Agenda

The agenda is being continuously updated, please check back for speaker updates.

The Westin Boston Seaport District
425 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210

7:30–8:15 Breakfast

8:15–8:30 Welcome: Introduction to MedExecWomen

8:30–9:00 Opening Keynote

Gaining the Edge: Competitive Strategies in the Evolving MedTech Landscape

Geraldine McGinty, Academic Medicine Leader, Board Member, Strategist, Weill Cornell Medicine

What are the critical challenges and emerging opportunities facing medtech over the next five years? How do we gain competitive advantage in such a dynamic industry? Drawing on extensive global experience across clinical practice, corporate leadership, and change management, Dr. McGinty will share strategic insights to drive meaningful advancements in global healthcare delivery.

Geraldine McGinty is an internationally recognized expert in health care strategy and imaging economics, a Radiologist, and an unwavering advocate for patient-centered quality care. At Weill Cornell Medicine she is a Professor of Clinical Radiology, Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs and teaches in the Healthcare Leadership program in the business school. She was the first female president of the American College of Radiology and is an advocate for the intersection of digital transformation and healthcare. Dr McGinty is a respected independent director with experience on public and private MedTech companies boards and for the national foreign direct investment agency for Ireland.

9:00–9:45 Panel 1

Leading Through Economic Fluctuations and Global Uncertainties

Moderated by: Anne Smart, Principal, Head of Strategy & Portfolio Development, Medtech, ZS

• Kali Benios, Head of Strategy, Medtronic Surgical

• Jessica Hameline, Corporate Vice President, Strategy & Business Development, Hologic

• Tracy MacNeal, President and CEO, Materna

• Gwen Watanabe, Managing Director, HIG Capital

Medtech leaders are evolving their corporate strategies and business model to adapt to sustained macroeconomic uncertainty and evolving industry trends - supply chain disruption, trade tensions, policy and regulation changes, inflation and increasing healthcare spend pressure. We will gain insights from MedTech companies who are reinventing themselves and navigating these uncertainties to catch the next wave of value creation.

9:45–10:15 Networking Break

10:15–11:00    Panel 2

Change Management and Adaptive Leadership in MedTech: Strategies for Organizational Success

Moderated by: Luna Corbetta, Partner, Organization & Workforce Transformation, PwC

• Lisa Blair Davis, WW Vice President of Human Resources, Med Tech, J&J

• Abigail Epane-Osuala, Chief DEI Officer & HR Strategic Initiatives, President GEHC Foundation, GE Healthcare

• Stacey Pugh, CEO, Endogenex

• Cecilia Soriano, President, Infusion Therapies and Technologies, Baxter

The ability to manage change and lead effectively is invaluable in an industry characterized by rapid innovation, market pressures and regulatory evolution. This panel will explore innovative approaches to change management and adaptive leadership in medtech, with a particular focus on:

• Cultural Transformation: Strategies for fostering a culture of innovation and resilience.

• Emotional Intelligence: Harnessing EQ to navigate the human aspects of technological and organizational shifts.

• Keeping Pace: Cultivating a culture of agility and continuous improvement

• Inclusive Leadership: The role of leadership in navigating complex stakeholder ecosystems

11:00–12:00 Breakout Session 1

• Topic A: Securing Management Commitment & Investor Capital for Your Business

  Whether working in corporate medtech or the start up world, your business competes for funding. Learn best practices from leaders in the business. This breakout will tackle the strategies and challenges of making the competitive advantage of your business pitch as powerful as possible.

  Moderated by: Karen Zaderej, President, CEO and Chairman of the Board (Retired), AxoGen, Inc.

  • Andrea Jackson, Partner, Northpond Ventures

  • April Lopez, SVP Finance, Philips

  • Simran Sabharwal, Vice President, US Commercial Marketing, Orthopedics, Smith + Nephew

• Topic B: Board Leadership: Why Me and Which Board?

  Women executives are recognized to bring value to company boards, whether large or small, public or private. However finding the first and the right board roles can still be a challenge. This session will share practical resources and experiences specific to MedTech executives and work through the questions of “Why me? Which board?”

  Moderated by:

  • Stacy Braun, Consultant, Russell Reynolds Associates

  • Laura Mantoura, Managing Director, Russell Reynolds Associates

  Panelists:

  • Mira Sahney, Board Member, Inogen and Claria Medical

  • Nancy Briefs, Co-Founder, President & CEO, Altrix Bio

  • Tracy Warren, Sr Managing Director, American Heart Association

12:00–1:00      Lunch

1:00–1:30     _Executive Interview

Interview with Elizabeth McCombs, EVP and Chief Technology Officer, BD

Interviewed by: Leslie Storms, President, US Orthopaedics, Johnson & Johnson MedTech

Beth McCombs serves as BD’s executive vice president and chief technology officer. In this role, she is responsible for leading all R&D activities for BD, advancing new product innovation and development from early-stage concepts through launch and sustaining the current product portfolio. She is also a member of the BD Executive Leadership Team. Prior to joining BD, McCombs spent more than 20 years at Johnson & Johnson (J&J), most recently as Vice President, R&D for Ethicon, J&J’s surgical device franchise.

McCombs serves on the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) Life Sciences Advisory Council, helping to guide the city’s continued growth of life sciences as supported by LifeSci NYC, a $1 billion, 10-year initiative. She has been a featured thought leader in several industry publications and conferences, and has been named in reports such as The Healthcare Technology Report’s Top 25 Women Leaders in Medical Devices of 2023 and Women We Admire’s list of Top 100 Women Leaders in Healthcare 2021.

1:30–2:30      Breakout Session 2

• Topic A: Securing Management Commitment & Investor Capital for Your Business

• Topic B: Board Leadership: Why Me and Which Board?

2:30–3:15      Panel 3

Balancing Growth, Innovation, and Sustainability in Health Technology

Moderated by: Liz Hardin, Managing Director & Partner, BCG

• Michelle Fox, Corporate VP & Chief Medical Officer, Teleflex

• Maureen Mazurek, Chief Sustainability & EHS Officer, BD

• Mary Miller Sallah, Chief Operating Officer, Carna Health

• Kathryn Unger, Vice President, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), Boston Scientific

As the global healthcare sector confronts its significant environmental impact, the medtech industry is uniquely positioned to lead by embedding sustainability as a core driver of growth and innovation. This panel will explore forward-thinking strategies that integrate biodesign principles into innovation and operations while fostering business expansion and breakthrough innovation. Attendees will gain actionable insights on how sustainability can fuel strategic objectives without compromising product quality or patient outcomes.

3:15–3:45      Networking Break

3:45–4:15      Fireside Chat

Navigating Political Headwinds: Healthcare Policy's Impact on MedTech Innovation and Growth

Maria Ghazal, President & CEO, Healthcare Leadership Council

Hosted by: Heather Knight, Chief Operating Officer, Baxter

There is a critical relationship between local and national political environments and the resulting policies that will impact the MedTech industry's ability to innovate, grow, and deliver life-saving technologies. In this session, we will address the impact of changes to political leadership at the federal and state levels.

4:15–5:00      Pitch Showcase

• 4:15 Pitch #1 - Akeyna (Karen Cronholm, CEO & Co-Founder)

• 4:25 Pitch #2 - Nanopath (Amogha Tadimety, Co-Founder & Co-CEO)

• 4:35 Pitch #3 - Lightfinder (Diana Mojahed, CEO & Founder)

• 4:45 Pitch #4 - Bloomer Tech

Moderated by: Kirk Taylor, MD, President & CEO, Mass Life Sciences Center

JUDGES

• Sonal Patel, Vice President, Business Development Strategy & Ventures, Zimmer Biomet

• Jennie Xue, Senior Managing Director, Guggenheim Partners

• Cynthia Yee, Partner, Vensana

5:00–6:30     New Friends Await — A Networking Social with MedExecWomen Speakers and Board Advisors

Close out the day with this relaxing social and be there as the pitch competition winner is announced! Don't forget to pick up your gift and enter our raffle — you could win a complimentary registration for MedExecWomen2026 or a reMarkable 2 Paper Tablet. Must be present to win!