For nearly a quarter of a century, William “Bill” Hawkins sat in the corner office of medtech companies of all sizes, before stepping down from Immucor last year to become the Atlanta-based company’s lead director. Hawkins is best known for his 4 years as CEO of Medtronic, where he served in the corner office from […]
Bill Hawkins
Thoratec taps ex-Medtronic CEO Hawkins for board | Personnel Moves
Medtronic’s Hawkins on the Guidant frenzy, NuVasive drops $80 million on a buy, Med-tech rallies against device tax | MassDevice.com +3

Say hello to MassDevice +3, a bite-sized view of the top three med-tech stories of the day. This latest feature of MassDevice.com’s coverage highlights our three biggest and most influential stories from the day’s news to make sure you’re up to date on the headlines that continue to shape the medical device industry.
If you read nothing else today, make sure you’re still in the know with MassDevice +3.
EXCLUSIVE: Former Medtronic CEO Bill Hawkins on the one that got away

There’s no shortage of ink spilled over the feeding frenzy over Guidant Corp., which ended in Boston Scientific Corp.’s (NYSE:BSX) ill-fated $26 billion acquisition in 2006. But there’s one nugget from the spectacle that hasn’t received much attention.
MDT’s new CEO, MDT’s former CEO, devices to save Steve Jobs, Beckman Coulter’s warnings, KCI’s new suitor, Aptiv’s grab for MDCI and regulatory science made headlines this week. | MassDevice.com +7

Say hello to MassDevice +7, a bite-sized view of the top seven med-tech stories of the week. This latest feature of MassDevice.com’s coverage highlights our seven biggest and most influential stories from the week’s news to make sure you’re up to date on the headlines that continue to shape the medical device industry.
If you read nothing else this weekend, make sure you’re still in the know with Massdevice +7.
MassDevice Exclusive: Former Medtronic CEO Hawkins on the Sprint Fidelis recall

Former Medtronic CEO Bill Hawkins at MassDevice
global headquarters.
In October 2007 Bill Hawkins was only three months into his tenure as CEO of the world’s largest pure-play medical device maker when he faced the toughest choice of his career – cancel shipment on the company’s top product, the Sprint Fidelis pacemaker lead, already implanted in some 268,000 patients – or stand pat and keep the potentially lethal products on the market.
MassDevice Exclusive: Former CEO Hawkins on leaving Medtronic

Bill Hawkins
They gave him a sword and he handed them the world.
When William Hawkins officially flipped the keys to Medtronic Inc. (NYSE:MDT) over to successor Omar Ishrak, he offered a simple message and a gift. The message was clear – don’t lose sight of founder Earl Bakken’s mission to alleviate pain, restore health and extend life while “striving without reserve for the greatest possible reliability and quality.”