Growth and innovation in medical devices: a conversation with Stryker chairman John Brown. Interview by Lawton R. Burns

Abstract

John Brown, current chairman and past chief executive officer (CEO) of the Stryker Corporation, reviews the development of his device firm and the medical device industry over the past thirty years. Brown describes the trajectory of innovation in medical devices and the managerial and organizational strategy he pioneered at Stryker to achieve consistently high growth rates over the long term. He also shares his perspective on some of the current policy issues facing the device industry today, including product safety, conflicts of interest, rising product prices, and direct-to-consumer advertising.