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We can only guess what surgery may look like in 50 or 100 years, but one thing will always be true: The patient and surgeon will always be at the center, according to Medtronic. And the same is true for surgeons and the technology they use.

Surgical robotics isn’t about the bits or bytes; it’s about how the tools help best meet each patient’s needs to deliver the best possible outcome. Join Rajit Kamal, the vice president and general manager of Robotic Surgical Technologies at Medtronic, as he goes beyond robots to explore the intersection of people and technology shaping the future of surgery in his closing keynote at the Robotics Summit & Expo. Spoiler: There will be robots and AI—and beyond.

Kamal’s session will be at 3:30 p.m. ET on May 2 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Registration is now open for the event.

Kamal brings extensive experience to Medtronic

In his current role, Kamal is responsible for end-to-end business of Medtronic’s Hugo robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) system, which today is in use in urologic, gynecologic, and general surgery procedures in hospitals across every continent. The company‘s RAS system is not yet cleared or approved in the U.S.

Known for his people leadership skills, strategic thinking, commercial acumen, and collaborative style, Kamal said he is passionate about the positive impact that healthcare technology has on people’s lives and the critical role it plays in expanding access to care globally.

Before joining Medtronic, Kamal spent 15 years at Johnson & Johnson. Most recently, he was the worldwide president for J&J’s $1 billion Sports Medicine and Shoulder Reconstruction business, providing leadership, from strategy development and portfolio management to commercial execution. Kamal was also member of the DePuy Synthes leadership team.

Kamal started his career with Procter & Gamble in manufacturing, supply chain, and demand planning. He was later a vice president leading J&J’s $1.5 billion orthopedic business, which included digital surgery, trauma, spine, joint reconstruction, and sports medicine with a focus on China, Japan, and Australia.

Before that, Kamal was vice president and global franchise leader for a $1.5 billion knee-reconstruction business at J&J. He was responsible for global sales, profit and loss, global strategy, portfolio, and new product development.

Kamal worked earlier in his career as a strategy consultant at the Boston Consulting Group and Innosight, a customer insights and innovation consulting firm. He specialized in healthcare and advised senior management of Fortune 500 companies on go-to-market strategies, cost benchmarking, product and business model innovation, and organizational restructuring.

Kamal holds a B.S in chemical engineering with distinction from the Indian Institute of Technology, an M.S. in chemical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, an M.S. in technology management from Columbia University, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

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About the 2024 Robotics Summit & Expo

This will be the largest Robotics Summit ever. It will include more than 200 exhibitors, various networking opportunities, a Women in Robotics breakfast, a career fair, an engineering theater, a startup showcase, and more!

New to the event is the RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards Gala. The event will include a cocktail hour, dinner, and the chance to hear from the Robot of the Year, Startup of the Year, and Application of the Year winners. Each RBR50 winner will receive two complimentary tickets to the Robotics Summit and RBR50 gala. A limited number of tickets is available to attendees, but they’re selling fast!

The Robotics Summit & Expo will be co-located with DeviceTalks, an event focused on medical devices, and the inaugural Digital Transformation Forum.