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Despite record investment in innovation, many organizations struggle to turn ambition into results. Promising projects stall, resources are stretched too thin, and leaders lack a clear view of which investments truly matter. The problem is rarely a shortage of ideas. It’s the absence of a disciplined system for making trade-offs and translating goals into action.
Innovation Portfolio Management: Linking Strategy to Execution provides a practical, field-tested guide for building that system. Drawing on decades of real-world experience, Noel Sobelman shows how leaders can design and embed innovation portfolio management as a core capability—aligning governance, resource allocation, and execution with organizational priorities.
Unlike theory-heavy innovation books, Innovation Portfolio Management focuses on the “how.” It delivers clear frameworks, actionable guidance, and proven methods that leaders can apply immediately to prioritize investments and make better decisions under uncertainty.
For organizations ready to move beyond aspiration and bring discipline to innovation, this guidebook offers the tools and insights to turn ideas into measurable results.
“Innovation Portfolio Management offers a clear, practical roadmap for building real innovation capability and translating strategy into disciplined execution. A must-read for leaders serious about driving sustained innovation performance.” —John DeFord, Former EVP and CTO at Becton Dickinson (BD); Board Member at Nordson Corporation, Globus Medical, Maravai Lifesciences, Enable Injections, Blue Spark
“Innovation Portfolio Management presents a robust framework that brings clarity to investment allocation practices used by successful corporations. The flexibility in how leaders can apply these tools is valuable, and the book offers thought-provoking guidance on building the firm-wide capabilities needed to make innovation a consistent driver of growth.” —John Wehrenberg, Former President, Performance Solutions at Tenneco
“In Innovation Portfolio Management, Noel Sobelman has distilled decades of experience into a practical playbook for innovation leaders. His insights on pipeline governance, trade-offs, and organizational behavior make this an essential guide for anyone responsible for driving innovation outcomes.” —Tony Ulwick, Founder & CEO, Strategyn; Creator of the Jobs-to-Be-Done methodology
“Every company aspires to have a healthy innovation portfolio, but the reality is that most get stuck investing in just a few pet projects—and crossing their fingers that everything will work out. In this book, Noel Sobelman shows you how to build, manage, and monitor a healthy portfolio, based on his deep experience doing just that with companies like Roche, WD-40, Whirlpool, and Honeywell.” —Scott Kirsner, CEO & Co-Founder, InnoLead
“For years, leaders have focused on building innovation labs, accelerators, and new venture teams. What’s often missing is the systemic portfolio discipline that allows innovation to scale across the enterprise. Noel Sobelman addresses that gap directly, offering a clear path to making innovation a managed capability rather than a collection of projects.” —Tendayi Viki, Senior Partner at Strategyzer and Author of Pirates in the Navy
“This is an excellent book. Noel 'gets real' as to why innovation portfolio management is so important. He shares the upside for those who get it right, and he provides the framework to do it right. This is a must-read for leading a company in today's AI-driven landscape where step-change is necessary for survival.” —John Seebeck, Retail & E-commerce Executive, formerly with CDW and Crate & Barrel
“Innovation Portfolio Management reinforces an important truth: portfolio management is not just about allocating investments, but optimizing limited resources for maximum strategic impact. Noel Sobelman provides practical guidance for leaders seeking to better connect innovation, governance, and execution.” —Adebayo Adekola, Founder, Innovate2Scale Lab; Former Head of Innovation & Portfolio Management at UNICEF