Chad Evans is Vice President and General Manager of ASC and Neurotechnology at Stryker, with more than a decade of leadership at the company and over two decades in the medical technology industry. His work focuses on ambulatory surgery center strategy, global marketing, pricing and contracting strategy, and customer experience within complex healthcare environments. He has held global leadership roles spanning endoscopy, arthroscopy, general surgery, neurosurgery, and operating room design, with a consistent emphasis on surgeon relationships and talent development. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Wake Forest University, where he graduated cum laude and captained the men’s soccer team.

Leadership and Impact

If you had a magic wand and could permanently solve one of your department’s biggest challenges right now, what would that be?

One of the most persistent challenges in large, complex healthcare organizations is alignment at speed—specifically, aligning strategy, incentives, and execution across functions while markets and customer needs evolve faster than internal processes. If I had a magic wand, I would permanently solve the friction between innovation and scale. Too often, organizations are forced to choose between moving quickly with novel solutions or moving carefully to protect quality, compliance, and trust. Solving this would mean creating systems that allow teams to experiment rapidly while still operating within a disciplined, enterprise framework—so innovation becomes repeatable, not episodic. In healthcare, where the stakes are high, this balance is critical to delivering meaningful, sustainable impact for patients and providers alike.

Looking back over the past three years, what are the two most impactful things you have accomplished in your role?

First, I’m proud of helping to build and operationalize a more integrated, enterprise-oriented approach to partnering with customers in the ambulatory surgery center. Rather than leading with individual products or siloed solutions, we’ve focused on understanding customers’ strategic objectives—growth, efficiency, access, and outcomes—and aligning cross-functional capabilities around those goals. This shift has changed the nature of our customer relationships from transactional to genuinely collaborative.

Second, I’ve invested heavily in building and empowering teams that thrive in ambiguity. Over the past three years, we’ve navigated significant disruption across healthcare delivery, technology, and economics. Creating clarity, trust, and momentum for teams during uncertain periods has been one of the most meaningful and lasting impacts of my role.

If you could perfectly execute the accomplishment of three goals for your department over the next three years, what would those goals be?

First, I would ensure we become the most trusted strategic partner to healthcare systems navigating site-of-care shifts, technology adoption, and financial pressure. Second, I would like us to scale solutions—not just ideas—that measurably improve clinical and operational outcomes across diverse care settings. Third, I would focus on developing the next generation of leaders who are as comfortable operating at the intersection of strategy, technology, and relationships as they are managing day-to-day execution.

The AOC and the Power of the Collective

How can the AOC better utilize its digital platform to support meaningful, efficient connections between industry and academic leaders?

The AOC is uniquely positioned to move beyond content sharing and become a true connector of people, ideas, and execution. Digitally, this means curating interactions with intention—matching academic leaders and industry partners around specific challenges, not just broad interests. Thoughtful use of data, forums, and smaller, purpose-driven communities could enable faster learning, deeper collaboration, and more tangible outcomes. The real power of the collective is unlocked when the platform doesn’t just inform, but actively facilitates progress on shared priorities.

The Human Side of the Role

What is your “superpower”, a skill or strength you have that you genuinely love to use in your job and feel you are especially good at?

I have learned that my superpower is Harmony. An approach, focusing on conflict resolution, consensus-building, and practical collaboration.

Reflection and Perspective

If you could go back and give yourself one or two pieces of career advice earlier in your journey, what would they be?

First, I would remind myself that patience and urgency are not opposites—they are complements. The best leaders move with urgency while respecting that meaningful change takes time. Second, I would emphasize the importance of relationships over roles. Titles change, strategies evolve, but trust and credibility compound over an entire career.

Just for Fun

What is your go to favorite meal?

Maryland crabs (preferably all-you-can-eat).

If you were snowed in for a weekend and could binge watch one TV show, what would you choose?

I would go snowboarding.