The Med-Tech Talent Lab

In this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab, Mitch Robbins sits down with Dr. Jose Bohorquez, founder and president of CyberMed, to explore why cybersecurity became the thing that stops medical devices at the FDA, and what it takes to build teams who can clear it.Jose learned to solder in high school at a tiny engineering firm run out of the founder's apartment, interned at Lockheed Martin and GE Healthcare, and went on to earn a PhD at MIT. He explains why mentors with one foot in engineering and one in business pushed him toward starting a company rather than staying purely technical, and how CyberMed grew out of Bold Type, the product development firm he founded a decade ago with a co-founder who had built mission critical systems at Motorola.The conversation also explores what changed when Congress added Section 524B to the law and the FDA began demanding real evidence, why a device cleared years ago can suddenly come back with more than a dozen deficiencies, the misconceptions that catch founders off guard, and the three separate skill sets a medical device cybersecurity professional has to bring.Whether you build devices, lead engineering teams, or hire technical talent, this episode offers practical insights on when to bring cybersecurity into the design process, what can be taught and what has to be hired for, and the four ways AI is reshaping the risk picture.In this episode, you'll learn:What Section 524B changed, and why the FDA bar rose sharply after 2023Why a device cleared years ago can come back with a dozen deficienciesThe misconception that no Bluetooth or WiFi means no cybersecurity workWhy strong engineers are not automatically good at device cybersecurityThe three skill sets that have to converge, and which one is easiest to teachWhen to bring cybersecurity into the design process, and what waiting costsFour ways AI is changing the threat picture for connected devicesWhy AI-assisted code can look solid and still be a house of cardsThe interview technique Jose uses to find how deep someone's knowledge goes...and so much more!Dr. Jose Bohorquez on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jose-bohorquez/CyberMed on the web:www.cybermed.ai

In this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab, Mitch Robbins sits down with Craig Green, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Keytronic, to explore what three decades in contract manufacturing have taught him about winning business and building the teams that deliver it.Craig spent the first twelve years of his career in the electric utility industry. Then the owner of a contract manufacturer came to his house for dinner, and forty-five minutes later Craig had agreed to run marketing for a metal stamping operation he knew nothing about, in a building that didn't yet own a press. He traces the path from there through the CEO seat at OEM Worldwide, where he inherited a company that had just lost forty percent of its revenue and grew it from eleven million to nearly seventy through the Great Recession.The conversation also explores why reshoring is pulling a surge of work back to North America, why awarding a manufacturing contract is a career decision for the person signing it, the question Craig asks early in every sales interview that makes up his mind, and what breaks inside a company at each new level of revenue.Whether you're in business development, running a manufacturing business, or building a commercial team, this episode offers practical insights on what actually wins programs, what you can teach a salesperson and what you can't, and where contract manufacturing is headed next.In this episode, you'll learn:Why reshoring is pulling manufacturing back from China and the Pacific RimWhat has not changed about contract manufacturing in forty yearsWhy awarding a contract is a career decision for the person signing itThe interview question Craig asks that decides it in the first five minutesWhat you can teach a business development hire, and what you can'tHow he grew a company from $11M to nearly $70M through the Great RecessionWhy the wheels come off at every new revenue milestone, and how to plan for itWhy he built a company-wide bonus program while still losing moneyWhere vertical integration and one-stop capability are heading...and so much more!Craig Green on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-green-172a337/Keytronic on the web:www.keytronic.com

In this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab, Mitch Robbins sits down with Jim Miller, Global Leader of Talent Acquisition at Rochester Electronics, to explore what three decades in recruiting have taught him about hiring people instead of resumes.Jim answered a blind ad in the Sunday Boston Globe and made his first placement, a technical writer at Digital Equipment Corporation, before building a career that ran through Fidelity during the Y2K build-out and talent leadership roles at GE, Raytheon, WEX and L3Harris. He explains why understanding the business matters more than recruiting technique, why he only hires relationship recruiters, and why your reputation follows you far longer than your resume ever will.The conversation also explores why hourly hiring has quietly become the hardest job in recruiting, the high school co-op program feeding Rochester's manufacturing floor, how the TN visa opened a talent pool most companies overlook, the hiring mistake he watches companies repeat, and his blunt take on where AI actually helps a talent team and where it simply doesn't.Whether you lead talent acquisition, hire into manufacturing, or are building a career in recruiting, this episode offers practical insights on sourcing when every tool returns the same names, building trust across a team, and why the person responsible for your culture probably belongs closer to the CEO.In this episode, you'll learn:Why understanding the business beats recruiting technique every timeWhat made hourly hiring the hardest job in recruiting after 2021How a high school co-op program became a reliable manufacturing pipelineWhy the TN visa opened a talent pool most companies overlookThe hiring mistake companies repeat: recruiting to basic qualificationsWhere AI genuinely helps a TA team, and where Jim says it falls shortWhy relying on technology leaves recruiters waiting instead of workingThe trust test a mentor ran on Jim, and what it taught him about leadingWhy recruiting is sales, and why it rarely reports where it should...and so much more!Jim Miller on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmiller64/Rochester Electronics on the web: www.rocelec.com

In this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab, Mitch Robbins sits down with Joe Semanoff, Vice President of Business Development at Switchback Medical, to explore how the mindset he developed playing Division I football has shaped the way he approaches sales, business development, and leadership in Medtech.Joe grew up in a small town in northern Pennsylvania and walked on at BYU, where he played running back and fullback, earned a scholarship, and was voted a captain his senior year. He was on his way to physical therapy school when someone took a chance on him with no device background and no sales experience. Joe shares how the competitiveness, preparation, and grind of college football carried into his career, from prospecting and mastering his craft to leading a team.The conversation also explores what OEMs actually want from a manufacturing partner beyond price, why transfer business can become a race to the bottom, how pushing back on a customer's design can build trust, and the honest struggle of stepping back from the work you were great at so your team can do it themselves.Whether you're in sales, business development, or leading a commercial team, this episode offers practical insights on prospecting in a noisy market, building relationships that survive difficult conversations, developing as a leader, and where AI is genuinely helping sales teams show up prepared.In this episode, you'll learn:How the football mindset translates into Medtech sales and leadershipWhy competitiveness, preparation, and consistency matter in prospectingWhat OEMs look for in a manufacturing partner beyond priceWhy transfer business can become a race to the bottom, and what to pursue insteadHow pushing back can build trust with customersWhat separates a trusted advisor from a rep trying to close a dealThe hardest part of moving from top performer to sales leaderHow a college position coach taught Joe to lead different people differentlyWhere AI is actually helping commercial teams prepare for meetings...and so much more!Joe Semanoff on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-semanoff-221a7739/Switchback Medical on the web: www.switchbackmedical.com

In this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab, Mitch Robbins sits down with Joel Greengrass, Chief People Officer at Precision Neuroscience, to explore what it looks like when the mission you work for is also the one you live with.Precision is building a minimally invasive brain computer interface designed to restore communication and movement for people with severe neurological conditions. Joel lost his grandmother to ALS, his closest friend from college is fighting the same disease now, and he has lived with MS for 20 years. He explains why he told a recruiter to stop mid-pitch and not call anyone else, and how three decades spanning Accenture, Equinox, BuzzFeed, FanDuel, and Yieldstreet led him to a role he describes as his ikigai.The conversation also explores the difference between leading HR and leading people, the CEO who hired him by saying he didn't want an HR person, why he tracks how many one on ones he does every month, the honest feedback he gave a CEO that ultimately cost him a job, and the answer he gives in every interview that stops executives cold: you don't fire enough people.Whether you're a people leader, a founder, or an executive scaling a team, this episode offers practical insights on turning the people function into a competitive advantage, earning a real seat at the table, and building the kind of authenticity people can actually feel.In this episode, you'll learn:Why leading people is a growth function and leading HR is a foundationHow to build credibility with a CEO who has never seen a strategic people functionWhy Joel tracks his one on ones, and what meeting 35% of the company buysThe interview answer he gives every company: you don't fire enough peopleWhy a seat at the table is a privilege, and when to give the seat upWhat CEOs most often get wrong about people problemsHow an MS diagnosis reshaped his definition of success and his leadershipWhy the culture you built today is not the culture you'll have tomorrow...and so much more!Joel Greengrass on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelgreengrass/Precision Neuroscience on the web: www.precisionneuro.io

In this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab, Mitch Robbins sits down with John Pietrantoni, Vice President of Corporate Accounts at Terumo, to explore how corporate accounts became one of the most important and least understood roles in medical device.With more than 30 years in sales and commercial leadership, including two decades at Getinge, John traces a path that began at Coca-Cola and ran through HealthSouth before a leader took a chance on him with zero device experience in 2002. He explains the triangle that governs how products get into hospitals today, the local rep earning clinical endorsement, the corporate accounts team working supply chain, and the value analysis committee above both, and why a gap in any corner usually means your product doesn't get used.The conversation also explores the four months he spent only observing after joining Terumo, the work stream model he uses to stretch talent and why he has never assigned one, how a team member's passion for AI became a new role, why he leads through vulnerability rather than authority, and why the word maybe replaced the word no in his team's negotiations.Whether you're in sales, commercial leadership, supply chain, or the executive seat, this episode offers practical insights on building teams that move fast because they trust you, and understanding how buying decisions really get made in 2026.In this episode, you'll learn:What corporate accounts really is, and why it became one of MedTech's hottest rolesWhy clinical endorsement alone no longer gets your product into the hospitalThe profile that succeeds in corporate accounts, and why the talent pool is narrowWhy John observes for months before changing anything on a team he inheritsThe work stream model that grows leaders without ever assigning them the workHow one team member's interest in AI turned into a full-time roleWhy trust built through vulnerability is what creates speedThe leadership lesson John learned the hard way about losing talent...and so much more!John Pietrantoni on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-pietrantoni-10209b25/Terumo on the web:www.terumo.com

In this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab, Mitch Robbins sits down with Tom Ross, founder of The Device Doctor and fractional COO at OUI Medical, to explore what separates medical device startups that reach the market from the ones that stall.With nearly four decades in medical technology, Tom has raised capital, built sales organizations, launched products, and guided companies through acquisitions involving Medtronic, Smith & Nephew, and Orthofix. Drawing on a career spent almost entirely inside startups, sometimes as employee number two, he shares the warning signs he looks for in a young company, why unrealistic projections made during fundraising cause damage long after the round closes, and why founders building what he calls real devices, products that enter the body and do something, face a far harder capital market than their software and AI counterparts.The conversation also explores the difference between what a CEO does and what an operator does, when a founder should bring in a COO, and why Tom argues the O should stand for outcomes rather than operations. He walks through the case of a surgeon who got his technology back with FDA clearance in hand but no company capable of building or selling it, and he's candid about the evolution of his own consulting practice, including why the message "I can help with anything" never sold.Whether you're a founder, an investor, a commercial or operations leader, or an experienced professional weighing a move into consulting, this episode offers practical insights on building companies that can actually execute, positioning yourself around a specific problem, and what the next two years may hold for MedTech.In this episode, you'll learn:The first warning signs that a medical device startup is headed for troubleWhy projections made to attract investors create problems that surface years laterWhy hardware device companies face tougher fundraising than AI and digital health startupsWhat founders underestimate about supply chain, on both the build side and the customer sideThe right time to bring in a COO, and why chief outcomes officer is the better titleWhy an FDA-cleared product is not the same thing as having a companyWhat clinical founders consistently misjudge about what it takes to commercializeHow to evolve a consulting message from "I can do anything" to something that actually sells...and so much more!Tom Ross on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomaswross/The Device Doctor on the web:www.thedevicedr.com

In this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab, Mitch Robbins sits down with Sarah Neal, Vice President of Human Resources at UFP Technologies, to explore what it takes to build and protect culture inside a fast-growing medical device CDMO.With more than two decades of HR and talent leadership across healthcare, software, and technology, Sarah shares how people leaders can move beyond process ownership to become genuine drivers of business strategy. Drawing on her experience at PTC, Takeda, Shire, Epsilon, and now UFP where the company has completed four acquisitions in the past year alone while transitioning to a new CEO. She discusses how to keep culture intact through rapid M&A, how to define values in language people actually use, and why UFP's acquisition strategy starts with cultural fit long before the deal does.The conversation also explores what really changes on the move from Director to VP, how to lead functions you've never owned before, the policy overhaul at Epsilon that lifted engagement scores 10% in a single year by putting decisions back in managers' hands, the hiring realities facing contract manufacturers in 2026, and where AI is genuinely helping HR teams today along with the one part of the process UFP has deliberately kept it out of.Whether you're an HR, Talent, Operations, or executive leader, this episode offers practical insights on scaling culture through acquisition, developing leaders who are ready before they feel ready, and building a hiring process that holds up in an AI-saturated market.In this episode, you'll learn:Why culture is defined by behaviors and values in practice, not statements on a wallHow to protect and scale culture across multiple acquisitions in a single yearWhat actually changes when you step from Director to Vice PresidentHow to lead functions you've never owned before without losing credibilityWhy giving decision-making authority back to managers can transform engagementThe hiring challenges facing medical device contract manufacturers in 2026Why one hiring team abandoned virtual-only interviews after a single candidate experienceWhere AI is adding real value in HR and where it deliberately isn't being used...and so much more!Sarah Neal on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-j-neal/UFP Technologies on the web: www.ufpt.com

In this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab, Mitch Robbins sits down with Paul Arrandell, Chief Quality and Regulatory Officer at Jabil, to explore what it takes to build a quality organization that goes far beyond compliance.With more than 30 years of leadership experience across medical devices, diagnostics, aerospace, and automotive, Paul shares how quality leaders can become true strategic business partners by driving trust, improving business performance, and creating a culture that scales across complex global organizations. Drawing on his experience leading quality and regulatory across more than 90 sites worldwide, he discusses the challenges of standardizing quality systems, integrating acquired businesses, developing future leaders, and building a culture where accountability and continuous improvement become part of everyday operations.The conversation also explores why quality should be viewed as a competitive advantage instead of a cost center, how organizations can identify and develop high-potential talent, and where artificial intelligence has the potential to transform quality systems, regulatory intelligence, and operational decision making.Whether you're a Quality, Regulatory, Operations, or executive leader, this episode offers practical insights on building resilient organizations, developing strong teams, and positioning quality as a driver of business success.In this episode, you'll learn:• Why quality should be viewed as a strategic business function, not just a compliance requirement• How to build and sustain a quality culture across global manufacturing sites• The leadership principles behind developing high-performing teams and future leaders• Why trust is one of the most valuable outcomes of an effective quality organization• Common mistakes companies make when trying to standardize quality systems• How to use metrics and data to improve business performance instead of simply reporting compliance• Where AI can help quality organizations become more proactive, efficient, and data-driven• Why experienced professionals will remain essential even as AI transforms the future of quality...and so much more!Paul Arrandell on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-arrendell/Jabil on the web:www.jabil.com

In this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab, Mitch Robbins sits down with Spencer Bailey, Vice President of Market Access and Reimbursement at SetPoint Medical, to discuss one of the most critical yet often overlooked aspects of MedTech commercialization: market access.Spencer has built his career at the intersection of healthcare finance, reimbursement, and MedTech innovation. After beginning on the provider side of healthcare and later advising organizations as a healthcare consultant, he transitioned into the medical device industry, where he has helped companies develop reimbursement strategies that support successful commercialization. Today, he leads Market Access and Reimbursement at SetPoint Medical and recently helped secure CMS Transitional Pass-Through Payment for the company's breakthrough technology. SetPoint Medical is pioneering a new approach to treating rheumatoid arthritis with an FDA-approved implantable neuromodulation system that stimulates the vagus nerve to activate the body's natural anti-inflammatory pathways. The therapy represents the first approved neuroimmune modulation treatment for adults with rheumatoid arthritis who have not responded adequately to certain advanced drug therapies.During the conversation, Spencer explains why reimbursement should be viewed as a core business competency instead of an afterthought. He shares how companies can improve their chances of commercial success by bringing market access into the conversation early, often before clinical trials begin. Drawing on his experience across provider organizations, consulting, and MedTech, he offers practical insights on reimbursement strategy, hiring exceptional market access talent, building high-performing teams, and translating complex reimbursement challenges into business strategy.Whether you're a MedTech executive, founder, investor, commercial leader, or reimbursement professional, this episode offers actionable insights on bringing innovative therapies to patients while building a commercialization strategy that lasts.In this episode, you'll learn:• Why market access should be part of product development from day one• When MedTech companies should hire their first market access leader• The biggest misconceptions about reimbursement and commercialization• What separates exceptional market access professionals from the rest• How to build reimbursement teams that create strategic value• Lessons from commercializing a first-of-its-kind medical technology• Where AI will, and will not, change the future of market accessSpencer Bailey on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-bailey-11ab1410/SetPoint Medical on the web:setpointmedical.com