adapt to our changing community and prepare for the future while all remaining focused on revolutionizing the patient experience.

How do you like to collaborate with partners and your teams?

Kelly Brough: Something I really look for in people I work with is that our hearts are pure. I want to work with people who are committed to doing what we said we’d do. Fitzsimons Innovation Community is based on the idea of creating a place where innovation, entrepreneurs, and new ideas can come together in a way that saves lives and creates community. Every decision we make should be based on that, and I expect all of our hearts to be fully invested.

Why did you choose Fitzsimons Innovation Community?

Kelly Brough: Much of my career until now has been based on creating jobs. I truly believe that nothing can benefit a family more than a really good job. It’s something I’ve devoted my life to. When a family member has a good job, they’re able to build wealth and purchase a home, and those things affect them for generations; everything improves. I’ve always believed in the value of delivering great jobs for Coloradans, and this is an industry that’s doing that. It’s changing people’s lives, and I can’t help but be inspired by it. The fact that the companies within Fitzsimons Innovation Community are such a big job generator for our city and state is so important to me.

Another thing that’s important to me is bringing success in all sectors: public, private, and non-profit. When all three sectors do well, the community does well. It brings us right back to the heart of why we’re here. I want these three sectors to thrive, and here at Fitzsimons Innovation Community we have a model that recognizes that. It’s not something that happens often. The economic driver of this campus can’t be ignored. It’s vital to the state, the metro area, and specifically to Aurora.

What do you see for the future of Fitzsimons Innovation Community?

Kelly Brough: Long term, I think our new master plan really reflects my vision for what we want to accomplish. Additionally, I want Fitzsimons to move up the rankings as a top bioscience community in the country. Expanding people’s understanding of how great Colorado is as a place to live and as a life sciences hub is key to building on this idea. I want to see growth for all our life sciences Community members, but also for retail and other businesses on campus. This is a live, work, play space, and that becomes a reality when all those organizations are growing here.

I’d love to continue to develop important partnerships with additional stakeholders. The hospitals are a great example of organizations where we could have even greater collaboration. Partnerships and alliances are the foundation of what we do, and I intend to continue growing and developing those relationships.

What are some things you like to do in your free time?

Kelly Brough: In my downtime, I love reading and particularly like the escape I get reading fiction. Being outdoors is also one of my most important tools in navigating life. I’m a backcountry skier, hiker, and cyclist. I’m excited to commute by bike here to Fitzsimons Innovation Community pretty soon. I love Colorado and take advantage of the outdoors as much as possible.

Any closing thoughts?

Kelly Brough: I wholeheartedly believe that we all get smarter and better when we connect with people who don’t do what we do, people who think differently. When you reach across those lines, that’s when you make connections you might have missed otherwise. I think that’s something that happens at Fitzsimons Innovation Community all the time, and frankly, I’m excited to be a part of it.

Thank you, Kelly Brough, for taking the time to share your valuable insight with us. We can’t wait see what our Community can accomplish with you as our new President, CEO, and visionary leader. Your enthusiasm is contagious.