Medtronic is proud of its reputation for attracting and developing some of the brightest leaders in the medical technology industry. Strong leadership is vital to achieving Medtronic's goals and fulfilling its mission to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life.
Meet three talented women on Medtronic's leadership team.
Karen L. Parkhill, Executive Vice President
Karen serves on the company's Executive Committee and is responsible for leading the Medtronic global finance organization and key supporting functions, including Treasury, Controller, Tax, Internal Audit, Investor Relations, Corporate Strategy and Business Development.
Karen joined Medtronic in June 2016 from Comerica Incorporated where she was Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer. She was a member of Comerica's Management Executive Committee and the Comerica Bank Board of Directors.
As Chief Financial Officer at Comerica, Karen had direct management of Finance, overseeing Accounting, Business Finance, Corporate Planning and Development, Investor Relations, Treasury as well as Economics, with responsibility for all financial reporting. She previously had administrative responsibilities for Comerica's Service Company, Corporate Compliance and Financial Intelligence.
She joined Comerica from JP Morgan Chase and Co., where she served as Chief Financial Officer for the Commercial Banking business from 2007 to 2011. She joined JP Morgan in 1992 in the Investment Bank and held various positions of increasing scope and responsibility, from an Associate in the Mergers and Acquisitions Group to a Managing Director in the Investment Banking Coverage Group.
Karen earned bachelor's degrees in business administration and mathematics from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She is a 2012 recipient of the SMU Cox School of Business Distinguished Alumni Award and a 2008 recipient of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business Distinguished Young Alumna Award. She is a member of the International Women's Forum and serves as a National Trustee for the Boys and Girls Club of America, the Board of Directors of Methodist Health System and the Executive Board for Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business.
Luann Pendy, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Chief Quality and Regulatory Affairs Officer
Luann oversees all global quality and regulatory affairs operations for the company and is a member of the Medtronic Executive Committee.
She partners with the business groups and global regions to assure end-to-end quality, reliability and regulatory compliance, from development through manufacturing, distribution and end-customer use. She is responsible for driving the strategic direction for the quality and regulatory affairs programs through the implementation of policy and standards across Medtronic. She joined Medtronic in 2008 as the vice president of Corporate Quality.
In 2015, she was named by the National Diversity Council as one of the Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology, which is a definitive list of female executives, influencers and achievers impacting the technology industry.
Prior to Medtronic, Luann served as corporate vice president of Global Quality and Regulatory Affairs at Hospira. In that role, she led worldwide quality and regulatory affairs for the design and manufacturing of medical devices and pharmaceuticals. Previously, Luann spent 17 years at Abbott Laboratories, where she held several leadership roles in technical product development and quality for the diagnostics, devices and pharmaceutical business divisions.
Luann is the executive sponsor of the Medtronic Women’s Network hub in Minnesota. She is a member of the Leadership Council on Advancing Women, The Conference Board. She also serves on the Science Museum of Minnesota’s Board of Trustees.
Luann received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan and her Doctorate of Philosophy in Immunology from Rush University in Chicago.
Carol Surface, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Carol joined Medtronic in September 2013 as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer. She leads Medtronic’s human resources strategy for 86,000+ employees worldwide. She also provides leadership for Global Communications, Philanthropy, and Medtronic Labs, and serves as the Board Chair of the Medtronic Foundation. Key focus areas include organizational transformation, enterprise talent management and succession planning, leadership development, inclusion and diversity, executive compensation, reputation management, and community and health initiatives.
Prior to joining Medtronic, Carol served as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Best Buy Co., Inc., a leading provider of technology products, services, and solutions. Carol also held a series of human resources leadership roles of increasing responsibility at PepsiCo, including serving as Chief Personnel Officer for PepsiCo International. She has lived and worked in Asia, the Middle East, and the United States.
Carol earned a Ph.D. in industrial/organizational psychology from Central Michigan University. She serves on the Greater MSP Board of Directors and is also a Director for the Human Resources Policy Association. She is a member of The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and The Conference Board Human Resources Council.
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