Former leading Nashville corporate trial attorney and political advisor takes on new role as Operating Partner and Counsel for one of Nashville’s largest venture capital firms.
NASHVILLE, TN, July 11, 2023 – Frist Cressey Ventures, co-founded by former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, M.D. and Bryan Cressey, is pleased to announce the addition of Mark Tipps to the team as Operating Partner and Counsel. Tipps will channel his extensive experience as an attorney, problem solver and team builder to support the firm’s mission “to improve healthcare and transform lives.”
In addition to his stints as a partner at Bass, Berry & Sims and managing partner at Walker, Tipps & Malone, Tipps served as Senator Bill Frist’s first chief of staff in Washington, DC, helping the Senator build and manage his Washington team. Later, he served in 1997 as deputy chief counsel to U.S. Senator Fred Thompson in the nationally televised “Chinagate” hearings, where he managed a team of over 50 attorneys, investigators and FBI agents. Tipps was also the national campaign manager for U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander’s 2000 presidential run.
Building on his multi-faceted experience in creating and directing large teams and managing organizations, Tipps has also advised senior management of major corporations, including Honeywell, Dow Chemical and St. Paul/Travelers on legal and governmental matters.
Most recently, Tipps served at Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, TN, helping oversee the day-to-day operations as Associate Head of School, Athletics Director and as a faculty member and coach.
“The lifeblood of our team and our partnerships at Frist Cressey Ventures is the very thing Mark Tipps embodies: ‘being part of something far bigger than ourselves,’” Frist shared. “With our portfolio of over 30 innovative companies, each founded and operated by mission-driven CEOs, teams of brilliant innovators and disruptors focused on real systemic change, I’m excited about the additional value that Mark’s broad experience, proven judgment and focused efforts will bring to the firm and our partnerships.”
“I’m thrilled to be able to collaborate again with Bill Frist and to work with the outstanding team at Frist Cressey Ventures, as well as its impressive array of partnership companies,” Tipps added.
About Frist Cressey Ventures
The Frist Cressey Ventures mission is simple: to transform healthcare to improve lives. We invest in technology and service businesses with viable solutions that improve quality of care, system integration, patient outcomes and population health and well-being.
We focus our time and attention on three key areas: recruiting top talent, connecting partnerships with our deep industry network and executing our partnerships’ plans to improve healthcare.