Former Stryker CEO Receives Lifetime Achievement Award from AdvaMed

Generous. Committed. Honest. Pioneering.

Those adjectives were just a fraction of the laurels heaped upon former Stryker Corp. CEO John W. Brown on Wednesday as he received the Advanced Medical Technology Association’s (AdvaMed) inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award. Bestowed upon Brown on the final day of the trade association’s conference in Washington, D.C., the award highlights the contributions and accomplishments of a senior executive who has made significant advancements for the medical technology industry, its employees and its patients. Brown was honored for his “unparalleled and sustained activity in industry leadership, medical innovation, public engagement and corporate philanthropy,” according to an AdvaMed news release.

“Today we are honoring someone who has worked to provide integrity, honesty and progress to the [medical technology] industry throughout his career,” AdvaMed Board Chairman, Zimmer Holdings Inc. President/CEO (and, technically, Stryker rival) David C. Dvorak boasted to colleagues during a brief luncheon ceremony. “This gentleman represents the best of our medical technology community.”

Before presenting him with the award, Dvorak played a video tribute for the audience that featured testimonials from friends, colleagues and several politicians (one lawmaker bragged about their friendship transcending party lines). Current Stryker President/CEO Kevin A. Lobo called Brown a “giant in the industry…He doesn’t speak often but when he does, everyone listens.” Another colleague praised Brown’s ability to motivate “ordinary people” to achieve extraordinary things. “We call it the John Brown treatment,” he remarked.

A graduate of Auburn University in Alabama, Brown began his career in 1957 as an engineer for aluminum manufacturer Ormet Corporation but left to join Thiokol Corporation to work on rocket propellants. An aerospace industry slump prompted his move to Squibb Corporation, where he assumed a variety of positions before becoming president of its struggling medical device manufacturing subsidiary Edward Weck & Company in 1972. During his five-year tenure at firm, Brown doubled its sales and tripled its profits—a feat that helped land him the top job at Stryker in 1977.

Upon his appointment, Brown set three goals for the company that eventually would ensure its success and make him an industry darling: to take Stryker public, to grow earnings per share by 20 percent annually, and to drive growth through acquisitions and operational excellence. Under his leadership, sales grew from $17 million to $6.72 billion.

Brown became Stryker’s board chairman in May 1980 and was the company’s CEO for 27 years before he retired in 2004. He remained chairman until 2009 and currently serves as chairman emeritus.

“No one deserves our first achievement award more than John Brown,” AdvaMed President/CEO Stephen J. Ubl said. “America’s medical technology industry is the beneficiary of John’s legacy of leadership as the longest-serving board member in the Association’s history. His vast accomplishments have greatly impacted the industry and the advancement of medical technology as an essential part of America’s economy. Importantly, while John Brown is often viewed as a business visionary, he also is a man of unmatched character, making him a clear choice for AdvaMed’s first Lifetime Achievement Award.”

Brown received a standing ovation from conference attendees as he accepted his award. He humbly thanked Stryker’s leaders and employees for contributing to the company’s success, and thanked AdvaMed bigwigs for the honor, noting “a simple thank you is just not enough to express my appreciation for this award. It is my hope that this recognition will serve to inspire future generations of medical technology executives to appreciate that, with a commitment to saving lives and creating jobs, our industry is of unmatched value to America.”

Brown served on the boards of both AdvaMed and its former alias, the Health Industry Manufacturers Association. He is a director of the American Business Conference, a coalition of chief executive officers of mid-size, high-growth companies. Brown also is a director of St. Jude Medical Inc., a governor-appointee on the Michigan Economic Development Committee and an Auburn University Foundation board member.

Brown currently lives in Kalamazoo, Mich. (Stryker’s hometown) with his wife Rosemary Kopel Brown. The couple has two daughters and four grandchildren.