AdvaMed’s Latest Appointee Discusses New Role

J.C. Scott has joined the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) as senior executive vice president and director of government affairs. He succeeds Brett Loper, who is now policy director for Ohio Republican House Speaker John Boehner.

In his new position, Scott will lobby state and federal lawmakers as well as medical device regulators on behalf of member companies. His first official day of work was April 11.

“I was very excited for the opportunity to join AdvaMed,” Scott said in an interview with Medical Product Outsourcing. “It is a well-established and respected organization, and being given the opportunity to lead its advocacy efforts marks a real personal milestone in my career.”

Scott previously was senior vice president of federal relations for the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI), where he worked for seven years. Scott led lobbying efforts on the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, as well as on various tax and retirement security initiatives. Before joining ACLI, Scott served as deputy director for policy at the House Republican Conference and in varied capacities for former U.S. Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio).

“We are thrilled to welcome J.C.,” AdvaMed President and CEO Stephen J. Ubl said in a written statement. “He has a wealth of experience putting together winning strategies. He understands the importance of approaching complex policy issues with data-driven arguments and shares our commitment to keeping patient needs at the center of our advocacy.”

Scott, who believes in a team-oriented approach to lobbying important issues, also noted the similarities between his former and current industries.

[“The ACLI], like AdvaMed, has a large and diverse membership, so helping drive consensus to get the best solution will be an important part of my job,” Scott told MPO. “There is no shortage of challenges for the device industry—with the pending reauthorization of the [Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act] and our efforts to bring predictability and efficiency back to the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] review process, there is a lot of work to be done.”

To get up to speed on device-related issues, Scott hopes to meet with various member companies in the next few months.

“I believe that seeing what companies do firsthand will be an important part of my education,” said Scott, who holds a bachelor’s degree from Duke University in Durham, N.C., and a law degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

There may be a lot of work to be done and a plethora of details to learn, but Scott insisted he is up to the challenge.

“The medical device industry provides life-changing innovative technology that improves people’s lives,” he said. “It’s also an industry that is built on small businesses and entrepreneurship, creates well-paying jobs, and has continued to grow even during tough economic times; there is a great story for the industry to tell on Capitol Hill and beyond.”