Nominate a Medtech Visionary for AdvaMed®’s 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award

As AdvaMed® celebrates its 50^th Anniversary we will again recognize an industry giant whose actions, leadership, and accomplishments have significantly contributed to the medical technology industry, to the development and introduction of medical innovation, and to health care delivery.  AdvaMed® annually presents the Lifetime Achievement Award to an individual whose actions have had a profound impact on patients lives and our industry. The 2025 recipient is expected to be someone who has continuously and consistently promoted innovation and has been a catalyst for positive change in the medtech industry. Nominations are open to the public and will be accepted until mid-March.

Nominees for the Lifetime Achievement Award should be exemplary individuals who have made recognizable, meaningful, and prolonged contributions to the medical technology industry.  Persons are eligible only if they are retired from day-to-day medtech industry responsibilities.  The award recognizes someone who has completed his or her career and leaves a monumental mark on the industry and health care. With only one recipient each year, only those who having long, significant, and impactful careers should be nominated. A committee of current medtech industry CEOs and top executives review the nominations and determine the winner based upon the following criteria:

• Length of career and years of demonstrative leadership/contributions
• Impact on Patient Care
• Commitment to mentoring and career development
• Significance of role in discovery and commercialization of medtech innovation
• History and support of entrepreneurship including support for capital formation and the medtech ecosystem
• Philanthropy, community service and industry leadership
• Advocacy promoting a welcome and positive environment for the introduction of medical technology innovation

The Award is presented annually during the keynote session of the industry’s annual meeting – The MedTech Conference. This year’s conference is being held October 5-8 in San Diego, California, a world-class hub for medical and life science innovation. The 2025 award recipient is expected to personally attend and receive their award in front of thousands of medtech industry leaders.

Previous Lifetime Achievement Award recipients and year are:

• The late Earl Bakken, engineer, inventor, philanthropist, and founder and former CEO, Medtronic (2014)
• The late Vernon Loucks, Jr., business creator, U.S. marine, mentor, and former CEO, Baxter International (2018)
• The late Peter Nicholas, businessman and philanthropist and co-founder of Boston Scientific (2016)
• The late John “Jack” Wareham, pioneer in the field of diagnostic and clinical lab testing and former CEO, Beckman Coulter (2017)
• John Abele, businessman, ASME medal winner, philanthropist, and co-founder of Boston Scientific (2016)
• John Brown, industry leading advocate, philanthropist. Served 32 years as President, CEO, and/or Chairman of Stryker (2013)
• Catherine “Cathy” Burzik, led medical device, diagnostic and imaging businesses and former CEO, Kinetic Concepts (2019)
• Ronald Dollens, pioneer in the development of innovative cardiac devices, stents and catheters and former CEO, Guidant (2020)
• Dr. Thomas Fogarty, surgeon, serial inventor, mentor, and serial medical technology entrepreneur (2015)
• Lester B. Knight, businessman, investor, mentor, philanthropist and founding partner, RoundTable Healthcare Partners (2022)
• William H. Longfield, businessman, health system executive, academic trustee, patient advocate, and former CEO, C.R. Bard (2023)
• Edward Ludwig, championed delivering quality healthcare around the world, humanitarian, and former CEO, Becton Dickson (BD) (2021) Caroll H. Neubauer, international businessman, champion industry advocate. Distinguished 30+ career with B. Braun, former CEO B. Braun USA (2024)

Submit your nomination for AdvaMed®’s 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award now!