Trust Is Leadership Capital — Edwards Lifesciences’ Sarah Huoh

Earned trust becomes leadership capital — and in MedTech, it compounds faster than most leaders realize. In this episode of the Women in MedTech podcast, host Kayleen Brown talks with Edwards Lifesciences’ Sarah Huoh, Corporate Vice President of Public Affairs, about why trust has to be built and demonstrated long before it can be communicated — and what it takes to earn credibility across patients, policy, and teams. Kayleen also welcomes Brittany Mai, Marketing Manager at Confluent Medical Technologies, to discuss what trust looks like across the MedTech ecosystem — how strong partnerships get built, how alignment happens across organizations, and why execution depends on credibility that’s earned over time. Thank you to Confluent Medical Technologies for your support. Visit ➡ https://confluentmedical.com/ *** Enjoy this podcast? Follow Women in MedTech with Kayleen Brown on all major podcast players: https://women-in-medtech.castos.com/subscribe + Follow us on YouTube.com/@DeviceTalks to ensure you never miss an episode. Want access to the complete DeviceTalks Podcast Network (DTPN)? Follow us today at https://devicetalks.castos.com/subscribe Chapters (00:00:00) - Why trust matters in MedTech(00:02:13) - Introducing In-studio guest, Brittany Mai, Confluent Medical Technologies(00:17:34) - Start of Keynote Interview with Sarah Huoh, Edwards Lifesciences(00:18:31) - Leadership foundations: first job lessons that still show up in the C-suite(00:29:32) - Career moves with strategy: how Sarah chose roles that widened her impact(00:32:44) - Public affairs as a business function: reputation, policy, and patient trust(00:38:30) - “Team of teams” leadership: alignment, execution, and internal credibility(00:39:23) - Operating at global scale: keeping 16,000 employees anchored on patients(00:42:18) - Patient education as market reality: reducing fear, friction, and confusion(00:48:49) - Trust as leadership capital: demonstrated behavior, not messaging(01:06:52) - Conclusion: key takeaways on earning trust that compounds