Medtronic has named Ken Washington, PhD, the former vice president and general manager of consumer robotics at Amazon, its first chief technology and innovation officer.
Dr. Washington also served as chief technology officer at the Ford Motor Co. With his new role, he will become a member of the Medtronic executive committee, according to a June 1 Medtronic news release.
"This new leadership role will help Medtronic to harness the innovative spirit of our founders and ensure we are capitalizing on our scientific and technological knowledge to invent, innovate and disrupt the healthcare technology market of the future," Chair and CEO of Medtronic Geoff Martha, said in the release. "Dr. Washington will help Medtronic expand use of our technology platforms across our portfolio – including robotics, sensors, implantables and artificial intelligence – improving our returns on investments in innovation and expanding our technological competitive advantage to drive durable growth."