ED ASTURIAS

Medical technology, multi-vertical leader with 1B€+ in global revenues. Its Microsurgery business  drives 270M€ + in top line  and a 46% contribution to the company's EBIT. 

Tapped by corporate senior management to lead the global business function for the Field of Business Visualization including Neuro/ENT, Spine surgery and Dental business verticals.  Key member of executive leadership team with P&L responsibility managing strategic marketing and product management groups with a total of eight upstream and downstream focused managers and with dotted responsibility to Marketing Communications team of three. Reporting to Senior Vice-President for Microsurgery business.

Key Accomplishments: 

• Authorship and implementation of 5-year strategic business plan outlining sustaining and innovation road map as well as global downstream agenda, generating 5.2%, 3-year CAGR for 270M€ + global business franchise
• Led global market introduction of TRENION Visualization System, a unique 3D Visualization platform generating 7.8M€ of incremental revenues since its worldwide launch in 2012
• Catapulted sales of intraoperative fluorescence platform by 13.6M€ through incisive, peer-to-peer initiatives focused on YELLOW 560 targeting neurovascular and brain tumor visualization
• Partnering with industry players including AOSpine and other industry organizations to enhance the value proposition of intraoperative visualization with non-traditional ortho-spine market segment -- initiative led to 125 unique new sales opportunities in funnel during first 12 months of introduction
• Championing of business development activities led to two independent product development collaborations in endoscopy and tissue aspiration applications including one potential acquisition candidate in the area of tumor diagnosis
• Professionalized acquisition of market understanding through the development and execution of primary market research initiatives including global physician advisory panels and advanced customer analytics 
• Built downstream global marketing group from the ground-up with the mission of further enhancing customer intimacy  and driving market footprint

Delivering over 40% of Microsurgery's global revenue contribution,  US ZEISS subsidiary market revenues added  over 15% revenue growth in this period. 

Offered strategic marketing leadership for a newly-created downstream group following merger between Carl Zeiss Surgical and Meditec in late 2006.  Built and managed industry-leading marketing group responsible for marketing agenda targeting Neuro/ENT, Spine, Dental and Radiation Oncology market segments.

Key Accomplishments:

• Engineered the development and execution of KOL and Resident Programs nurturing powerful relationships with current and future key thought leaders
• Implemented world-class, downstream product management program driving sustainable double-digit revenue and profit growth
• Led the successful product launch of industry-leading intra-operative fluorescence platforms enhancing aggressive glioma tumor resection and vascular neurosurgical procedures
• Spearheaded the market introduction of INTRABEAM, a disruptive radiation oncology platform in the treatment of early-stage breast cancer
• Launched incisive missionary market development programs targeting visualization platforms for the dental restorative market segment
• Identified and managed co-marketing relationships to enhance product visibility and maximize frequency of customer touch points
• Leveraged U.S. marketing agenda successes to numerous Americas geographies including Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina

Leader in medical laser business establishing Photo-Selective Vaporization of the Prostate (PVP) in the treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia. Company acquired by American Medical Systems  in 2006 for $715M . 

Championed upstream product development of Laserscope's GreenLight HPS Laser System generating over $60M and 20%  growth in YTD Q2 2006/2005 for the Urology market segment. Led Product Management company transition through  acquisition ensuring  streamlined operations of on-going commercial initiatives. 

Key Accomplishments:

• Developed the the GreenLight SurgiSuite(TM), a turn-key solution for customers interested in the growing trend of office-based surgical facilities for PVP and other surgical procedures
• Conceptualized product promotional initiative leveraging increased office-based reimbursement of the PVP procedure and practice-marketing, plug-and-play solutions in support of private-based practitioners and group facilities
• Worked hand-in-hand with direct sales organization and mobilizer distributor group in the execution of Office-based approach later generating over 55% share for Laserscope's total revenues
• Guided R&D product development activities through specific market input definition and incremental design validation
• Tapped into cross-functional team expertise to design commercialization plan encompassing clinical, regulatory, reimbursement, training, legal, sales and marketing communications functions

Innovated the Balloon Kyphoplasty procedure in the minimally-invasive treatment of vertebral compression fractures of the spine. In 2005, the company generated over $500M in sales and was later acquired by Medtronic for $3.9B.

Led the newly-created function through strategic product and procedure initiatives as well as intellectual property development for adjacent clinical applications leveraging Kyphon's Balloon Technology.  

Key Accomplishments:

• Conducted primary and secondary market research to define product development requirements, unmet clinical needs, relative pricing elasticity and reimbursement environment
• Worked in partnership with clinical and R&D teams to design compelling product concepts leveraging Kyphon's core platform balloon technology
• Developed a novel surgical technique termed “sacroplasty” as a material expansion to existing procedural reach by leveraging clinician customer know-how and internal R&D efforts
• Maximized established customer relationships to evaluate and fine-tune innovative proof of concepts
• Led successful test market evaluations by defining concrete assessment objectives and recommendations based on thorough analysis of results
• Developed first-to-market product marketing plan including market environment analysis, strategic objectives, tactical activities, branding, revenue & expense forecasts

Leader in wound management in surgery combining  hemostasis, tissue sealant and anti-adhesion technologies generating over $100 in revenues and 12% annual growth in 2004.

Led recently acquired FLOSEAL US Marketing function.

Key Accomplishments:

• Developed clinical-application-specific product positioning strategy for the urology, neuro, spine and otolaryngology market segments to further expand product utilization and penetration
• Reassessment of segment-driven strategy and tactics resulted in a 17% YTD growth with an annual revenue line of $45M in 2004 for the FLOSEAL Hemostasis business franchise
• Led cross-functional teams in the definition of a clinical publication strategy supporting therapy launch activities, solidifying product acceptance and expansion
• Created a therapy key opinion leader panel to refine overall product segment strategy and tactics

Surgical medical device start-up, focused on specialized development and commercialization of neuro/spine instrumentation and implantables, with annual revenues peaking at $25M, later acquired by V. Mueller/Cardinal Health.

Managed the holistic product concept to commercialization process by leading the involvement of multi-functional team and industry opinion leaders within the neurosurgical community.

Key Accomplishments:

• Cultivated crucial customer relationships with renowned neurosurgeons and other market decision-makers to drive on-going product pipeline development effort
• Developed insightful and informative product training programs for worldwide sales distributorship network focusing on benefit selling
• Fostered constant distributorship network performance and effectiveness via creative sales incentive and promotional support programs
• Spearheaded the production and design of key collateral material, product launch packages and internal communication plans to drive overall sales and marketing goals

Marketing Associate – Infectious Diseases,  Oncology,  06.1996 - 01.1999

Market Research Associate, 01.1996 – 06.1996

Sales Representative, CNS and Endocrinology Specialist, 03.1993 – 01.1996

Executive education program led by HBS faculty including the top 100 executives at Carl Zeiss AG.

Leadership workshops aimed at high potential talented executives at Carl Zeiss AG.

Industry advisor on European Community-funded project in the development of a multimodal imaging system for Theranostics (therapy+diagnosis) of patients suffering malignant glioma, the most common primary brain tumor.

Mentorship program benefitting undergraduate biomedical engineer students starting their professional careers.