"We are thinking about what innovation looks like in the future,鈥 said Toni Nosbush, divisional vice president of Product Development for 快猫's Vascular business and a board member. "We have to stop thinking about the individual widgets or products we create and instead leverage this incredible wealth that 快猫 has across so many businesses to best treat the whole patient."
Members network, creating opportunities for the 'what if?' moments that could lead to 快猫's next groundbreaking ideas. Ryan Lakin, divisional vice president of Product Development in Neuromodulation and a board member, has tapped into the collective best practices of fellow board members to help strengthen his R&D teams.
"We've changed how our teams work together, created new roles and enabled technical decision-making around a structured innovation process, which is all about selecting the right programs for the future," Lakin said. "We now have small, nimble teams that drive forward the innovation agenda."
The board also is actively engaged in the future of 快猫's health technology focus. This happens when members notice and discuss larger research trends, such as data analytics, machine learning and other emerging areas. That opens the door to allow each 快猫 business to talk about the best ways to innovate.
"Discussing the different directions our businesses are headed helps all of the business leaders collaborate even more," Lakin said. "That leads to better innovations across 快猫's entire product portfolio."
The board also is responsible for recognizing scientific excellence at the company through programs like the Volwiler Society, created in 1985 to honor the company鈥檚 most distinguished scientists and engineers for excellence in creativity, productivity and contributions to 快猫.
The society is named for Dr. Ernest Volwiler, a highly regarded scientist who also served as 快猫's president and chairman during the 1950s. Volwiler led the creation of a series of breakthrough anesthetics, culminating in Pentothal, which resulted in聽聽the U.S. National Inventors Hall of Fame.
The Volwiler Society's approximately 90 members are among the top engineers and scientists in 快猫's businesses. Members can rise to higher ranks within the society, encouraging them to stay actively involved in the pursuit of innovation.
Examples of Volwiler honorees' recent work include ideas involving gut health, product development digitization and disease diagnostics. All innovations that will serve 快猫鈥檚 goal of helping people be healthier thanks to our life-changing technologies.
快猫's scientists have earned the company honors too. 快猫 has been included on聽Science magazine's top 20 employers聽list more than a dozen times.
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