Vasant Padmanabhan

About Vasant Padmanabhan

Vasant Padmanabhan PhD is a medical technology executive and Board Member with over 25 years of global leadership experience and a track record of driving innovation and delivering commercial/business results in several MedTech segments and geographies. With Smith+Nephew, Vasant is a memberof the Executive Committee and serves in the roles of President ENT, President Emerging Markets and President Global R&D. Since joining Smith+Nephew in 2016, Vasant has been responsible for the prioritization and delivery of the multi-generational innovation pipeline for the enterprise including Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, ENT, Robotics, Biologics and Advanced Wound Management business units. In 2023, Vasant assumed additional responsibility for the Global ENT business, and is focussed on driving growth platforms like Tula, an innovative and transformative solution to place ear tubes without general anesthesia. In 2024, Vasant has also taken commercial responsibility for Smith+Nephew\'s Emerging Markets businesses comprised of a broad diverse of regions including India, ASEAN, CEE, MENA, Turkey, South Africa and LatAm. Prior to Smith+Nephew, Vasant served as the SVP of Technical Operations at Thoratec Corporation, a leader in mechanical circulatory support solutions for the treatment of heart failure. In this role, he provided leadership to multiple technical functions including R&D, Operations, Program Management, and Quality Affairs. Prior to Thoratec Corporation and its successful acquisition by St. Jude Medical, Inc.(Abbott), Vasant had an 18-year career at Medtronic plc, starting as a Staff Scientist and progressing through more senior roles, ultimately becoming Vice President of Connected Care R&D and Operations (20••••12) and Vice President of Product Development for the Implantable Defibrillator Business (20••••14). Vasant holds MS and Ph.D. degrees in Biomedical Engineering from Rutgers University and an MBA from the University of Minnesota – Carlson School of Management

Experience

1. President Emerging Markets

   Smith Nephew

   Mar 2024 — Present

Education

• UMN Carlson School of Management

  MBA, Business Administration and Management, General

• National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli

  Bachelor of Engineering (BE)

• Rutgers University

  PhD, Biomedical Engineering