When Arik Corcos agreed to meet for coffee after a LinkedIn message from a stranger, it revealed something about the leadership style that has taken him from sales manager to country director of one of the world’s largest medical device companies.
Sitting in his office – Herzeliya, the 51-year-old executive discussed how Medtronic Israel has navigated one of the most challenging periods in the country’s recent history while maintaining its commitment to patients and continuing to grow its operations.
Interview with Arik Corcos
“We’re focused on the Israeli market and we’re committed to our patients,” Corcos said. “Despite the wars and the rockets and the missiles, we were always committed to patients and customers. So we were always out there with everybody.”
The challenge of maintaining medical device operations during wartime is not theoretical for Medtronic Israel. With 1,100 employees across the country, the company has had to ensure continuity of critical medical supplies while keeping staff safe.
Yet Corcos projects an almost casual confidence when discussing these pressures. When asked how he’s handling the situation, he simply notes they’re “praying for better days” while maintaining normal business operations.
The path to his current role began far from the medical field. Growing up in central Israel, Corcos initially studied computer science and management at Open University, thinking he might become a programmer. But an MBA at Oxford changed his trajectory entirely.
“I realized I want to do business, but with an impact,” he said. “One of the case studies we did was actually on healthcare and that’s how I found my future.”
That future started with a sales role at Medtronic in cardiac rhythm management – pacemakers and defibrillators. Success in sales led to broader responsibilities, eventually overseeing 13 countries across Western Europe before being offered the top role in Israel.
Today, he oversees four distinct business portfolios that reflect Medtronic’s broad reach in medical technology. The diabetes division has gained particular prominence in Israel due to favorable reimbursement policies. The cardiology business, where Corcos began his career, continues with pacemakers, defibrillators and heart-lung machines. A surgical portfolio incorporates technology from the company’s Covidien acquisition, while the neuroscience division includes robotics technology.
That last category holds special significance for the Israeli operation. Medtronic’s acquisition of Israeli company Mazor Robotics represents the kind of local technology integration that has helped build the company’s substantial Israeli presence.
When pressed to identify Medtronic’s most successful product from its hundreds of offerings, Corcos demurs. “There are a lot of them,” he said. “In every portfolio we have, there are impactful technologies. So there is not one that you can associate with.”
The diversity appears intentional for a company whose public market capitalization exceeds $111 billion. Rather than betting on a single breakthrough, Medtronic has built a portfolio approach across multiple medical specialties.
Despite regional tensions, the company continues hiring. “We always hire,” Corcos said, directing interested candidates to check the company website.
For someone leading operations during such an unsettled time, Corcos maintains an remarkably upbeat demeanor. When asked if he’s enjoying the role, his response is immediate: “Very much so.”
“It’s exciting because you see the impact you make on people’s lives,” he explained. “When you see the impact of our technologies on people’s life, it’s really exciting.”
That impact extends beyond individual patients to the broader Israeli tech ecosystem. With 1,100 employees and continued expansion plans, Medtronic represents the kind of multinational commitment that Israeli policymakers hope to maintain even during difficult periods.
As our brief conversation concluded, Corcos embodied the accessibility that made the original LinkedIn outreach successful. For a country director of a major multinational corporation, he projects an remarkably down-to-earth presence – the kind of executive comfortable grabbing coffee with a stranger who sends an interesting message.
In times of crisis, that kind of leadership approach may prove as valuable as any medical device technology.