The Med-Tech Talent Lab

Manufacturing excellence isn't just about processes and metrics. It's about leadership, culture, and building teams that can perform under pressure.

In this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab, Mitch Robbins sits down with George Murray, Chief Operating Officer of Minnesota Wire, to discuss what separates great manufacturing organizations from average ones, how leaders successfully navigate operational challenges, and why people, not processes, ultimately determine long-term success.

Drawing on more than 30 years of leadership experience across medical devices, aerospace and defense, electronics manufacturing, semiconductors, and industrial automation, George shares practical lessons on operational execution, hiring, leadership development, military influence, and preparing manufacturing organizations for the future.

Whether you're an operations executive, manufacturing leader, CEO, or aspiring leader, this conversation is packed with practical insights that extend far beyond the factory floor.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The first three areas George evaluates when assessing an underperforming manufacturing operation
• Why operational excellence starts with people, processes, and meaningful metrics
• The difference between managing people and leading people
• How military leadership principles translate into business success
• What separates strategic manufacturing partners from commodity suppliers
• How to build teams that thrive under pressure and embrace accountability
• The hiring philosophy George uses to identify high-performing talent
• Why "will" often matters more than skill when building exceptional teams
• How AI is reshaping manufacturing and why leaders should embrace the technology
• Lessons from leading global manufacturing organizations through periods of rapid change and adversity

Connect with George Murray: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgecmurray/

Learn more about Minnesota Wire: https://www.mnwire.com

Building a Career in Market Access: Kimberly Konopa

Market access has evolved into one of the most strategic functions in MedTech—and the most successful companies are bringing it into the commercialization process earlier than ever before.

In this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab, Mitch Robbins sits down with market access executive Kimberly Konopa to discuss how the function has changed over the past three decades, why reimbursement strategy should begin long before product launch, and what separates high-performing market access leaders from the rest.

Kimberly also shares her personal leadership journey from pharmaceutical sales to executive leadership, the lessons she learned managing large teams, and practical advice for professionals looking to build a successful career in market access.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why market access should be involved early in product development
• The reimbursement and commercialization challenges MedTech companies are facing today
• How executive teams should think about coding, coverage, payment, and evidence generation
• What differentiates VP-level leaders from director-level professionals
• Leadership lessons Kimberly learned throughout her 30-year career
• The skills companies look for when hiring top market access talent
• Advice for professionals interested in transitioning into market access
• Why mentorship, continuous learning, and curiosity accelerate career growth

Connect with Kimberly Konopa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-konopa

In this episode of The MedTech Talent Lab, Mitch sits down with Karrington Chaney, who leads talent acquisition for RxSight, the company behind the Light Adjustable Lens, the first and only lens that can be customized after cataract surgery.

Karrington shares his career journey from working at Best Buy, to the agency recruiting world, to building an internal talent acquisition function inside a growing medical device company.

The bigger focus of this conversation is where hiring is headed next.

Karrington breaks down how he is helping modernize recruiting by blending talent acquisition, employer branding, internal communications, and content creation to attract candidates before jobs even open.

Instead of relying on stale career pages and generic job posts, he explains why companies need to start telling real stories about leaders, employees, growth opportunities, and culture.

Topics covered include:

• Why “people trust people, not titles”
• The shift from traditional employer branding to authentic storytelling
• How content can build talent pipelines before a requisition opens
• Using podcasts, video, LinkedIn, and YouTube to attract niche candidates
• Why candidates now research employers like buyers research products
• How internal communication and recruiting can work together
• Lessons learned launching a content-driven hiring strategy inside a regulated public company
• Why the future of recruiting is part talent acquisition, part marketing, and part trust-building

If you're an Executive, hiring manager, or you lead hiring talent acquisition, HR, or recruiting in MedTech, this episode offers a real look at how forward-thinking companies will separate themselves in the years ahead.

Karrington Chaney on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karrington-chaney/

RxSight on the web:

https://rxsight.com/

In this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab, host Mitch Robbins sits down with Alina Lisanke, Director of Talent Acquisition at Lexington Medical, for an honest conversation about leadership, career transitions, and navigating a challenging hiring market.

Alina shares her journey from agency recruiting to leading talent acquisition functions in MedTech, along with the pivotal moments that shaped her career. Most notably, she opens up about her time in transition during a difficult market when senior TA roles were limited, competition was intense, and finding the right next step required patience, resilience, and intention.

Rather than rushing into the wrong role, Alina talks about taking contract and individual contributor work to stay sharp, leaning on community for support, and using the time to reassess what kind of role and environment truly fit her strengths. That clarity ultimately led her to Lexington Medical, where she is now building and scaling the TA function during a period of growth.

The conversation also explores:

• The shift of talent acquisition from order-taking to strategic partnership
• What changes when recruiters move into people leadership roles
• How to balance trust, delegation, and accountability as a TA leader
• Where AI adds real value in hiring, and where human judgment still matters most
• Why strong systems and process create freedom, not friction

This episode is especially relevant for talent acquisition leaders who are navigating career uncertainty, considering a transition, or feeling stuck in today’s market. Alina’s story is a reminder that career detours are not setbacks, but filters that can lead to the right opportunity.

In this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab, host Mitch Robbins sits down with Jahnavi Lokre, Chief Operating Officer at Diality, a Series B medical device company focused on transforming kidney care.

Jahnavi shares her 25+ year journey from growing up in India in a science-driven household to building a career across software engineering, regulated industries, and executive leadership in MedTech. With experience spanning transportation systems, contract manufacturing, and product ownership at both large organizations and startups, she offers a rare, cross-industry perspective on what it truly takes to build and scale high-performing teams.

Listeners will gain practical insight into:

• How transferable skills from highly regulated industries can unlock MedTech leadership opportunities
• Why stepping up before you feel “ready” is often the catalyst for executive growth
• The mindset shifts required to move from engineering into senior leadership
• Hiring lessons learned the hard way, including when to act quickly on a mis-hire
• How strong leaders balance trust, accountability, and execution
• Why bold thinking, persistence, and values-driven leadership matter in fast-moving startups

Jahnavi also discusses Diality’s mission to improve outcomes and reduce costs in dialysis care, the realities of innovating in an under-evolved market, and what excites her most about the future of kidney disease treatment.

This episode is packed with candid leadership lessons, career-defining insights, and actionable advice for engineers, operators, and aspiring executives looking to grow their impact in MedTech and beyond.

In this episode, Mitch sits down with Travis Christman, a respected operations, regulatory, and quality leader in the orthopedic manufacturing world. Travis has spent his career across Zimmer, Medartis, Nextremity, and now Priority Medical, an end-to-end engineering services organization operating from the orthopedic capital of the world — Warsaw, Indiana.

Travis shares details on a major industry event launching December 18th: The “Made Here” Manufacturing Showcase — a first-of-its-kind, hands-on demonstration of the full orthopedic supply chain ecosystem that exists in northern Indiana.

You'll hear:

• Why Warsaw remains the global epicenter of orthopedic innovation
• What OEMs don’t see — but need to know — about today’s supply chain pressures
• How contract manufacturers can accelerate lead times, nearshoring, and production readiness
• Where the biggest growth trends are emerging (AI, robotics, navigation, additive, pre-op planning, and more)
• How Priority Medical is serving as a connector across surgeons, OEMs, contract manufacturers, and local talent

This is a must-listen if you’re involved in: orthopedic product development, contract manufacturing, supply chain, engineering services, regulatory/quality, or OEM commercialization planning.

Guest Bio — Who is Travis Christman?

• Operations & Quality Leader at Priority Medical
• Former leader at Zimmer, Medartis, and Nextremity Solutions
• U.S. Army National Guard Captain (10+ years of service)
• Board member at KEDCO (Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation)
• Deep expertise in engineering services, supply chain partnerships, regulatory/quality systems, and commercialization for orthopedic products

What We Cover

• The vision behind the Made Here Manufacturing Showcase
• Why OEMs are struggling with today’s longer lead times
• How Warsaw’s supply chain ecosystem drives speed, cost, and quality
• Nearshoring trends and why U.S. manufacturing is surging
• The rise of robotics, navigation, pre-op planning, and AI in orthopedics
• What contract manufacturers must do to stay competitive
• The new economy emerging around CDMOs and orthopedic innovation hubs
• How Priority Medical is helping OEMs innovate faster and more efficiently

In this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab, host Mitch Robbins sits down with Jim Belmonte, Senior Talent Acquisition Manager at Cirtec Medical, who brings more than 25 years of experience in recruiting and TA leadership. Jim shares his journey from agency recruiter to leading internal talent acquisition teams at organizations like Cardiovascular Systems (later acquired by Abbott) and now in the fast-paced world of contract manufacturing.

Together, Mitch and Jim explore:

✅ How chance encounters and curiosity can launch lifelong careers in recruiting

✅ The evolution of talent acquisition from faxed resumes to AI-driven tools—and why the fundamentals haven’t changed

✅ The impact (and pitfalls) of candidates relying too heavily on AI for resumes, cover letters, and even interviews

✅ Why authentic human connection and probing conversations still set great recruiters apart ✅ The importance of intake meetings, setting expectations with hiring managers, and creating safe space for recruiters to push back

✅ What junior recruiters should develop if they aspire to lead TA teams

✅ How talent acquisition shapes company culture more than most realize

Jim also gives an inside look at why he’s energized by the contract manufacturing space and the exciting opportunities at Cirtec Medical, where innovation and growth are constant.

Whether you’re a recruiter, TA leader, hiring manager, or candidate navigating today’s job market, this conversation offers sharp insights into the realities, challenges, and opportunities shaping the future of talent acquisition.

Jim Belmonte on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimbelmonte/

Cirtec Medical on the web:

https://www.cirtecmed.com/

In this episode, Mitch Robbins sits down with Alina Lisanke, Director of Talent Acquisition at Lexington Medical, to discuss her impressive 20+ year career in recruiting. Alina shares how she transitioned from video production to HR, ultimately finding her passion in talent acquisition within the medical device industry.

She talks about pivotal moments in her career, such as moving from agency to corporate recruiting, and her intentional shift into healthcare. Alina also discusses the challenges and rewards of leading a talent acquisition team, offering valuable insights on managing a growing team, delegating effectively, and the importance of setting goals.

As a strong advocate for leveraging technology, Alina dives into how she integrates AI and tools like Bright Hire into the hiring process, helping her team to make more informed, data-driven decisions. She also reflects on the evolving role of talent acquisition professionals as strategic partners in business success.

Alina’s passion for building teams at Lexington Medical shines through as she explains how the company is growing and focused on innovation in the surgical stapling market. A must-listen for anyone in talent acquisition or the med-tech industry.

Don't miss out on Alina's candid advice and her journey through the world of recruiting and talent development.

For more, visit Alina’s LinkedIn profile and Lexington Medical’s website below:

Alina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alinalisanke/

Lexington Medical on the web: https://lexington-med.com/

In this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab, I sat down with Caleb Polley, founder & CEO of Cubby Beds, to talk about how he's bringing empathy and engineering together to create safer, smarter sleep solutions for kids with special needs.

We covered:

• The personal journey that sparked the Cubby Beds mission
• How to build products that truly serve underrepresented populations
• Balancing speed, scale, and regulatory rigor as a MedTech startup
• What it means to lead with empathy and how it shapes hiring and culture
• Key lessons for any founder building mission-first, market-ready solutions

If you're a founder, product leader, or operator in MedTech (or beyond) looking for perspective on how to build with both precision and purpose Caleb delivers the blueprint.

Caleb Polley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calebpolley/

Cubby Beds on the web: https://cubbybeds.com/

In this episode we sit down with Adam Foresman, co-founder and CEO of Ryden.ai, a groundbreaking startup that’s redefining how MedTech companies approach compliance.

After nearly two decades in quality and regulatory leadership—including roles at Dentsply, Midmark, and Vidya Health—Adam saw firsthand how overwhelming it had become to stay audit-ready across constantly shifting global regulations. So he built the tool he wished he had.

Ryden.ai leverages AI to continuously scan a company’s QMS, identify compliance gaps, and recommend updates based on global regulatory standards (FDA, ISO, EUMDR, Health Canada, and more). And it doesn’t stop there—it’s expanding to assess records, not just procedures, ensuring companies can demonstrate execution, not just intention.

In this conversation, Adam shares:

Why AI won’t replace quality pros—but will make their jobs a lot easier

The biggest concerns companies have about using AI in GxP environments (and how Ryden addresses them)

What the FDA’s own shift to AI tools means for regulatory strategy

How both startups and enterprise MedTech teams are using Ryden to stay ahead

A real-world win preparing a company for Health Canada with zero major findings

Whether you're a startup with limited resources or an enterprise with global sites to manage, Adam makes a compelling case: AI won’t take your job—but it might save your sanity.

Adam Foresman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamforesman/

Ryden.ai on the web: ryden.ai