Leading and living in the moment Suzanne Foster, Medtronic, Portsmouth Q. What path led you to your posi-
Medtronic develops technology at the forefront of the healthcare industry. Suzanne Foster, vice president and general manager of the Advanced Energy Division, could not have foreseen that she would personally be facing an issue her company is deeply involved with. A year and a half ago, Foster was diagnosed with breast cancer. Facing it head-on, however, has given this leader a new perspective on her personal and professional life. “It’s part of who I am now,” Foster says. “Getting through it has made me stronger.” Founded in 1949 as a medical repair company, Medtronic is among the world’s largest medical technology companies, employing more than 85,000 people worldwide and serving doctors, hospitals, and patients in more than 160 countries.
26 | ENTERPRISE 2016
tion at Medtronic Advanced Energy? I started my professional career as a clinical social worker at an inpatient psychiatric hospital. While in that position, I decided to pursue a law degree with plans to work in healthcare. For several years after law school, I worked as an attorney at two different law firms and for the Elliot Health System. Around the time my two sons were 8 and 9, I made an important decision to move from attorney-for-hire to the corporate sector, looking for an opportunity that would keep me closer to home with a less demanding work schedule. I took a position at Salient Surgical, where I was initially hired to manage their legal affairs. After the acquisition of Salient by Medtronic, I was asked to be the VP and GM of what had become known as Medtronic Advanced Energy. I’ve been in this role for almost five years now.
Q. In what ways did your breast cancer diagnosis provide a different perspective about what MAE does? As the leader of a medical device business, I’ve found it important to always keep patients at the center of everything we do. But when you become a patient yourself, you realize the real impact that companies like Medtronic have on real lives – how we can impact what happens to someone along their journey. It suddenly becomes a lot more real. When I think about our mission of restoring health, alleviating pain and extending life, I now see real people who are mothers, fathers, and sisters.
Q. How did your insight into the health care industry help? When I was first diagnosed, I did not turn to the internet for information. I was fortunate enough to have doctors that we work with at MAE on my speed dial. I trusted them every step of the way to tell me what I needed to do and know. I wish every patient could have that experience.
MAE’s products are used in lots of different specialties, so I’m familiar with a broad spectrum of surgical procedures, including breast cancer treatment. Being focused on the specifics of my own treatment helped me see firsthand that the care pathway for breast cancer is far from optimal. One of our biggest goals at MAE now is to improve the breast cancer care pathway as much as we possibly can by introducing new surgical solutions.
Q. How did your breast cancer diagnosis change your approach to leadership? Like most people say when they survive a disease like cancer, one of the first things you experience is a renewed perspective on the things that are truly important. You appreciate the important moments, and your connection to other people in general, a whole lot more. I find myself so much more present now, and devoting my full attention to the people and moment that I am in.
Q. What has been the most rewarding part of leading at MAE? I say this all the time, and I believe 100 percent that it’s true – we have something very unique at MAE. People who visit us see it immediately. It doesn’t take long for new employees to appreciate it and become part of it.
Q. In what ways is the culture at MAE supportive of women leaders? There is a concerted effort to significantly increase the number of women in leadership positions. The Medtronic Women’s Network is an Employee Resource Group with more than 6,000 members – the largest of its kind in the company. We have our own group at MAE in the Portsmouth office that provides development opportunities to all employees (men are invited to participate as well) and addresses specific issues related to women employees in an effort to raise awareness and foster change from a grass roots level. The most recent example is our wellness room, which we specially designed to include a nursing mothers’ component for their comfort and privacy.