The Med-Tech Talent Lab

In this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab, we sit down with Eric Steuben, Senior Vice President of Operations at Calyxo, a fast-growing company disrupting the treatment of kidney stones with its proprietary C-VAC system.

Eric brings over 30 years of experience in MedTech, having held leadership roles at Varian, Align Technology, Procept BioRobotics, and more. He shares his journey from early career rotations in engineering to scaling operations from 13 employees to over 1,500 across five countries.

Together, Mitch and Eric dive into:

• How a strong foundation in people and culture shaped Eric’s leadership approach
• The leap from individual contributor to first-time manager—and how to get it right
• Lessons from scaling Align Technology during its hypergrowth phase
• Why he believes no one should stay in a role longer than 3–4 years
• How to hire for where you’re going, not just what you need today
• The critical role of mentorship and choosing the right people to follow
• What makes Calyxo’s stone removal technology a potential game-changer in urology

Whether you're building a team, scaling a startup, or aiming for executive leadership, Eric’s wisdom and experience offer valuable insights for professionals across the MedTech ecosystem.

Eric Steuben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/esteuben/

Calyxo on the web: calyxoinc.com

In this episode, we sit down with Gary Thomas, Senior Vice President of Manufacturing and Product Development at Onkos Surgical, a company delivering breakthrough innovations for musculoskeletal oncology. With over 30 years of experience in MedTech—much of it in the ortho-spine space—Gary shares his remarkable leadership journey, beginning in aerospace and culminating in the fight against cancer-related infections.

We cover:

• How discipline, fitness, and early morning rituals drive high performance
• His transition from aerospace into MedTech—and why he still recruits from that world
• Lessons from launching high-stakes products under pressure
• The moment his career accelerated and the mindset that got him there
• The key differences between directors and VPs—and why some don’t make the leap
• How he evaluates leadership potential in technical professionals
• Why culture isn’t just a buzzword—and how high-performing teams self-correct
• What makes Onkos Surgical’s NanoSap™ technology a game-changer for infection prevention

Gary’s practical insights on leadership, talent development, and execution make this a can’t-miss episode for anyone aspiring to lead at the highest levels in MedTech.

Gary on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-thomas-00a8a533/

Onkos Surgical on the web: https://onkossurgical.com/

In this episode, host Mitch Robbins welcomes Terry Van Epps, Global Head of Talent Acquisition at Sirtex Medical, a commercial-stage medtech company focused on minimally invasive cancer therapies. With over 20 years of experience leading talent acquisition efforts at global organizations—including Xerox, Bausch & Lomb, Panasonic, and growth-stage biotech firms—Terry brings a grounded, systems-minded approach to transforming hiring functions from the inside out.

Terry shares how he approached his first months at Sirtex, where he discovered $1.3M in unchecked agency spend despite having an internal TA team—and what he did next to fix it.

They also unpack:

• How Terry rebuilt credibility with hiring managers who had gone rogue
• His clear criteria for choosing (and keeping) agency partners
• How Sirtex slashed agency fees by 90% in 2 years without slowing down hiring
• Why the best TA leaders still “work the desk”—and what that teaches
• A grounded take on AI in recruiting—what’s hype, what’s helpful

Plus, his take on the one thing too many teams still overlook: tune in to find out!.

Whether you lead a TA function or support one, this episode is packed with takeaways on how to be a better partner, a smarter operator, and a more trusted hiring voice.

In this episode of The MedTech Talent Lab, Mitch Robbins sits down with Elena Mack, Chief Quality Officer at Sanisure, to discuss her career journey and insights into the world of quality and regulatory leadership in the medical device industry. With over 25 years of experience, Elena has held key executive roles at companies like Olympus, BD, and Teva Pharmaceuticals. Now, as part of Sanisher, she is leading the charge to build and maintain a world-class quality program for the bioprocessing and biomanufacturing sectors.

Elena shares her early career experiences, including her shift from medical technology to microbiology and how she got started at Wyeth in a regulatory compliance role. She reflects on pivotal moments in her career, including taking on a leadership role as a director at ACUPAC and the invaluable lessons she learned about leadership, delegation, and the importance of empowering her team.

Throughout the conversation, Elena also delves into the challenges of being a quality executive, emphasizing the responsibility of ensuring that quality is a shared value across all levels of an organization. She highlights the critical importance of having a robust quality system and talks about the ongoing efforts at Sanisher to move from ISO 9001 to ISO 13485, aiming to meet the highest standards of quality required by their customers.

With her unique perspective on quality as a critical but often underappreciated function in the industry, Elena offers valuable insights into the role of quality professionals and how they can drive real impact within their organizations.

Key Takeaways:

• The importance of leadership by example and empowering teams.
• The challenges and rewards of stepping into executive roles and delegating responsibilities.
• The need for robust quality systems in bioprocessing and biomanufacturing, especially in meeting regulatory standards.
• Elena’s personal connection to quality through her experiences with her son’s health challenges.

Links:

• Elena on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-mack-bb57855/
• Sanisure Website www.sanisure.com

In this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab podcast, host Mitch Robbins interviews Mary McNamara-Cullinane, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at ClearPoint Neuro, about her 25+ year journey in the medical device regulatory space.

Key Highlights:

• Mary shares her background as the youngest of eight children and how her early work ethic shaped her career path
• Learn how Mary transitioned from research to regulatory affairs through roles at Brigham and Women's, CRBARD, and a 17-year consulting career
• Discover what makes an outstanding regulatory professional in today's environment
• Understand the challenges regulatory executives face when balancing company goals with regulatory requirements

Practical Takeaways:

• Why proactive research and understanding the "why" behind regulations separates exceptional regulatory professionals
• The importance of managing leadership expectations around FDA timelines
• Why submitting complete FDA submissions is more efficient than rushing deficient ones
• Thoughts on remote work effectiveness in regulatory roles

Mary also discusses ClearPoint Neuro's exciting work with gene therapy companies and their recent partnership with PTC Therapeutics to address rare diseases in children.

Whether you're a regulatory professional looking to advance your career or an executive trying to better understand the regulatory landscape, this conversation offers valuable insights from a seasoned industry leader.

Mary McNamara-Cullinane on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marymcnamaracullinane/

ClearPoint Neuro on the web:

https://www.clearpointneuro.com/

In this episode of The MedTech Talent Lab, host Mitch Robbins sits down with Carolyn Twomey, Global VP of Medical Affairs and Research at Iramax Corporation. Carolyn’s career path is nothing short of remarkable—from starting as an OR nurse and cardiac cath lab director to leading global clinical services and now shaping medical affairs strategy in the medical device industry.

She shares her personal and professional transformation, including:

How an early passion for music unexpectedly led her to nursing.

The pivotal career shifts that took her from clinical practice to corporate leadership.

The emotional impact of battling cancer while simultaneously losing her sister to the disease—and how it shaped her leadership and perspective.

The critical role medical affairs plays in bridging science, clinical practice, and commercial success in MedTech.

Lessons on resilience, adaptability, and building a meaningful career in the industry.

Why You Should Listen:

🎧 Gain insights into career growth strategies in MedTech and medical affairs.

🎧 Learn how to leverage clinical experience for leadership roles in the industry.

🎧 Hear an inspiring story of overcoming adversity and thriving in healthcare leadership.

🎧 Understand the evolving role of medical affairs in innovation and patient impact.

Don't miss this engaging and deeply personal conversation with a leader who’s making a difference in MedTech!

In this episode, host Mitch Robbins interviews Mickey Brown, Vice President of Access and Reimbursement at Cerapedics, discussing his 30+ year career journey and insights on healthcare market access.

Key Highlights:

• Mickey shares his transition from 15 years on the payer side (Blue Cross, United Healthcare) to manufacturer roles at Medtronic, Cochlear, and now Cerapedics
• Learn how stepping outside his comfort zone at critical moments propelled his career forward
• Discover the biggest challenges facing market access professionals in 2025
• Understand common reimbursement strategy mistakes companies make and how to avoid them

Practical Takeaways:

• Why waiting too long to develop reimbursement strategy hurts product launches
• The key differences between director and VP-level thinking
• What makes an outstanding market access professional
• How to effectively engage with increasingly inaccessible payers

Whether you're in medical device sales, reimbursement, or aspiring to leadership roles in healthcare, this conversation offers valuable insights from both sides of the healthcare ecosystem.

In this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab, host Mitch Robbins sits down with Erica Logan, Director of Talent Acquisition at Sequel Med Tech, to discuss the biggest hiring pitfalls companies face—and how to fix them.

With nearly two decades in staffing and corporate recruiting, Erica has seen it all. From hiring at fast-scaling startups to navigating high-volume recruitment in MedTech, she shares hard-hitting insights on what separates a great hiring process from a broken one.

In this episode, we cover:

✔️ The most common hiring mistakes companies make (and why they keep happening)

✔️ How bad candidate experiences damage employer branding & long-term success

✔️ Why hiring managers need coaching—and how TA leaders should step up

✔️ The truth about AI in hiring and how it’s actually being used behind the scenes

Whether you’re in talent acquisition, HR, or leading a team, this conversation is packed with actionable takeaways that will help you attract, hire, and retain top talent in today’s market.

🎧 Tune in now to level up your hiring strategy!

#Hiring #TalentAcquisition #Recruitment #MedTech #Leadership

In this episode of The MedTech Talent Lab, host Mitch Robbins sits down with April Spillane, VP of Market Access & Reimbursement at Intrinsic Therapeutics. With over 15 years in the industry—10 of those dedicated to spine—April shares her unique career trajectory, from clinical and business development to leading market access strategies at a high level.

She opens up about the challenges of balancing a demanding career with motherhood, the leadership lessons she’s learned along the way, and what it truly takes to thrive in market access and reimbursement. April also discusses the evolving healthcare landscape, the complexities of payer policies, and why persistence is key in the fight for patient access to cutting-edge technologies.

Whether you’re a MedTech leader, aspiring executive, or just curious about the behind-the-scenes battles to bring life-changing medical innovations to market, this episode is packed with valuable insights.

Listen now to hear how April is shaping the future of MedTech access and advocacy!

"There will be two types of recruiters: those who use AI, and those who don’t have jobs." 🤯

In this episode of The MedTech Talent Lab, I sit down with Noor Manji, Director of Talent Acquisition at Hearing Life, to unpack the realities of recruiting, job searching, and how AI is reshaping the hiring landscape. Noor brings over 20 years of experience across agency and corporate recruiting, and he’s got strong opinions on what works (and what’s broken) in talent acquisition today.

We cover:

✅ The truth about online applications—and why referrals win 80% of the time

✅ How top candidates bypass the black hole of job boards and command attention

✅ The biggest mistakes hiring managers make that cost them top talent

✅ Why AI won’t replace recruiters—but those who don’t adapt will get left behind

✅ What it really takes to move from recruiter to talent acquisition leader

If you're a recruiter, hiring manager, or job seeker looking for real, no-BS insights, this episode is a must-listen.

Noor on LinkedIn:

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

Hearing Life on the web:

www.hearinglife.com