Upcoming Events
Balanced Innovation: Navigating Legacy Technology Obsolescence and Innovation in MedTech
Thursday, January 18, 2024 (1:00 PM - 2:00 PM) (EST)
Description
In the fast-evolving healthcare landscape, device makers are confronted with a multifaceted challenge: the delicate balance between strategically managing legacy technology obsolescence and fostering innovation to stay competitive.
How does an organization ensure that the decisions it makes regarding its portfolio align with both current customer needs and anticipate future needs and trends? We advocate for a balanced approach to managing innovation, driven by a proactive rather than reactive mindset. This strategic approach can achieve the optimal balance between investing in sustaining technology and new product innovation to maintain relevance in a market as dynamic as healthcare.
Drawing from real-world experiences, our expert panel will:
- Examine the nuances of sustaining technology investment to maintain ‘best in class’ status for existing customer solutions
- Explore how incorporating disruptive technologies can be part of your strategy to meet future customer demands
- Probe the impact of macro-environmental factors, including regulatory changes, economic shifts, and supply chain dynamics on your innovation strategy
- Highlight how the latest technological advancements can be harnessed to address current and emerging challenges
In a rapidly evolving world with paradoxical requirements, the direction is never a simple ‘either or.’ Rather, it requires a careful evaluation of business, product safety, product security, and regulatory risks. Join the discussion and gain a comprehensive understanding of the factors to consider for achieving a balanced innovation strategy to meet evolving customer needs and stay ahead in a rapidly changing healthcare landscape.
SPEAKERS
 | Juan Eslava | MedTech R&D Leader Juan Eslava is a global R&D leader with an impressive track record spanning over 23 years in the dynamic field of MedTech.. His extensive experience encompasses a broad spectrum, ranging from specialized diagnostics to patient monitoring and clinical IT systems. Juan is known for his unwavering passion for delivering excellence in customer experiences, a commitment that extends not only to end-users but also to the R&D teams he leads. His leadership is characterized by a keen focus on achieving tangible business results, driving innovation that spans from impactful line-extensions to the successful launch of groundbreaking new products. His dedication to both technological advancements and the satisfaction of stakeholder needs is rooted in systems-thinking and product life-cycle management, subjects which he has championed and led strategic initiatives around to deliver R&D transformations and turn-arounds. |
 | Efdal Elferri | Director of Medical Device R&D Agile Delivery | Insulet Corporation Efdal developed her career in the medical device industry focusing on life-saving technology in the cardiac medical device space. Most recently, she is leading teams to deliver advanced automated insulin delivery technology for patients with diabetes. She held various roles and responsibilities in the areas of Technical Product Ownership, Human Factors and Usability Engineering, Process Improvement and Requirements Management. Efdal has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from NYU, a master’s degree in software engineering from the University of St. Thomas and is a 2025 Executive MBA candidate at MIT. |
 | Jay McGaffigan | Solutions Architect | MedAcuity Jay McGaffigan, a solutions architect with MedAcuity, has extensive experience architecting all classes of complex connected medical device systems operating in constantly evolving environments. With over 25 years of experience in software design and development, he blends a deep understanding of the latest technologies with the business needs of medical device OEMs to deliver software solutions that meet technical requirements, stringent regulations, and operate safely and securely in complex healthcare ecosystems. Jay has worked on consumer medical devices (Class I and Class II) for insulin management and delivery, cardiac arrhythmia treatment, and health metrics tracking and evaluation with cloud and phone connectivity. |
 | Donald B. Hawthorne | President | GTM Hawthorne, Inc. Donald B. Hawthorne, President of GTM Hawthorne, Inc., is a go-to-market strategy advisor. He serves as a peer-level partner with CEOs and other C-suite members as well as their investors and Board members to Get GTM® Right so they can persuade investors, corporate partners, and customers to care enough to invest or partner with their company and buy its offerings, thereby becoming capable of realizing the dominant valuations and operating performance outcomes delivered by great companies. Don has previously held 12 C-suite positions, including six CEO roles. He has 40 years of life science industry experience, working in or with 50 large companies, startups, high-growth organizations, and turnarounds. He has raised more than $310 million of debt and equity monies in public (IPOs, secondaries, PIPES) and private markets, closed 10 business development deals, and been involved in five M&A transactions. Don earned his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and his BS in mathematics from Harvey Mudd College. |
SPONSORED BY
