Executive Search Success Story: Recruiting a VP of Quality to Lead Field Action Recovery and Rebuild Post-Market Surveillance for a Global Diagnostics and Device Company

How JRG Partners executed a confidential North American executive search that equipped a publicly traded diagnostics and electromechanical device company with the VP of Quality and post-market leadership required to execute a global field action, rebuild complaint handling and post-market surveillance, restore the credibility of its quality system with regulators and customers, and prevent recurrence across the product portfolio.

The Challenge

A publicly traded diagnostics and electromechanical device company had initiated a global field action on a widely installed analyzer platform after a software and hardware interaction issue led to reportable events. The investigation revealed that complaint trends had been visible for months but not escalated, post-market surveillance was fragmented across regions, and CAPA effectiveness was weak. Regulators in multiple jurisdictions were engaged, hospital customers demanded corrective action timelines, and the incumbent quality leader had departed. Executive leadership identified several critical vulnerabilities threatening the business:

• A global field action across thousands of installed units with regulatory engagement in multiple jurisdictions
• Complaint trends unrecognized for months due to fragmented complaint handling and surveillance
• Medical device reporting timeliness and consistency below regulatory expectations
• CAPA system with weak root-cause investigation and effectiveness verification
• Hospital and laboratory customers demanding corrective action commitments and timelines
• Investor and analyst scrutiny of quality governance and the cost of the field action

Recognizing that recovery required an experienced global quality executive, the CEO and board engaged JRG Partners for an expedited search for a VP of Quality, supported by a Director of Post-Market Surveillance & Complaint Handling and a Director of Global Quality Systems & CAPA. The company required an executive search partner with deep medical device and diagnostics expertise and immediate access to quality leaders who had led global field actions and rebuilt post-market systems.

Why They Chose JRG Partners

Medical Device and Diagnostics Quality Focus

JRG Partners possesses deep recruiting expertise across global medical device and diagnostics companies, electromechanical device manufacturers, and regulated life sciences quality organizations, including quality, post-market surveillance, and quality systems leadership. This domain knowledge ensured an immediate understanding of field action execution, complaint handling and reporting obligations, multi-jurisdiction regulatory engagement, and CAPA effectiveness.

VP of Quality Search Specialization

Our firm maintains a dedicated practice for VP of Quality searches in medical device and medtech, with a proven methodology for evaluating candidates on field action leadership, post-market system transformation, and regulatory and customer credibility under pressure.

Speed Under Regulatory and Customer Pressure

JRG Partners structured the engagement to deliver qualified finalists within two weeks, recognizing that the field action timeline and customer commitments required leadership in place immediately.

Our Executive Search Strategy

Phase 1 — Field Action & Quality System Review

Our consultants partnered directly with the CEO, board, head of regulatory affairs, and outside regulatory counsel to review the field action status, complaint and surveillance gaps, CAPA performance, regulator interactions, and customer commitments. This review defined a VP of Quality profile combining global field action leadership, post-market surveillance rebuild, and quality system credibility.

Phase 2 — Talent Identification & Mapping

Our research team performed an extensive talent mapping initiative targeting quality leaders at global medical device and diagnostics companies and electromechanical device manufacturers who had led documented field actions and post-market transformations. Over 275 executives were systematically assessed across these sectors.

Phase 3 — Candidate Engagement

Priority during outreach was given to leaders with a documented history of executing global field actions, unifying complaint handling and surveillance across regions, improving medical device reporting timeliness, strengthening CAPA root cause and effectiveness, and restoring regulator and customer confidence. Only candidates meeting these strict performance baselines advanced.

Phase 4 — Selection Process

Finalists presented a field action execution and post-market rebuild plan to the CEO, board, and regulatory counsel, completed structured leadership assessments, and underwent reference verification focused on quantified field action, surveillance, and regulatory outcomes.

Key Outcomes

• 275+ medical device and diagnostics quality leader profiles mapped across North America.
• Placed a VP of Quality with proven global field action experience in 40 days.
• Completed a global field action ahead of regulatory commitments.
• Unified complaint handling and post-market surveillance across all regions within nine months.
• Achieved 100% medical device reporting timeliness compliance.
• Closed regulatory inquiries without further action and restored customer purchasing.