Derek Crittenden is responsible for leading a cross-functional team that evaluates and incubates inorganic opportunities to expand patient access and fuel innovation of new therapies to treat stroke. He is keenly interested in fostering collaboration among start-ups, physicians, academic institutions and the medtech industry within a global, dedicated innovation ecosystem.
Derek’s unique background spans multiple areas, with accomplishments in research, college football, global product management and community involvement. He has a deep understanding of emerging technologies and a clear vision of the future and excels in transforming ideas into products and strategy into results.
A member of the Medtronic family for over five years, Derek put his product strategy, bioengineering, and entrepreneurship skills to work on several medtech technologies. As a global product manager for Surgical Visualization, Derek was responsible for identifying user needs, defining product requirements, and leading multiple programs through product development from concept to launch. As part of the Research & Development team for Medtronic’s Lung Health and Thoracic Surgery portfolio, he developed pre-clinical pricing, reimbursement and marketing strategy for disruptive surgical stapling technology. During his tenure at Medtronic, Derek won the 2020 Global Visualization Marketer of the Year award and was a Surgical Innovations Marketer of the Year finalist.
Prior to joining Medtronic, Derek worked as an organic chemist at the University of Montana, where he designed and tested organic compounds that regulate gene expression.
Derek holds a Master’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering and Master’s Certificates in Entrepreneurship and Product Design from the University of Pennsylvania. He earned his Product Strategy Certification from Kellogg Executive Education.
Derek earned his Bachelor of Science in Organic Chemistry from the University of Montana. While there, he was named a 2015 Rhodes Scholar Finalist and served as Football Team Captain. He founded Athletes Against Sexual Violence program, which is now part of the student-athlete onboarding program. Additionally, Derek led “Griz in the Community” initiatives to help student athletes find ways to give back to the community, including nursing homes and elementary schools.
After completing his studies, Derek volunteered as a football coach and mentor to middle school children in Madison, Conn., for two years. His goal was to teach them that the experiences, skills, and habits of successful football teams and players are the same ones that make teams and individuals successful in life.
