MedTech Rewired: Turning Around a Century of Innovation

The Client

Our client is a premier international medical technology company with over 125 years of pioneering innovation in healthcare. With a portfolio spanning in vitro and in vivo diagnostics, image-guided therapy, and cancer care, the company plays a vital role in supporting clinical decision-making and care delivery worldwide.

Employing more than 71,000 people in over 70 countries, the organization is committed to pushing the boundaries of patient care through advancements in AI, data, digital solutions, and precision medicine. With over 15,000 active patents, the company remains at the forefront of the medtech industry and is known for its long-standing dedication to sustainability and global health access.

The Challenge

As part of its continued growth and long-term strategic plan, the company sought to appoint a Vice President of Transformation to lead a critical turnaround effort for one of its largest and most strategically important business units. This high-impact mandate required a commercially astute, operationally hands-on leader who could drive performance improvements while navigating organizational complexity.

Reporting directly to the Head of Strategy, and with frequent exposure to senior leadership—including the President of the Ultrasound business and the Global Head of Corporate Development—the VP of Transformation would serve as a key architect of change and cross-functional execution.

The scope of the mandate included:

• Designing and implementing the business turnaround plan, with focus areas including sales and distribution planning, cost reduction initiatives, and ERP system separation
• Monitoring progress against clearly defined milestones and KPIs, and adapting plans as needed to maintain momentum
• Supporting and partnering with functional leaders across the business to remove roadblocks, resolve challenges, and drive accountability
• Leading board-facing activities, including preparation and coordination of materials, review of management presentations, and development of key talking points and strategic insights tailored to diverse stakeholder groups

The company positioned this as a gateway role—offering the opportunity to transition into a permanent senior functional leadership position upon successful delivery of the transformation agenda.

Our Approach

We launched a highly targeted search for transformation leaders with deep operations strategy experience and strong consulting credentials. The ideal candidate needed to pair analytical depth with hands-on execution skills and be adept at managing across a global matrixed organization.

Key criteria included:

• 4+ years of post-MBA experience at a top-tier consulting firm (MBB preferred)
• Proven success in business transformations and operational turnarounds
• Healthcare or medtech industry experience strongly preferred
• Cross-functional leadership capability and board-level communication skills
• Intercultural competence and experience working in multinational settings

Our search focused on senior consultants and transformation leaders with a track record of delivering measurable impact—either through consulting roles or in PE-backed operating environments.

The Placement

We placed a seasoned healthcare executive with a strong background in strategy, innovation, and operational leadership. A former McKinsey consultant, the candidate brought:

• Extensive experience leading transformation and revenue cycle initiatives within the medical technology sector
• Expertise in managing cross-functional teams and driving high-visibility projects from design to execution
• A passion for solving complex administrative challenges in healthcare through technology and strategic partnerships
• Strong stakeholder management skills and a collaborative, mission-driven leadership style

His deep healthcare knowledge, paired with transformation execution capability, positioned him as a trusted partner to senior leadership from day one.

The Outcome

The candidate successfully delivered on the VP of Transformation mandate, executing on key turnaround initiatives and building strong relationships across business unit and corporate stakeholders.

Following the successful completion of the transformation agenda, he transitioned into a more senior functional leadership role within the company—illustrating both the value of the placement and the career progression opportunities available within the client’s global structure.

This engagement is a clear example of how the right executive—when placed with precision and aligned to mission—can drive immediate impact and long-term value.