About the speaker: Herko van der Weij is the VP of External Manufacturing at Edwards Lifesciences, where he has worked for over 20 years. He has held several positions of varying degrees of seniority, all revolving around manufacturing. His current responsibilities include leading the company’s external sourcing and global contract manufacturing functions. He began his career at Baxter and took a 6 year break from Edwards Lifesciences where he founded his own travel business and also worked in manufacturing at Marel, a food processing company. He has a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s in Science, Technology and Society, both from Dutch universities. He also recently acquired a certification on “Negotiating in a Virtual World” from Kellogg Executive Education. Herko is Dutch and currently resides in Switzerland. You can learn more about him on his personal website here: https://www.herko.nl/blog/post.php?permalink=14-august

About the company: Edwards Lifesciences is a global medical technology company focused on providing innovative solutions for patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases. Founded in 1958, the company’s headquarters is located in California, and it operates offices and manufacturing locations in more than 30 countries worldwide. The company is best known for its groundbreaking contributions to the field of transcatheter heart valves, offering minimally invasive alternatives to traditional open-heart surgeries. They use a combination of internal and external manufacturing processes in order to effectively meet the demands of its product portfolio. This approach allows them to maintain flexibility, optimize resources, and ensure the timely delivery of their innovative cardiovascular solutions to patients worldwide. As a trusted and respected name in the industry, Edwards Lifesciences remains dedicated to its mission of helping patients live longer, healthier lives through its transformative cardiovascular technologies.

Revenue: 5.2 billion USD

Employees: 17,300