Episode 359 - Dexcom CEO on G8, Stolen Sensors, and the Truth from their New Advisory Council

Rob was at ADA 2026 in spirit — armed with press access and a list of questions unrelated to the usual conference talking points. His first guest from that coverage is Jake Leach, Dexcom's new CEO, who took over the role on January 1st after 22 years at the company. This is Jake's first time on Diabetics Doing Things as CEO. It sounds like two people having a real conversation about what it means to lead a company that millions of people with diabetes depend on every single day. They get into the research that came out of this year's scientific sessions — specifically, the CONNECT trial, a global randomized controlled study that examined what happens when people with type 2 diabetes who aren't using insulin start using the Dexcom G7. The numbers are striking: an average 1.6% reduction in HbA1C, 5 additional hours per day in range, and 97% sensor utilization over 6 months. That last number might be the most telling — it answers the question the diabetes world has been asking for years about whether people without hypoglycemia risk would actually wear a CGM consistently. Turns out, they will. Rob also pushes the conversation into territory that most executive interviews don't touch. When Dexcom products intended for destruction were stolen and resold to patients, Jake had to go from leading conference sessions to serving as something closer to a chief detective. His candid answer about feeling genuinely betrayed — and how the newly launched Customer Advisory Council became an unexpected asset in getting the word out — is one of the more honest moments you'll hear from a medical device CEO. The council itself, publicly announced and facilitated externally to get truly unfiltered feedback, is something Jake stood up as one of his first acts as CEO. They close on the bigger picture: G8 on the horizon (half the size of G7, with adaptive sensor technology that auto-corrects signal drift), the Nutrisense acquisition adding nutrition coaching to the platform, and where Jake sees Dexcom going as it scales toward serving hundreds of millions of people globally. If you've ever wondered what the person at the top of your CGM company is actually thinking about, this episode gives you a pretty clear answer. Chapters: 00:00 Rob sets up ADA 2026 remote coverage 01:46 Welcoming Dexcom CEO Jake Leach back 02:30 First 90 days: Jake's three CEO priorities 04:39 The Customer Advisory Council goes public 06:47 What the council revealed about communication gaps 08:44 Stolen sensors: Jake's personal reaction 10:39 How the council helped contain the crisis 11:20 CONNECT trial: CGM for non-insulin type 2 users 15:16 97% adherence and five more hours in range daily 16:16 G8 preview: smaller, smarter, adaptive sensing 16:44 Acquiring Nutrisense and redesigning the app experience 19:52 Optimizing beyond insulin: smart bolus and GLP-1s 21:13 Why CGM and GLP-1s are surprisingly powerful together 22:27 Jake's long-term vision for Dexcom's global impact 24:14 Transparency as the foundation of high-performance culture Resources: * Dexcom — dexcom.com | Follow Jake and the team for updates on G8, Stello, and the Customer Advisory Council findings * CONNECT Trial — The full study results from ADA 2026 Scientific Sessions.