Washington, D.C.—Today, AdvaMed, the Medtech Association, announced that Mike Mussallem, former chairman and CEO of Edwards Lifesciences, will receive the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award at the medtech industry’s premier annual gathering, The MedTech Conference, in San Diego Oct. 5-8.
“The AdvaMed Lifetime Achievement Award is the medtech community’s highest honor for leaders who have dedicated their careers to transforming patients’ lives,” said Scott Whitaker, AdvaMed President and CEO. “Mike has put people first his entire life, in medtech and philanthropy. He represents the best of humanity in any field. Medtech patients and colleagues have been fortunate to count him among our own. We’ve all benefitted from his vision, leadership, generosity, warmth, and singular focus on helping people enjoy good health through medtech innovation.”
Mussallem was named CEO of Edwards Lifesciences when it became an independent, publicly traded company in April 2000. He led the company as chairman and CEO until his retirement in May 2023. Under his leadership, Edwards successfully implemented a patient-focused innovation strategy with a culture centered on putting patients first, as well as giving back and creating community.
During Mussallem’s more than 20 years of leadership, the company introduced breakthrough innovations worldwide, transforming the care for patients impacted by deadly and debilitating diseases such as aortic stenosis and others affecting the valves of the heart. Among these technologies is transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), which changed the way patients with aortic stenosis receive treatment – and has helped more than one million patients worldwide.
Mussallem also led the establishment of the Edwards Lifesciences Foundation, which, in addition to strategic giving, encourages and provides opportunities for every employee to volunteer in the communities where they live and work around the world. Prior to 2000, Mussallem held a variety of positions at Baxter International from 1979 until 2000, when Edwards was spun off from Baxter. Under his guidance and leadership, Edwards grew to nearly 20,000 employees worldwide, united around a patients-first culture to “dream big” and introduce groundbreaking technologies to benefit patients, physicians, health care systems and communities.
Mussallem served on the AdvaMed Board of Directors from 2004 to 2023 and as chairman from 2008 to 2010.
In his leadership capacity at AdvaMed, Mussallem advocated for faster patient access to FDA-authorized medtech, including establishing Medicare coverage of FDA-authorized breakthrough medical technologies that address underserved medical needs. AdvaMed continues to build on the momentum Mussallem set to implement this long-standing priority.
Mike and his wife, Linda, are co-founders of the Linda and Mike Mussallem Foundation which focuses on addressing complex health care challenges for overlooked populations and supporting the advancement of integrative health care and next-generation health care innovation. Linda and Mike are also co-founders of the Mussallem CHD Alliance, a new initiative dedicated to saving and improving the lives of people born with congenital heart defects, no matter where they live.
The AdvaMed Lifetime Achievement Award honors the accomplishments of pioneers in the medtech sector whose contributions have had a significant impact on patients’ lives and the industry as an essential part of America’s economy. Mussallem will receive the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award at The MedTech Conference during the Tuesday, Oct. 7, keynote luncheon.
Previous recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award are: Caroll H. Neubauer (2024); William H. Longfield (2023); Lester B. Knight (2022); Edward Ludwig (2021); Ronald Dollens (2020); Cathy Burzik (2019); Vernon Loucks (2018); Jack Wareham (2017); John Abele and Peter Nicholas (2016); Dr. Thomas Fogarty (2015); Earl Bakken (2014); and John Brown (2013).
Registration is open for The MedTech Conference hosted by AdvaMed. Explore the full lineup of speakers and sessions here and register to attend here. Complimentary registration is available for credentialed members of the media.