Leading Women CEOs Shaping Medtech in 2026

International Women’s Day 2026, observed on March 8, offers a moment to reflect on the contributions women have made across science and medicine. From Nobel laureate Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin, who used X-ray crystallography to determine the structures of molecules such as penicillin and insulin, to Barbara McClintock, whose discovery of mobile genetic elements reshaped understanding of genetics, women have played a foundational role in the life sciences.

Today, that legacy is beginning to surface in medtech leadership.

Last year, Philips appointed Jie Xue as Chief Business Leader of Precision Diagnosis and Co-Leader of its Diagnosis and Treatment segment, and Özlem Fidanci as Chief of its International Region. Both roles are on Philips’ Executive Committee and cover major parts of its imaging and international business.

In recognition of International Women’s Day 2026, we spotlight leading women across medical devices, diagnostics, AI-enabled imaging and compliance-focused platforms, offering a closer look at how their executive leadership influences how medical technologies are built, regulated and brought into healthcare systems.

Ashley McEvoy, President and CEO, Insulet

Ashley McEvoy was appointed President and CEO of Insulet in April 2025. At the time of the leadership transition, Insulet said it expected to exceed its first-quarter revenue guidance and raise its full-year 2025 outlook. Ashley previously held senior leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson’s MedTech business. She joined Insulet as the company continued to expand its Omnipod automated insulin delivery platform across type 1 and type 2 diabetes markets in the US and Europe. In a 2025 investor event covered by MedTech Dive, Ashley outlined Insulet’s roadmap, including plans for an Omnipod 6 patch pump in 2027 and a fully closed-loop system for type 2 diabetes targeted for 2028

Katie Szyman, CEO of Masimo

Katie Szyman was appointed CEO of Masimo in February 2025. In early 2026, Masimo announced it had entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Danaher in an all-cash transaction valued at $9.9 billion, with plans to operate as a standalone business within Danaher’s Diagnostics segment. In the announcement, Katie said the transaction would allow Masimo to continue scaling its patient monitoring technologies globally while maintaining operational autonomy. Prior to joining Masimo, she held senior leadership roles at Becton Dickinson and Edwards Lifesciences, with experience spanning patient monitoring and critical care technologies.

Dr. Constance Lehman, Founder and CEO, Clairity

Dr. Constance (Connie) Lehman is the Founder and CEO of Clairity and a Professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School. A practicing radiologist and researcher, Lehman’s work has focused on translating decades of imaging research into clinically deployable software that integrates into existing breast imaging workflows. In 2026, she was named to the TIME100 Health list for her work in breast cancer risk assessment. Clairity Breast received FDA De Novo authorization as an AI-based software that estimates a woman’s five-year risk of developing breast cancer using a standard screening mammogram. In February 2026, Clairity reported that the first clinical patient received a Clairity Breast risk score, marking the tool’s initial use in routine care. 

Hila Goldman-Aslan, Co-Founder and Former CEO, DiA Imaging Analysis

Hila Goldman-Aslan founded and led DiA Imaging Analysis, an AI software company developing tools for ultrasound image acquisition and analysis. In February 2023, DiA received FDA clearance for LVivo IQS, a vendor-neutral AI software that provides real-time image quality feedback during cardiac ultrasound exams. Later that year, Philips acquired DiA Imaging Analysis after the company had accumulated multiple FDA-cleared ultrasound software products. Hila led DiA through regulatory clearance and clinical deployment, with the company’s software designed to integrate into existing ultrasound workflows across point-of-care and diagnostic settings.

Marissa Fayer, CEO of DeepLook Medical

Marissa Fayer leads DeepLook Medical, an AI-driven imaging software company focused on breast imaging support. The company’s technology aims to assist radiologists by automating case prioritization and highlighting areas of interest, rather than replacing clinical interpretation. In an interview with Bizwomen, featured on The Business Journals, Marissa described her transition from aerospace engineering into healthcare and her decision to join DeepLook in 2019, citing the opportunity to apply AI in ways that align with radiology workflows. Under her leadership, the company’s FDA-cleared software, DL Precise, has expanded into hundreds of US hospitals. 

Michelle Kuei, Founder and CEO of Mulder

Michelle Kuei is the Founder and CEO of Mulder, a UK-based medtech startup developing blockchain-enabled software for medical device traceability and regulatory compliance. In 2025, Mulder raised £500,000 (around $675 million) in a rolling pre-seed round led by SFC Capital, with additional support from an Innovate UK SMART Grant. Michelle has experience working on FDA- and EU MDR-compliant medical device launches. Mulder’s senior leadership team, including co-founders Sriya Deokar and Prathyusha Kadivella, is entirely female. 

Zhen Xu, Co-Founder, HistoSonics; Professor of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan

Zhen Xu is a Biomedical Engineer and Co-Founder of HistoSonics, a medical device company developing histotripsy, a non-invasive therapeutic ultrasound technology for tumor ablation. In 2023, the FDA cleared histotripsy for the treatment of liver tumors, followed by approval for pilot use within the UK’s National Health Service in 2024. Zhen was named to the TIME100 Health 2026 list, alongside Dr. Lehman, for her role in translating the technology from academic research into regulated clinical use. Her work has focused on enabling surgery-free treatment options through precisely targeted ultrasound, with ongoing evaluation across additional solid tumor indications.

Karen Parkhill, Former CFO, Medtronic; CFO, HP Inc.

Karen Parkhill served as Chief Financial Officer at Medtronic for eight years, overseeing the finance function during a period of operational change and global disruption. During her tenure, she spoke publicly about the need for stronger female representation in medtech leadership and supported company-wide efforts tied to pay equity and leadership development. In 2024, Parkhill announced her departure from Medtronic to take on the role of CFO at HP Inc. In her current position, she is focused on financial strategy as HP integrates AI across its operations and product portfolio. According to Medtronic, Karen said in a company podcast, “The medical device industry has many great women in senior levels, but we need more.”

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