GEO CLUSTER SPEAKERS
Dr. Marissa Alert
Dr. Marissa Alert is a psychologist, advisor, and speaker who partners with executive teams to address the human factors shaping uneven AI adoption. Viewing AI implementation as a behavior change challenge, she diagnoses the trust, leadership, and team dynamics that influence whether new tools integrate into existing workflows. Her work pinpoints what inhibits adoption, where intervention is needed, and how organizations can strengthen the results they get from AI.
Her insights have been featured in numerous publications, including Forbes, Newsweek, Yahoo Life, The Guardian, and WorkLife, and she was a contributing author to the book, Race Forward: The Health Equity Guide for Employers.
Dr. Alert earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Dartmouth College and her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Miami. She completed her predoctoral internship at Brown University and her postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Drawing on her clinical, research, and corporate experience, she brings a distinctive perspective to a central challenge in AI today: why some initiatives gain traction while others struggle to deliver results.
Christopher Bailey-Gates
Chris Bailey-Gates holds a BS in Biomedical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and is a Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) through the American Society for Quality (ASQ) and has over ten years of experience in medical device quality systems, with expertise in post-market surveillance for contract-manufactured products, quality system process engineering, and internal auditing. Their experience also includes hosting external audits and regulatory inspections including FDA inspections, MDSAP recertifications, and audits conducted by multiple global regulatory authorities.
TREVOR BOYLSTON
Trevor Boylston, CPSM, CPSD currently leads the Economic Inclusion program at Boston Scientific. Beginning his career with ViaCord, a Perkin Elmer Company, Trevor brings 20 years of experience in life science procurement together with his passion for equity and inclusion to drive progress and meaningful connections within Boston Scientific. Trevor serves on the Board of Directors for the Alliance for Science, supporting the Mentorship Committee and the Elevate program. He is a member of the TGX Committee for the NGLCC. He serves on the Board of Directors of SpeakOUT Boston. In his free time, Trevor enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, and finding new creative outlets.
Susan Bueche
As the new Marketing Procurement Lead at Takeda, Susan oversees the execution of global marketing procurement strategy while championing a strong commitment to Supplier Diversity and Inclusion. She leads her team in expanding equitable sourcing opportunities across Takeda, integrating diverse suppliers into strategic categories, and ensuring procurement decisions reflect the company’s broader DE&I goals.
With more than 20 years of experience in indirect procurement across industries including Automotive and Healthcare, Susan brings deep expertise in transforming processes and elevating the impact of procurement organizations. During her tenure as Head of Procurement, Marketing & Sales at Merck KGaA, she established herself as a respected, steady leader—developing high-performing teams, driving operational efficiency, strengthening cross-functional partnerships, and aligning procurement strategy with critical business priorities to deliver impact and value beyond savings. Recognized for her collaborative style and inclusive leadership, Susan excels at mobilizing cross-organizational initiatives that fuel business growth. She approaches challenges with a solution-driven mindset and fosters a culture of best-practice sharing, continuous learning, and intentional inclusion—ensuring procurement not only drives value but also advances equitable opportunities across the supplier ecosystem.
Ralph Carlton
Ralph Carlton is a senior procurement and strategic sourcing leader with extensive experience driving global supply chain and sourcing transformations within large, complex organizations. At Thermo Fisher Scientific, he focuses on advancing procurement strategy, supplier performance, and data-driven decision-making to support innovation and operational efficiency across the enterprise.
Ralph brings a strong track record of leadership across global manufacturing and technology-driven industries, with prior roles overseeing strategic sourcing, procurement analytics, and supplier management at companies including ASML, Stanley Black & Decker, and Velcro Companies. His expertise spans category management, supply chain optimization, and building resilient, high-performing supplier ecosystems.
He holds an MBA from Wayne State University and a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Michigan. Ralph is also a Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM), reflecting his commitment to excellence in procurement leadership.
Tim Dolan
Tim Dolan is the Global Director of Indirect Sourcing at Boston Scientific, based at the company’s headquarters in Marlborough, Massachusetts. In addition to his sourcing leadership, Tim is actively involved in employee engagement initiatives and previously served as Global Lead for the Veterans Employee Resource Group. Tim brings over 30 years of experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, and management across both public and private sectors. Prior to joining Boston Scientific, he served as Head of Procurement at Nuance Communications, held a Group Purchases Manager role at Procter & Gamble, and advanced through multiple leadership positions within The Gillette Company’s Global Procurement organization. He also spent two years at A.T. Kearney, advising Fortune 500 companies on sourcing strategy and transformation. Tim began his career serving in the U.S. Navy as a Supply Officer aboard the USS Peleliu, completing two deployments to the Persian Gulf. He holds an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, a Master of Science in Supply Chain Management from Michigan State University, and a bachelor’s degree in Government from Harvard College. Outside of work, Tim serves on the Board of The Sudbury for Wounded Warriors, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting wounded service members. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Shannon, and their two sons, T.J. and Jack, as well as traveling, golf, managing fantasy football teams, and playing men’s league ice hockey.
Kevin Harvey
Kevin Harvey is a sourcing and procurement Director at Boston Scientific, specializing in global category strategy, operational excellence, and transformation initiatives. With experience across Siemens, Draeger, Nuance, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, he is known for delivering measurable results while building collaborative, high-performing teams.
He is passionate about leveraging AI and emerging technologies to drive innovation. Kevin is passionate about coaching, lives in Central Massachusetts with his wife, their two sons, Jackson (12) and Noah (11), and their dog, Riley.
Dean Jablonsky
Dean Jablonsky is Vice President of Global Indirect Sourcing and Enterprise Excellence at Boston Scientific, where he leads enterprise-wide initiatives to drive operational excellence, value improvement, and strategic sourcing across global markets. In this role, he oversees efforts spanning the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, supporting manufacturing, supply chain, and business transformation initiatives.
With a career at Boston Scientific spanning nearly three decades, Dean has held a range of leadership roles across operations, quality engineering, and enterprise excellence. He has been instrumental in advancing the company’s global Enterprise Operating System and leading large-scale transformation efforts in both operations and R&D. His work has contributed to multiple sites earning Shingo recognition for operational excellence.
Dean holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Minnesota Duluth and an Executive MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Mike Jorgensen
Mike Jorgensen is a global quality leader in the medical device industry, currently serving as Director of Supplier Quality Engineering for Acquisitions, Subsidiaries, and Global Services at Boston Scientific. With over a decade of progressive leadership experience, he strives to turn complex challenges into clear, actionable strategies that drive business performance and improve patient outcomes. Mike specializes in global supplier management, outsourced manufacturing, and acquisition integration, bringing a disciplined, end-to-end approach to quality that extends across the entire product lifecycle. He is passionate about developing high-performing, connected teams and fostering cultures where people are empowered to contribute and innovate. His work sits at the intersection of quality, strategy, and human-centered leadership, with a consistent focus on improving outcomes for patients around the world.
Amy Kent
Amy Kent is a Senior Manager at Boston Scientific with over 27 years of experience across the medical field, beginning her career as a NICU nurse and building a diverse background that includes nurse legal analysis, performance management, patient safety, research compliance, and clinical quality assurance. She currently leads the Clinical Quality Assurance Center of Excellence, where she oversees global clinical vendor oversight and risk-based audit programs, ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements and enterprise quality objectives.
Amy is recognized as a trusted and collaborative leader who brings structure, consistency, and strategic focus to complex quality initiatives. She has strengthened audit harmonization, enhanced vendor governance, and driven process improvements that support compliance and deliver measurable business value. Known for her integrity, thoughtful decision-making, and ability to balance accountability with support, she fosters high-performing teams and strong cross-functional partnerships.
She holds a Bachelor of Nursing from Baylor University and is passionate about leading with integrity, servanthood, and compassion. Amy lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband and two children and enjoys volunteering, neighborhood walks, and time with friends and family.
Donagh McDonagh
Donagh McDonagh first joined Boston Scientific at their plant in Galway, Ireland, in 1994, and has held various roles in Quality Operations, Design Assurance, Regulatory Compliance and Quality Systems there. Since moving to the company’s Marlborough headquarters in 2016, Donagh has held various roles in Quality Systems Management, and is currently the Associate Director of Quality Systems and Clinical Quality, supporting our Endoscopy and Urology divisions. As part of that role, Donagh is the main point of contact for all external audits at Marlborough, and interacts regularly with various Notified Bodies, international government agencies, and FDA in that role. Outside of work, Donagh enjoys spending time and money on his daughter’s various sporting activities, has an eclectic taste in music, enjoys road trips, and loves a quirky comedy.
Nathan Merrow
Nathan has been with BSC since April 2025 and is a Senior Quality Engineer with Global Quality, corporate compliance, and is a core member of the Corporate Audit Support [CAS] team. He has a PharmD from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and prior to BSC worked as a general admin, accountant, and internal auditor for a national non-profit. The CAS team consists of Michael George, Jynx Boyne, and Nathan managed by Sherry Boudrot. The team focuses on supporting BSC External Audit activities through audit readiness, direct audit support, tracking & analysis of audit metrics, and a broad variety of QMS activities. Nathan specializes in planning and support of inspections driven by OUS markets such as Russia and the Middle East. Outside work he enjoys trail running and classical music.
Bobby Robertson
Bobby Robertson is a body language coach, specializing in micro expressions. Studying people for almost 30 years has helped him understand the psychology of business to accurately read rooms and establish trust quickly. His current and former clientele include utilities, Fortune 500 firms, law enforcement, prime contractors, celebrities, and politicians. He is also the President & CEO of Client Confidant, a client satisfaction and customer experience firm. His company specializes in helping suppliers in regulated industries to retain and grow contracts with their clients through client satisfaction interviews with body language analysis. Mr. Robertson is a person with a disability and his company is certified nationally as a Disability-Owned Business Enterprise (DOBE).
Ruchi Sisodia Shah
Ruchi Sisodia Shah is Senior Legal Director at Boston Scientific, where she leads Legal & Global Compliance’s Strategy and Operations team and functions as chief of staff to the General Counsel. She drives strategic planning, financial management, and technology-enabled process improvements across the department. Previously, Ruchi led the Corporate Commercial Legal group, advising on complex technology/AI initiatives, and global sourcing and supplier-related commercial matters. Prior to joining Boston Scientific, she was senior commercial counsel at National Grid where she primarily negotiated sourcing contracts. Ruchi is a graduate of Trinity College (Hartford, CT) and Emory University School of Law (Atlanta, GA).
Ebony Travis
Ebony Travis Tichenor is a Director at Boston Scientific with nearly 29 years of experience working across Sales, Legal, Compliance, Human Resources, and Corporate Responsibility. She currently leads Global Wellbeing and Employee Resource Groups, driving global strategy at the intersection of employee experience, culture, and business performance. Ebony holds an MBA in Business and Human Resources and is recognized for aligning wellbeing with enterprise priorities to enhance engagement, performance, and organizational effectiveness. Her leadership perspective is shaped by both her corporate experience and earlier roles, including recognition as Miss Texas USA and time as a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, where she developed a strong foundation in discipline, communication, and presence that continues to inform how she leads today.
She is deeply committed to advancing wellbeing as both a business imperative and a leadership responsibility. Ebony lives this commitment through her focus on fitness, self-care, and intentional living, while also balancing her roles as a caregiver to her mother, a dedicated partner to her husband, and a proud fur baby mom. She believes authentic leadership and sustained performance are grounded in how we care for ourselves and support others—and strives to model that in both her work and her life.
Kathryn Unger
Kathryn Unger joined Boston Scientific in 2022 and leads Boston Scientific’s value focused global ESG vision and strategy by engaging with business leaders and internal and external experts to define, set and achieve short – and long-term enterprise priorities. Fluent in English and Spanish, Kathryn hold an MBA from Stanford and a Masters of Accounting from UNC. Kathryn has held several leadership roles at Cargill, most recently as vice president of North America Government Relations. Prior to Cargill, She worked for Cummins Inc. for nearly 10 years, leading the company’s global Rail and Defense engine business as well as other roles in business development and program management. Kathryn was also a tax consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers, and a teacher in the U.S. and in Colombia.
Kristen Wagner
Kristen Wagner has broad experience in Supplier Management, Materials Controls, Quality, and Auditing within the Medical Device industry with a focus on acquisitions, sustaining operations, and new product development.
She currently works as a Principal Supplier Quality Engineer in Global Sourcing External Operations Acquisitions at Boston Scientific. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.
Kristen is actively involved with the American Society for Quality (ASQ) Audit Division, where she serves as Vice Chair – Social Media (MyASQ) and is a member of the Annual Conference Business Team. She also volunteers with Kitty Revolution, a nonprofit no-kill cat rescue, as an Event Coordinator.
Outside of work, she enjoys rock climbing, crocheting, and spending time with her cats, Euridice, Apollo, and Macaroni.
