Pioneers of the Medical Device Industry in Minnesota Oral History Project: Interview with Winston R. Wallin

Titles: Pioneers of the Medical Device Industry in Minnesota Oral History Project: Interview with Winston R. Wallin (Supplied title)

Description: BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Winston R. Wallin was born in Minnesota and graduated from a Minnesota university. He was a grain trader, executive, and board member for a major Minnesota food company. From the late 1970s until the mid 1990s he was a board member of Medtronic, and served the last five years as a chief executive. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Conversazione: One in a series of informal talks on the medical device industry sponsored by the Bakken Library and Museum. Audio interview: Education; family; early career; impressions of Pillsbury Company; challenges as operating head of Pillsbury; early impressions of Medtronic; work on the board; diversification; role of technology and research and development; increased strategic planning; Medtronic's culture and atmosphere; impact of layoffs; quality control; liability issues; sales force; relationship of company with medical community; advantages and disadvantages of pioneering technology; acquired companies; Food and Drug Administration; Medtronic's relationship with colleges and universities; reason for large number of medical device companies in Minnesota; thoughts on his management style.

Dates

• 10/20/1997 - 04/03/1998 (Conversazione (informal talk) conducted 10/21/1997 and audio interview 4/3/1998.) (Creation)

Creation

• interviewee: Wallin, Winston R.
• interviewer: Rhees, David J. Ph.D.

Identifiers

• Library Call Number: OH 87
• Accession Number: AV2001.104.15

Holding Type: Oral History - Interview

Project

• Oral History - Project, MHS Collection, project: 'Pioneers of the Medical Device Industry in Minnesota Oral History Project' <OH 87>

Quantity: 3.5 hours sound cassette 40 pages transcript

Format

• Content Category: sound recordings
• Content Category: text

Measurements

• 02:37:20 running time

Subjects

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