WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, AdvaMed, the Medtech Association, announced that William Longfield, former Chairman and CEO of C.R. Bard, Inc. and founder of the Cambridge Group, will receive the medtech industry’s most prestigious award, the 2023 AdvaMed Lifetime Achievement Award, at AdvaMed’s annual Medtech Conference in Anaheim on October 10.

Longfield, who spent more than 40 years as a leader in the health care and medtech industries, began his career at American Hospital Supply before founding the Cambridge Group, a company he took public in 1988. Longfield went on to lead C.R. Bard, Inc for more than a decade until his retirement, and served on a number of company boards, including AdvaMed’s, on which he served a term as its chairman. Bill was also chairman of the Atlantic Health System in New Jersey and a trustee of Centenary College.

“Every year, as an industry we recognize the work of a distinguished member of the medtech community who has gone above and beyond throughout their career to improve the lives of patients,” said Scott Whitaker, AdvaMed President and CEO. “This year, we are proud to honor William Longfield for his decades of leadership as an entrepreneur and as a top executive in the medtech and hospital industries. Throughout his long career, Bill has led with purpose and always put patients first, making him the perfect candidate for this top industry award.”

“It is an honor to be selected for AdvaMed’s Lifetime Achieve Award,” Longfield said. “We begin our careers without recognizing the impact we will have on the lives of so many patients.  We don’t do it for the recognition, but rather we do it because we believe in the work and the outcomes. It is a privilege to receive this award, and I will accept it with the acknowledgement of the health care professionals who use our products and services to save and improve lives every day.” 

Longfield earned his bachelor’s degree from Drake University and went on to graduate from The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. In his retirement, Longfield enjoys spending time with his family at his homes in South Carolina and North Carolina.