Medtronic Combines Sales Functions

Medtronic, Inc. is combining its U.S. Cardiac and Vascular Group sales functions into one unified cross-divisional sales organization. The change is effective at the start of Medtronic’s new fiscal year on May 1.

The change comes in response to the challenges hospitals are facing as the healthcare environment changes, as well as the increasing importance of the hospital administrator in the device selection process.

“Medtronic’s new market strategy reflects how large hospital systems are making device selection decisions today,” said David Hargraves, senior director, clinical supply chain at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pittsburgh, Pa.

David Roberts will serve as national vice president of Cardiac and Vascular Group Sales, a 2,700-person organization. Roberts formerly was vice president of sales for Medtronic’s Cardiac and Rhythm Disease Management business. Direct sales representatives will preserve their previous business unit focuses while reporting to the new national sales organization.

A Strategic Account Management team also has been created to augment the work of the traditional field representative by focusing on delivery of a cross-business portfolio of products and services to the cardiac- and vascular-focused hospital administrators. The Strategic Account Management team will report to the new sales organization.

“Our Cardiac and Vascular Group of businesses have historically focused primarily on clinicians as the primary decision makers for medical device selection for their patients,” said Michael Coyle, executive vice president and group president of the Cardiac and Vascular Group at Medtronic. “With the growing partnership between clinicians and administrators as they work together to address the changing healthcare environment, our strategy going forward is to leverage Medtronic’s breadth of talent, technologies, products and services across our 15 market segments to help hospital administrators address their unmet needs, while maintaining and strengthening our ability to serve clinicians and their patients. This new leadership strategy and structure positions Medtronic as the only medical device company capable of doing both.”

Businesses included in Medtronic’s Cardiac and Vascular Group are Cardiac Rhythm Disease Management, Structural Heart, Endovascular Innovations, Peripheral, Coronary, Renal Denervation, and Physio-Control. All sales leadership from these businesses will be included in the new structure with the exception of Physio-Control, which Medtronic previously has announced will be divested.

Medtronic is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn.