Intuitive's Vavoso on the rise of surgical robotics in Asia

In this episode of IntuitiveTalks, Glenn Vavoso, a U.S. Navy Veteran and SVP and General Manager APAC at Intuitive, begins by sharing how his time in the Navy led him on a winding road to medtech and, later, valuable insights into the company's strategic expansion in Asia's medical device market, including a $100 million investment. Also, in the episode, Vavoso discusses the factors that led to Intuitive's transition from a distributor model to a direct selling model, highlighting the importance of being close to the customer and directly involved in the market. He also provides an overview of the attitude and adoption limitations towards surgical robotics in various Asian countries, focusing on Japan and Korea, and his strategy to overcome the obstacles. He further delves into the competitive landscape of surgical robotic systems in Asia, revealing that there are 11 active market-released competitive robotic systems in the region. Despite the competition, he emphasizes that there is more opportunity ahead than behind, especially in top-tier institutions. Lastly, Vavoso also touches on the impact of COVID-19 on their operations, explaining how the pandemic has led to a shift in their approach to customer engagement and remote communication with surgeons and hospital executives. Check out the episode to learn how by focusing on opportunities in China and South Korea, building local partnerships, and utilizing virtual tools, Vavoso has charted a course for Intuitive to increase its reach and impact throughout Asia. Join us at DeviceTalk West this October 18-19 at the Santa Clara Convention Center. Visit West.DeviceTalks.com to see our lineup of speakers, panels, and sessions.