Medtronic – “Medtronic on resume: check it off! Onto better challenge!”

Pros

The prestige of working for a leading medical device organization. I always bought in to the corporate mission; it felt good to be part of that.

Cons

It appears to be highly dependent on the division you are in. The division I was in was poorly managed with fluctuating direction that made it difficult to meet targets. Annual reorganizations cultivated an overpoliticized environment that challenged deliverables. "Talent development" was all talk, no action. Seniority and experience were not valued or rewarded. Lack of long-term (and short-term) strategic planning resulted in "project/product du jour" which does not foster a sustainable revenue stream.

Advice to Senior Management

Get a better understanding of the value and strengths of internal technologies and how they can drive success, beyond and with core competancies. Leverage and foster a cooperative culture across business units.
Medtronic is a "sleeping giant" with so much talent and IP ~~ if they got it together, if they got their business units together and really unleashed the creativity and passion ~~ there would be no stopping them.