“I have had the privilege of spending my career at the forefront of medical technology innovation. And focused ultrasound represents the future of non-invasive care – improving outcomes while lowering complications and costs,” says Hawkins. “I am excited to have the opportunity to contribute to this remarkable Foundation that is catalyzing the field and breaking through barriers to speed the process for this life-saving technology to reach patients as soon as possible.”
“The field is at a critical inflection point, where the technology is quickly evolving from a research tool to a valued clinical solution primed for commercial adoption,” said Foundation Chairman Neal F. Kassell, MD. “This is a perfect time to add Bill’s technical expertise, market insights and business acumen to our Board as we work to improve the future of medicine.”
Hawkins is retired Chairman and CEO of Medtronic, one of the world’s largest and most innovative medical technology companies. He joined Medtronic in 2002 as SVP and President of Medtronic Vascular and went on to become President and Chief Operating Officer before being named CEO. He is currently Lead Director of Immucor, Inc., a privately held leading provider of transfusion and transplantation diagnostic products worldwide. He was President and CEO of Immucor from 2011 to 2015.
Prior to Medtronic, Mr. Hawkins served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Novoste Corp. and held senior leadership positions at American Home Products, Johnson & Johnson, Guidant Corp., and Eli Lilly & Co. He began his medical technology career with Carolina Medical Electronics in 1977 after receiving his bachelor's degree in electrical and biomedical engineering from Duke in 1976. He earned an MBA from the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia.
Mr. Hawkins is an active business and philanthropic board member. He is Chairman of the Boards of KeraNetics and Bioventus, in addition to serving on the Boards of Halyard Health, Trice Medical, 4Tech and Baebies. He is Chairman and co-Founder of the Medical Device Innovation Consortium (MDIC), and past-president of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AMIBE). Mr. Hawkins was elected to the Duke University Board of Trustees in 2011 and is also Vice Chair of the Board of the Duke University Health System. Mr. Hawkins was inducted this year into the National Academy of Engineering.
About the Focused Ultrasound FoundationThe Focused Ultrasound Foundation was created to improve the lives of millions of people worldwide by accelerating the development of focused ultrasound, an early-stage noninvasive therapeutic technology with the potential to transform the treatment of many serious medical disorders. The Foundation works to clear the path to global adoption by coordinating and funding research, fostering collaboration, and building awareness among patients and professionals. The Foundation is dedicated to ensuring that focused ultrasound finds its place as a mainstream therapy for a range of conditions within years, not decades. Since its establishment in 2006, the Foundation has become the largest non-governmental source of funding for focused ultrasound research. More information can be found at www.fusfoundation.org.
RSS