Que Dallara is leading the Medtronic Diabetes business through a historic turnaround.

The recent FDA approval of the MiniMed™ 780G system and the announcement of our intent to acquire South Korean wearable insulin patch maker EOFlow* are just the latest milestones as the business gains momentum.

So, it’s not hard to imagine the EVP and President of Medtronic Diabetes starting her first business at 16 to bring in some funds growing up with a single mom of four.

“There’s a saying about necessity breeding ingenuity, and it's really true,” she said.

She credits much of her success to the influence of her mother, who fled Vietnam when Dallara was a child. Her mother worked 40 years in the Australian postal service, where she did more than deliver mail. Having been a lawyer in Vietnam, she noticed injustice in the postal system. Her response was to join the union and change the rules.

“And I think for me the lesson there is, you can be world class. It doesn't matter what station in life you are,” she said.

And while there’s value in looking back, Dallara is more interested in what lies ahead. After all, everyone has a story. What matters, she said, is how you use the tools life gives you. 

“And when you grow up really poor, you get a lot of tools,” she said.

Those tools inform her leadership style, which is based in setting direction, making good decisions, and mobilizing people to get the work done.

To do that, you have to be in the details, she said.

And it’s that level of leadership that’s getting her noticed. She was recently recognized on Fortune’s list of ‘Future Fortune 500 CEOs.’

Dallara’s career has included innovation in new product development and commercialization in the tech industry. Before coming to Medtronic, she was President and CEO of Honeywell’s software business.

Her success at Medtronic Diabetes comes down to two things: a belief in the Medtronic Mission – and the audacity to bring it to life.

“You have to know where the problems are and go towards it, and that takes courage” she said. “That takes a kind of audacity, because innovation doesn't happen without taking on some risk.”

Healthcare technology is a competitive landscape, and Dallara knows that the ever-evolving nature of tech means that the business’ recent accomplishments are just the beginning. 

“We haven’t arrived by any means. I know what we’re capable of,” she said. “We've had quite a year, but it's going to get even better.”

*EOPatch is not approved or cleared by FDA and not available for sale in the U.S.
EOPatch® is a registered trademark of EOFlow Co., Ltd.

L003-06012023 

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