William George, 2009 IW Manufacturing Hall of Fame Inductee
After distinguished careers at Litton Industries and Honeywell, George became CEO and chairman of the board of Medtronic.
George transformed the pacemaker manufacturer into a diversified medical technology firm through an aggressive R&D strategy and a series of acquisitions, joint ventures and other moves.
He pushed culture change through more interaction with physicians, patients and hospital personnel, and slashed product development times from 48 months to 15 months.
Under his leadership, Medtronic's market capitalization grew from $1.1 billion to $60 billion, averaging 35% a year. George deliberately set a 10-year limit on his tenure at Medtronic.
Since 2004, he has served as a professor of management practice at Harvard Business School. He and his wife Penny founded the George Family Foundation, which promotes integrative medicine, leadership, spirituality and community initiatives.
