Head of AdvaMed Steps Down to Lead PhRMA

For the better part of a week in late September, according to Capitol Hill news outlets Politico and The Hill, rumors were swirling that one of the medical device lobby’s most familiar and influential players would be leaving the industry he’s helped to shape for nearly two decades.

On Sept. 25, the rumors were confirmed.

Steve Ubl, president and CEO of the Advanced Medical Technology Association (commonly known as AdvaMed), is leaving his organization to take over as president and CEO of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). His last day with AdvaMed was Oct. 15.

Ubl, a native of Minnesota, one of the largest medical device hubs in the country, has spent 16 years at AdvaMed, with the last 10 as president and CEO.

Ubl has been included on such lists as “People Who Changed the Medtech Industry” and “The Hill’s Top Lobbyists.” He also was the sixth highest-paid healthcare lobbyist in 2014, with total compensation close to $2 million, according to Modern Healthcare, which named him one of the “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare.”

PhRMA CEO John Castellani announced plans to step down in April and to retire at the end of the year. He has been in the top spot at PhRMA for 10 years. “Steve’s extensive experience, depth of knowledge and patient-centered approach to advocacy will serve him well in leading the association at a time when our industry is bringing tremendous medical innovation to patients, the health care system and society,” said Kenneth C. Frazier, chairman and CEO of Merck & Co. Inc., and chairman of the PhRMA board of directors.

Ubl has a reputation for working collaboratively with a broad array of healthcare stakeholders, including patient advocacy organizations, providers and public and private payers. He was a long-standing board member of the National Health Council, a leading umbrella organization for voluntary healthcare organizations, and has been personally involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and LUNGevity, the largest national lung cancer-focused nonprofit.

“This is an exciting time to be joining the biopharmaceutical industry as new medicines are coming to the market that are completely transforming care for patients fighting cancer, heart disease, hepatitis C and other debilitating diseases,” said Ubl. “I look forward to working with PhRMA member companies and the broader healthcare advocacy community to advance public policies that will improve patients’ access to medicines and foster the continued development of new treatments and cures for patients.”

During a press gathering at AdvaMed 2015, the association’s recent annual medtech conference, held this year in San Diego, Calif., Ubl said he feels as if he’s “grown up with [the medical device] industry and with AdvaMed,” adding that both of his children were born during different phases of his career at AdvaMed.

Ubl first joined AdvaMed in 1998 as executive vice president of federal government relations. He left the organization in 2004 to open his own healthcare consulting firm. In July 2005, Ubl was chosen to lead AdvaMed as president and CEO. Prior to AdvaMed, Ubl was vice president of legislation for the Federation of American Hospitals. He began his Washington career on Capitol Hill, where he worked for U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa).

“During Steve’s time at AdvaMed, the association experienced significant growth in membership, policy development capabilities as well as advocacy impact. As CEO, he created dedicated divisions to address the unique needs of the diagnostics industry and emerging growth companies—AdvaMedDx and AdvaMed Accel, respectively,” said AdvaMed Board Chairman Vincent A. Forlenza, chairman, CEO and president BD. “He helped the industry proactively address the importance of ethics and responsible business practices through the development of a robust legal department to engage with member company attorneys. This work resulted in an enhanced AdvaMed Code of Ethics. Another significant advancement during his tenure was the expansion of the association’s international reach, including the recently opened China office and expanded emerging market capabilities.”
Forlenza said Ubl has helped to build a very strong team at AdvaMed.

“The experience of AdvaMed’s senior leadership team and AdvaMed’s actively engaged board of directors leaves it well- positioned to continue our important work, helping to bring life-enhancing technologies to the patients we serve,” Forlenza added. “We are in the process of undertaking a national search for Steve’s replacement. During the transition, AdvaMed’s board of directors will work closely with AdvaMed senior staff to advance repeal of the medical device tax and important regulatory reforms and efficiencies contained in the [U.S.] House [of Representatives] and Senate’s 21st Century Cures and Healthier Americans initiatives, as well as successful negotiation of the next Medical Device User Fee Agreement. I know the board joins me in thanking Steve for his significant contributions to the medical technology industry over the years, contributions that led directly to advancements in patient care. We wish him well in his new endeavors.”

An AdvaMed spokesperson confirmed for Medical Product Outsourcing that the search for a new chief executive “has only just started.”

“I’m very proud of this organization,” Ubl said during the press conference at the AdvaMed annual meeting. “I’m proud of its global reach and the significant gains we’ve made for the industry. I think the organization is in very good shape. At one point, I feel like AdvaMed was a sleeping giant. Well, now the giant is definitely awake and has thrown its weight around a little.”