[WEBCAST] Supplying the Fight Against Coronavirus: Omar Ishrak, CEO of Medtronic, in Conversation With Josette Sheeran
VIEW EVENT DETAILSAs the global toll of COVID-19 rises in so many parts of the world, the pandemic is also revealing serious deficiencies in U.S. health care system. With “the curve” yet to flatten in the U.S., the need for medical equipment – in particular, ventilators to keep seriously ill patients alive – is critical. Omar Ishrak, CEO of Medtronic, one of the world’s largest medical device companies, joins a conversation with Josette Sheeran, President and CEO of Asia Society, on how companies like Medtronic are working to meet the challenge of providing supplies for medical professionals on the front-lines in the fight to save lives. What lessons are being gleaned from this pandemic, and how are they being applied now? How will they be applied for future pandemics?
Speakers
Omar Ishrak is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Medtronic, having served in this position since June 2011. He has announced his plans to retire as Medtronic’s CEO at the end of the Fiscal Year (April 26, 2020), whereupon he will take on a newly created role, Executive Chairman of Medtronic, while also continuing to serve as Chairman to the Medtronic Board of Directors. He is also a fellow of King's College and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Asia Society and Minnesota Public Radio. Prior to joining Medtronic, he was President and CEO of GE Healthcare Systems. He held several other roles at GE during his 16-year tenure, including serving as an Officer and Senior Vice President. Earlier in his career, he amassed 13 years of technology development and business management experience, holding leadership positions at Diasonics/Vingmed, and various product development and engineering positions at Philips Ultrasound. He was inducted to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows in 2016, and was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2020.
Josette Sheeran is the seventh President and CEO of Asia Society, and UN Special Envoy to Haiti, representing the UN Secretary-General in advancing Haiti's 2030 vision and in helping secure an end to the transmission of cholera in Haiti. She is former vice chair of the World Economic Forum, known for its annual Davos convening and Davos in China. Prior to the World Economic Forum, she was Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme, appointed by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2006. Prior to this, she served as a diplomat and negotiator for the United States, including as U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs, and Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, handling Asia, Africa, labor, environment, intellectual property, and trade capacity building portfolios. She is a member of the Council of Foreign Relations, and was awarded Japan's Nigata International Food Award, Commandeur de l'Ordre du Mérite Agricole by the government of France, and Brazil’s highest civilian award, the Grand Official Order of the “Rio Branco,” and the “Game Changer” award by the Huffington Post.