Nnamdi
Principal Strategic Planning Associate
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Joined Medtronic: 2005
Why you joined Medtronic: I got to know Medtronic as a client when I was at a major consulting firm in the 1990s. I was struck by the tenure of people; many had been at Medtronic 10 to 20 years. As a consultant, I didn’t see that kind of loyalty at many companies. So after grad school, I pursued Medtronic and was hired into the company’s Leadership Development Rotation Program (LDRP). It offers two year-long rotations in high-visibility positions.
Career progression: My first LDRP rotation was in Switzerland, at Medtronic's international headquarters. I led a cross-functional team of people who had been at Medtronic a long time and really knew their stuff. It was humbling, but very exciting. We redesigned the European pricing process, starting with a pilot in the U.K. Next, I moved to Minneapolis and spent a year in finance for the Cardiac Rhythm Disease Management business. I was part of a team negotiating with a drug company for a future product.
After my LDRP rotations were up, I moved into a finance manager position supporting the Gastroenterology/Urology Global Marketing group within Neuromodulation. After about a year there, I joined the Corporate Strategy and Innovation group to pursue my longer-term goal of helping set strategy around a vision.
Your role today: I’m with a small Strategy and Innovation group that coordinates our annual strategic plan. We determine what issues we need to tackle, develop processes for discussion and actions, and basically quarterback the process across the company.
How your role impacts patients: While I’m not in the operating room implanting devices, I do support our Mission to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life. I help shape the future direction of the company — so that we continue to innovate and improve the lives of even more people.
Favorite LDRP benefit: In addition to the challenging assignments, the LDRP provides many other development opportunities. The Emerging Leaders program was great. Every two months, we traveled to a different business unit and spent a few days with the leaders there. They educated us on a business challenge, and we’d help them solve it. We acted as internal consultants. It really makes you feel valued and appreciated.
Education:
University of St. Thomas, BA, Accounting and Theology
Cornell University, MBA
Grew up in: Nigeria and Trinidad & Tobago, with short stints in Europe
What you do for fun: Run, read, and travel. I've been to about 20 different countries. My dad was a college professor and taught at vet schools all over the world. One of my favorite places is Barcelona, Spain, probably because my wife and I had the perfect experience there: perfect weather, perfect hotels, great food, fabulous architecture – and our luggage showed up.
Something people might not know about Medtronic:
I decided to work in Minneapolis because I love all the cultural opportunities and green space here. But you can work in key locations all over the U.S. and the world, including California, Florida, Tennessee, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Ireland, Switzerland, Japan, China, India.
Tips for MBA students who want to work at Medtronic:
You may be able to do marketing, finance, and all the key operational jobs in your sleep, but if you don’t have leadership experience, you’ll be at a loss. You’ll be expected to lead teams, so get involved in activities now where you have to take the lead.
Medtronic is committed to providing accessibility to employment opportunities for people with disabilities. If you need technical assistance with the on-line application process, please call Medtronic at (800) 328-2518 (toll free within the US) or (763) 514-4000 (worldwide).
Medtronic is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer committed to cultural diversity in the workforce.
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