Life is Better When You Stick Together

How long have you been at Integra? What does your role at Integra entail?
I joined Integra in April of 2024 as part of the Acclarent integration. I am currently the Capital sales manager for Acclarent in the Codman Specialty Surgical division. I lead a team of two Capital sales specialists (Chris Cullen for the West Area and Chris Rucki for the East Area) with responsibility for the TruDi® Navigation System, including the Bien-Air Shaver and Drill System and all Hardware Sales and Service. 

Can you talk about your experience with the integration?
The support, direction, and leadership of the Acclarent Integration into Integra was truly elite. It showcased the expertise of Integra in mergers and acquisitions and it’s amazing to look back and see how much the team was able to accomplish in 12 months. 

Can you tell us more about your educational background and career journey? 
I was exposed to healthcare at a very young age. I am from a family of physicians. My father is a practicing cardiologist in Washington, D.C. where I was born and still live today. My mother is an RN, and practicing addiction counselor, and my younger brother is a fellowship trained Endo-Urologist practicing at the University of Florida.  I attended Landon High School in Bethesda, Maryland where I was blessed with support and guidance from lifelong teachers and mentors, hall of fame sports coaches, and 30-year friendships I still hold close to my heart today. 

Upon graduation, I was awarded a scholarship to play Lacrosse at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill and was named a captain of the team my senior year. I graduated with a degree in journalism with a concentration in advertising. I started my career with a pharmaceutical company. I then transitioned to a role at a bio-surgery company where I fell in love with the surgical team environment and supporting surgeons, nurses and patients. Fast forward to 2014 when I joined Acclarent in the ear, nose and throat (ENT) space. I was part of the original team to sell the first-ever commercialized TruDi Navigation System. I still have the same passion and purpose today as I did back then to educate health care professionals on this innovative technology. 

Can you talk about your recent promotion and what excites you about your new position?
What excites me about this national position and opportunity is I get to lead, support, and challenge the Acclarent sales force and our cross-functional partners in our mission of advancing ENT care with the TruDi ecosystem.

What have you learned about Integra’s company culture over the last year?
Working at Integra over these past 12 months, it is obvious that the company embodies a team approach. Integra is goal-oriented and focused on solving challenges and problems proactively as they arise, and sees the bigger picture on opportunities within our other portfolios. A good example of this is the collaboration between Acclarent and the Instruments team, specifically focused on MicroFrance®. 

What's the best piece of professional advice you've ever received?
In a world of social media, where people choose to say and do things that “look good” from afar or through a screen and where it’s easy to pose as a certain thing or with a certain objective, the best advice that I continue to lead with is to be authentic to myself. Authenticity grounds me in who I am and who I want to be.  When you show up authentically to your customers, teammates, family and more, your impact will be the greatest it can be to reach your full potential. 

What would you like people to know about you on a personal level? 
Any success that I have achieved either personally or professionally has been a direct relation to unwavering and unconditional love and support from my family, especially my amazing wife Kimberly, my mentors and coaches, and my Lacrosse and work teammates. 

I lost a dear friend and childhood Lacrosse teammate named George Boiardi, while I was in college. The author, Jon Gordon wrote “The Hard Hat” based on his life and lessons. I try to live up to the lessons George taught me every day, such as his willingness to put others before himself and his desire to help those around him. 

Tell us more about what a typical day looks like for you in the field with customers.
I love being with our sales representatives and their surgeons in the operating room (OR) to help advance patient outcomes with our TruDi Navigation eco-system. Whether its new users trialing the system across the country or experienced users who are exploring different navigated instruments or software, this is where I love to be. I also enjoy the opportunity to interact with ENT surgeons during ENT labs, meetings, and conferences to capture their insights and unmet needs.

What is your approach to collaboration?
Simply put, it’s all about teamwork! As the saying goes “Find people climbing up mountains…climb TOGETHER.”  We have to collaborate, communicate, and build trusting and effective relationships both internally and externally. If we do this we will succeed and overcome any obstacle we face. 

How have you approached your own professional development?  And what advice do you have for others that want to develop their skills?
Professional development is what you make of it. I try and have a growth mindset and see obstacles as opportunities. Those who know me have heard, probably ad nauseam, the quote from Marcus Aurelius, a Stoic philosopher and Roman emperor “the impediment to action advances action, what stands in the way becomes the way.” 

In order to grow and develop you must be willing to do hard, uncomfortable things both personally and professionally. I have learned a great deal and fine-tuned some of my attributes from Stoic philosophy, reading many leadership books, and listening to podcasts by Jocko Willink, an author and former Navy SEAL. Audio books in the car for those of us who drive a lot are great and so valuable, as well as communication with peers and mentors. 

What is a moment or accomplishment in your career that stands out?
From a career perspective, I take great pride in selling the second TruDi ever in 2018. Personally, still to this day, 20 years later, being selected UNC Lacrosse 2005 Team Captain by my teammates is the greatest honor I have ever received.