We are pleased to announce that Kent Pendleton has joined the SmartTRAK team as Senior Director of Spine, Neuro and Osteobiologic Solutions. Kent joins us after successful positions in Medtech, Life Science and SaaS Managed Services with an emphasis on Data Analytics.
Kent started his career in med device selling blood chemistry analyzers for Becton Dickinson and Dade-Behring before being hired by Synthes USA (now DePuy-Synthes), where he spent the next 20 years supporting trauma and joint replacement systems in the operating room. Following a desire to learn how Software - and Insights-as-a-Service can fuel the success of a business, Kent moved to ADP, a company with a data set so large that the US government relies on it for the national jobs report. Kent and his family reside in the northwest suburbs of Chicago.
Meet Kent Pendleton:
What is your role with SmartTRAK? As Senior Director of Spine, Neuro and Osteobiologic Solutions, my role is to guide clients to better understand and anticipate their markets, with a high degree of specificity, in order to sharpen their commercial strategy and gain a competitive advantage.
What do you like about SmartTRAK? SmartTRAK is a lean team of tenured industry experts with the firepower to make our clients better at what they do. That might sound broad and even bold, but when I consider how many areas across the breadth of a business that we can empower – from R&D to legal, clinical & regulatory, marketing & sales, finance, even equity investors – it’s clear we can bring a significant impact.
What is something special or unique that you bring to SmartTRAK subscribers? My career has required me to bring value in the OR and in the boardroom, which are two very different skill sets.
Consultative selling in orthopedics taught me that the right device in a well-trained surgeon’s hands can make a major difference in a patient’s outcome. There is tremendous specificity and nuance in that equation, and it fueled my passion for this unique industry.
More recently my focus has been helping clients leverage the most accurate and timely insights to become more strategic and improve decision-making, thereby optimizing performance and profitability.
I feel blessed to have found the unique environment that is SmartTRAK, where I can engage both of these skill sets to empower our clients.
How/why did you get into the life sciences industry? Well, in full transparency, at 17 years of age, with no idea how to study effectively, my pre-med aspirations were quickly dashed! But my love for biology remained, so as a Marketing graduate I found pharmaceutical sales, then quickly moved to med tech. A close friend with Smith+Nephew then turned me on to orthopedics, and I am forever grateful to him. The combination of biology, physics and engineering, within the stimulating environment of the OR – watching our solution literally come together to “fix” the patient – hooked me instantly.
What are your favorite online websites or resources that you check every day? Thankfully, SmartTRAK updates hit my inbox every day! Of course I’m also tuned in to a number of insightful blogs, podcasts and publications, like Becker’s Spine & Ortho, Ortho Innovation Talks, and Orthopedic Design & Technology
How do you stay current on what’s going on in the industry? It’s been very gratifying to reconnect with surgeons I once worked with, former colleagues who still support them in the OR and friends now leading med device companies. Gaining their perspectives is invaluable alongside the amazing insights our expert analysts deliver.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be? Time Travel, hands down.
What was the last show you binge-watched? The answer to that is a tale of two cities. I grew up in Dallas, so really enjoyed the documentary on the Cowboys of the 90’s. As you know, it’s been a while since us Cowboys fans have gotten to see them advance in the postseason!
My second and current home is Chicago. I moved here in late 1995, just as Jordan returned to begin the Bulls’ second ThreePeat. That was thrilling, so I found myself binging The Dance for the second time.
What is your life like outside of SmartTRAK? In October my lovely wife, Margie, and I will celebrate 28 years of marriage. Most days we’d tell you we’d do it all over again! We’re blessed with two wonderful daughters, Erin and Carly, who are closing in on their undergraduate degrees and the beginning of their professional lives. Each has chosen a profession that fits their passion and their innate talents, so we’re excited to see them launch.
Of course, we’re confident we also have the world’s cutest pets: Buddy the SuperBeagle (mix), and two cats, Sugar and Captain.
Personally, my perfect long weekend takes place in New Orleans at the Jazz & Heritage Festival, surrounded by friends and more amazing food and music than anyone can possibly take in…but I give it a solid effort!
What are you most excited about for your upcoming year at SmartTRAK? Reconnecting with my MedTech network, getting a front-row seat to innovation in the industry, and partnering with a new team and new clients.
If you'd like to learn more about SmartTRAK and how it can increase proficiency, improve productivity and reduce costs for your company, or if you would like to meet with Kent, just click the button below.
SmartTRAK is the Medtech industry’s only global Insights-as-a-Service solution for the Orthopedics, Wound Care, Regenerative Medicine and Neuro Therapy markets. SmartTRAK’s propriety methodology turns disparate data from hundreds of sources into powerful insights customers can rely on as the trusted source for strategic decision-making. The SmartTRAK enterprise platform includes rich daily updates, comprehensive market coverage and simple-to-use tools and dashboards for market, product and financial analysis. Customers leveraging the SmartTRAK platform also have direct access to market experts for inquiries and advisory services. If you would like a demo of what SmartTRAK has to offer and see how we can help increase proficiency, improve productivity and reduce costs for your company, just click here.
