Key insights from the 2023 Howe Lifetime Achievement Award winners

Each year, we’re proud to recognize individuals whose achievements in technology and innovation significantly contribute to healthcare through the Wesley J. Howe Awards for Science and Technology. These awards, named in honor of Wesley J. or “Jack” Howe—whose 40-year tenure with BD included his leadership as President and CEO—reflect the ideals he exemplified and his legacy of creative excellence and execution in breakthrough technologies.

We asked three of this year’s lifetime achievement honorees—Larry Monahan, Director & Principal Engineer, Digital Engineering - 3D Printing & Prototyping; Kim Oliver, Manager - Value Capture; and Bradley Wilkinson, Sr. Staff - Industrial Design—to share their perspectives, including secrets to success and lessons learned over their long, impactful careers. In fact, these three associates alone have a combined 107 years of service with BD! Read about their experiences in their own words:

1. What made you want to work in MedTech?

LM: “I had worked in R&D in other industries, but I was interested in BD, because I knew that the work that I would be doing would help all people. Even though BD was smaller then, the company already had a significant footprint in healthcare. Being part of the team then known as the Becton Dickinson Research Center meant that I was part of developing new technologies that would become game-changers in medical care. I knew that would be exciting and rewarding.”

KO: “I had just graduated from high school and was looking for a six-month job in order to travel to Europe before college. What I found was the adventure of a lifetime, meeting smart, caring people and working in an industry that not only gave me many opportunities to learn and grow, but was also something I was incredibly proud of.”

BW: “I was working for a design consultancy in Atlanta, and I received a project for an ambulatory heart telemetry device. It was the first time I saw the importance of understanding the user’s needs, in this case a nurse and a patient. For that work, I won an Industrial Designers Society of America Gold Award for best design solution, and the product is still helping people today.

2. What innovation(s) are you most proud of?

LM: “I have been so lucky over my career here to have worked with so many brilliant engineers and researchers across the company on many key projects. I think I am most proud of how BD has supported the growth of our 3D printing program, which started as a “far-out idea” when the technology emerged more than 30 years ago. We have grown that technology into something special and become recognized as industry experts in the 3D printing field. The capabilities we have now are world-class, and they are enabling faster discoveries, iterations, and launches, so that we can deliver products that matter to patients and clinicians as soon as possible. Over the years, we have been able to support many important projects across the company. This includes BD safety products and reuse prevention that we provided early on which have been so important for clinicians and patients globally. More recently, my team and I aided in developing the first-of-its-kind research instrument, the BD FACSDiscover™ S8, using 3D printing to support engineers from early design through production and manufacturing. I am incredibly proud of supporting some groundbreaking solutions in our pipeline and helping to enable solutions that will change the lives of so many people in the future.”

KO: “Most of my work has focused on developing solutions designed to reduce surgical site infections through antimicrobials and applicators, but I’ve also worked on diagnostic devices and kits, as well as regional and general anesthesia. With a career as long as mine, I would say there is no single development project that I’m most proud of; instead, I’m most proud of the opportunity to work with smart, motivated colleagues at BD and of taking projects from beginning to end together, and then seeing those products help healthcare providers and patients.”

BW: “I would have to say our contact-activated lancet. A blood draw with a standard needle can be scary for a child. The lancet is ergonomic and compact, and nurses and phlebotomists report liking it, and its bright colors and pressure-activated needle are designed to be child-friendly. It’s incredibly rewarding to know that a solution I worked on is helping to create a better experience so that children can receive the care that they need.”

3. What made BD the kind of company where you’d want to dedicate your life’s work? 

LM: “On my drive home from my interview at BD I said to myself, ‘This is where I want to work.’ Who knew that would turn into a lifetime, but the work we do is important and the people I work with are my second family. We are all very passionate about the work we do and how it impacts humanity and when you can do that with ‘family’ it is huge. My very first manager at BD, a BD Fellow, told me early on ‘Find a job you love, and you will never work a day in your life.’ He was right.”

KO: “Not only does BD make products to help the healthcare industry including caregivers and patients, but it also supports its employees through training, education and opportunities for exploring new skills and career objectives.”

BW: “It’s about designing products that have a real impact on people’s lives and making a difference.”

4. What advice would you give your childhood self about a career in MedTech innovation?

LM: “If that astronaut thing doesn’t pan out… you can find any career path you desire in MedTech - such as science, engineering, clinical, accounting, sales, marketing, and more - and know that you will make a difference in this world.”

KO: “MedTech allows you to expand your mind, your skills and your career all while improving the lives of clinicians and patients across the world.  What could be more rewarding?”  

BW: “Be curious, always ask why and experience the design, design the customer experience.”