Stephen Otto Email & Phone Number

Long Lake, Minnesota

Shoreview, Minnesota

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

As a seasoned business leader with success in introducing medical devices to new geographies, I can be a helpful guide for medical device clients interested in entering new-to-them geographies. I teach clients to understand and negotiate cultural differences – a key to successful entrance into any new global market.

Helsinki, Finland

• Called back from Japan to manage / lead 55-person operation that serviced all geographies for the sales and service of a specialized, non-invasive magnetic brain imaging device (MEG).
• Through strategic restructuring, introduction of new products and process improvements turned around a negative company position (annual loss of $7.8 million) to a positive 12% operating profit with $32.5 million in.
• Added a customer service and applications organization within the U.S. operation.
• The strategies noted above led to increased company profits and the withering of 3 competitive global companies.
• Assured compliance in Helsinki operations with FDA and EU regulations.
• Obtained MHLW (Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare), Health Canada, the Chinese, Taiwanese, South Korean Health Ministries, Russian and Brazilian Health Ministries approvals for our new products.

Kobe, Japan And Syndney, Australia

• Started Elekta K.K. (Japan) in 1996 and grew to 30-person very profitable company.
• Led Elekta Party, Ltd (Australia) from 2004 and grew to 14-person, very profitable operation.
• Both companies sold and serviced stereotactic frames and other equipment for image-guided neurosurgery, linear accelerators, software for cancer patient monitoring, and non-invasive magnetic brain imaging devices.
• As President and Managing Director, was responsible for all aspects of the operations in Japan and Australia including, sales, marketing, customer service, regulatory affairs, clinical affairs, administration.

Tokyo, Japan And Okemos, Michigan

• Started Meridian Instruments Far East for U.S. parent company to service Japan and the entire Far East.
• Grew company from 4 to 27 employees and to $12.5 million in profitable sales.
• Company sold research-quality high-end confocal microscopes to medical research facilities and university-affiliated research hospitals.

Tokyo, Japan

• Started Coulter Japan (a part of parent company now known as Beckman Coulter), selling and servicing diagnostic systems for hospital laboratories and other critical care settings used for research and for the diagnosis.
• Negotiated $21 million in financing to acquire our long-time Japanese distributor to improve sales. Was able to repay 10-year financed debt within 3 years.

Waukesha, WI

• Integrated newly acquired assets of Thorn-EMI into GE’s Medical System in Europe, determining which entity (T-E or GE) would be the main entity in the country and what products would be sold.
• Developed global strategy when initial integration was complete.

Bachelor'S Degree, Human Biology

Masters In Business Administration (Mba)