In this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab, we dive into the complex world of Laboratory Developed Tests (LDTs) with Julie Ballard, a clinical laboratory expert with over 25 years of experience in operations, quality systems, and regulatory compliance. Julie shares her journey from working at Stanford Health Care to leading roles in startups like GRAIL, Genomic Health, and Guardant. We unpack the implications of the FDA's groundbreaking LDT ruling, discussing its potential impact on patient...

In this episode, we talk with Talent Acquisition professional, Allie Patterson, about how job seekers can stand out in today’s ultra-competitive, employer-driven market. Allie shares her own journey, tips on building a strong personal brand, and the importance of networking and targeted outreach. Her advice is essential for those navigating an intense hiring landscape. Allie has a background in recruitment across multiple industries (Med-Tech, Renewables, etc.) She holds a bachelor’s degree...

In this jam-packed episode, Mitch Robbins sits down with Dr. Greg Critchfield, a titan in molecular diagnostics and biotech. This is a leader who’s done it all—from spearheading Myriad Genetics into global prominence to raising over $300 million for groundbreaking women’s health innovations. But that’s just scratching the surface! 🔬 Why You Need to Tune In: Dr. Critchfield shares how his early passion for diagnostics was sparked by his father, a physician, who once said: “The hardest part is...

In this episode of The MedTech Talent Lab, host Mitch Robbins sits down with Mike Winterling, Chief Operating Officer at Junkosha USA. Mike shares his journey from spending nearly three decades at WL Gore & Associates to making the leap into a leadership role at a much smaller company, Junkosha. He discusses the challenges of transitioning from a well-established corporate environment to a more agile, fast-growing organization, and offers valuable insights for leaders navigating similar...

How do you successfully recruit top-tier engineers in a location no one’s heard of? Summary: In this episode, Mitch Robbins dives deep with Julia Campbell, Talent Acquisition Manager at Terumo Medical Corporation, to explore the art of recruiting technical talent in the MedTech space. Julia shares her journey from falling into recruitment by chance to becoming an integral part of Terumo’s hiring strategy. They discuss the unique challenges of hiring for highly specialized roles, managing...

Joining us for episode #109 was Ms. Kathy Jeffery, the Chief People Officer at Element Science. Kathy comes to the show with over 20 years experience as a Senior leader overseeing People Operations, Talent Acquisition, Organizational Development. She’s had the opportunity to scale five start-ups across industries, including Pear Therapeutics in the Digital Health space. She holds her Bachelors in Human Resources from DePaul University in Chicago & her Masters in Managerial Communication...

Joining Mitch for episode #108 was Ms. Jana Melamut, the Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition at NeoGenomics Laboratories. Jana comes to the show with over 24 years of recruitment & staffing experience. She's worked in both the 3rd party agency world & of course on the corporate side of talent acquisition. Companies like Veeva Systems, Alcon, & The Medical Affairs Company have all been graced by her talents. She received her Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from The...

Joining us for episode #107 was Mr. Jason Kroh, the Chief Technology Officer at Strados Labs. Jason comes to the show with over 25 years of experience in Med-Tech. At the front end of his career he held positions in both Product & Electrical Engineering and began to work his way into Executive leadership roles overseeing R&D, Engineering & eventually becoming a CTO. He’s worked for companies like Vero Biotech, CardioMEMS, & Cybersonics to name a few. Jason has simultaneously...

Joining me for episode #106 was Mr. Naveen Agarwal, the Founder at Creative Analytics Solutions. If you’re in Med-Tech, & you browse LinkedIn, chances are you’ve seen some of Naveen’s content, especially centered around Risk. Naveen comes to the show with over 25 years industry experience. He’s worked for well known organizations like Kimberly-Clark as a Research Scientist and for J&J in Business Analytics & Quality Management. Over the last 7 years or so he has led Creative...

Mitch Robbins had the pleasure of hosting Mr. Jason Gorman, the Vice President of Regulatory, Quality & Compliance at Propeller Health for episode #105. Jason comes to us today with over 25 years of experience across the Med-Tech industry. He has a proven track record for developing & implementing Quality Management Systems, Risk Management strategies & Regulatory Compliance processes to meet the highest standards of excellence in customer satisfaction. Prior to working for...

For this episode, I had the pleasure of hosting Ms. Jennifer Mascioli-Tudor, Founder & Principal of JMT Compliance Consulting. In this episode, we discussed: -Jennifer's transition from corporate to consulting -The challenges and rewards of consulting -The importance of community, and the need for vulnerability and connection in the industry ....and so much more! Takeaways Transitioning from corporate to consulting requires a willingness to embrace uncertainty and risk.Building a...

In this episode, we sit down with Mr. Jason Hyrkas, Director of Talent and Corporate Strategy at MCRA, shares his journey from bioengineering to talent acquisition. He discusses the transition from agency recruiting to building a talent acquisition team at MCRA. Jason explains the challenges he faced in establishing the talent function and gaining buy-in from the existing staff. He also talks about the growth and expansion of MCRA into different therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular,...

Mitch Robbins had the opportunity to host Mr. Garth Conrad, the VP of Quality for Flex Health Solutions. Garth shares his career journey and insights on leadership and building a strong company culture. He emphasizes the importance of relationships, curiosity, and drive in achieving success. Conrad also highlights the role of mentors and coaches in career development. He discusses the differences between individual contributor and managerial roles, as well as the qualities that separate top...

In this episode, we talk with Mr. Mark Rhein, the Head of talent & Learning at Glaukos Corporation. Mark shares his experience in building a learning and development program at Glaukos, focusing on middle-level leadership development. He emphasizes the importance of prioritization and designing programs that provide the biggest value to employees. Mark also discusses the company's unique approach to performance management, which involves regular check-ins and feedback conversations. He...

Summary In this episode, Mitch Robbins interviews Mark Rhein, The Head of Talent & Learning at Glaukos Corporation. Mark shares his experience in building a learning and development program at Glaukos focusing on middle-level leadership development. He emphasizes the importance of prioritization and designing programs that provide the biggest value to employees. Mark also discusses the company's unique approach to performance management, which involves regular check-ins and feedback...

Summary In this episode, Mitch Robbins interviews Alan Beckman, the Vice President of Market Access at Blue Wind Medical. They discuss Alan's background, his transition from sales to market access, and the challenges and rewards of working in market access. Alan shares his insights on interviewing and hiring, the qualities of a successful market access professional, and the changes in market dynamics post-pandemic. He also talks about managing stress and maintaining a routine, his desired...

Joining us for this episode was Mr. Ken Mariash, the CEO at Sinaptica Therapeutics. For over 20 years Ken has been leading & growing new business ventures on both the 'Buy Side' and the 'Build Side.' He started his career in management consulting at Charles River Associates then jumped to industry at CLS, then Baxter BioScience (acquired by Takeda) and then Boston Scientific with leadership roles in marketing, strategy & corporate development. Ken holds degrees in both Biochemistry...

In this episode, we were joined by Mr. Anthony Incontro, the Talent Acquisition Manager for Vertos Medical. We discussed the importance of creating a best-in-class candidate experience and how to streamline the application process. We also explored the challenges of collaborating with hiring managers and delivering tough feedback to candidates. Anthony shares insights into the growth and culture at Vertos Medical, a company focused on developing innovative treatments for lumbar spinal...

Joining us for this episode was Mr. Michael Tutera, the Vice President of Market Access at Nalu Medical. Michael came to the show today with almost 25 years of experience across the Medical Device, Biopharma & Pharma sectors. Michael got his start in the industry by way of Sales and over the years has continued to take on progressive amounts of responsibility in Sales leadership and then of course both Reimbursement & Market Access leadership. He’s worked for companies like Forest...

Joining us for this episode was Mr. Anthony Watson, the Vice President of Regulatory & Quality at Windgap Medical. Tony comes to the show today with almost 30 years of experience in the greater LifeSciences industry. Prior to working on the industry side, he spent almost 20 years working for the FDA where prior to resigning, he was the Director for the Division of Anesthesiology, General Hospital, Infection Control & Dental Services. If you can’t tell already, Tony has a tremendous...

Joining us for this episode was Mr. Philip MacDonald, a Market Access Executive who has helped 100s of thousands gained access to proper care. He's worked for strategics like Medtronic, Abbott & Siemens. He's also worked for start-ups like Vertos Medical. He holds a Doctorate in Health Economics & a Masters in Healthcare Administration. Some of the highlights we discussed: -What separates top performers from the average in market access -Primary challenges manufacturers &...

SummaryIn this episode, Mitch Robbins interviews Melanie Leibovitz, a regulatory and quality executive with over 25 years of experience in the medical device and digital health sectors. Melanie shares her journey from growing up in New Jersey to falling into the regulatory and quality field. She emphasizes the importance of soft skills for executive roles and offers advice on developing these skills. Melanie also discusses the role of AI in regulatory and quality and encourages professionals...

Joining us for this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab was Mr. Kevin Bentley, the Vice President of Regulatory Affairs & Quality at Zoll Respircardia. Kevin is a 30 year veteran in the fields of medical device quality and regulatory. Since 2017, Kevin has served as the Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Quality for a company called Zoll Respircardia, which is a leader in innovative technologies that address the unmet needs of people with central fleet apnea. Kevin and his team are...

The Med-Tech Talent Lab kicks off its 3rd season with a guest who is no stranger to the show! Mitch Robbins sat down with Michelle Lott, Founder of Lean RA/QA, a consulting firm helping Med-Tech startups across the US with all things Regulatory & Quality to discuss when exactly is the right time to hire your first full-time RA/QA employee. During the episode Mitch & Michelle discussed: -Indicators for when it's time to hire a full time RA/QA professional -How fractional help makes the...