Medical Sales Nation

Jim Surek

A senior executive and growth strategist, Jim Surek draws upon his leadership, commitment, and follow-through in bringing medical innovation to the forefront within startup/early-stage, midsize, and Fortune 500 environments.  Over the past 20+ years, beginning with his introduction to the medical device industry as a sales rep for Medtronic (formerly Sofamor Danek Group), Jim leveraged his extensive expertise in defining vision and positioning businesses for turnaround, expansion, organic and inorganic growth, and liquidation. He has been consistently recruited into the position of Vice President of Sales for multiple venture-backed startups and turnaround medical device companies, where each company has had successful exits, either through acquisition or IPO. Jim holds a Master of International Management degree with an emphasis in international trade/marketing and Latin America from the American Graduate School of International Management, Thunderbird Campus, in Glendale, Arizona. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Loyola University of Chicago.

Charlie Johnson

Charlie Johnson has enjoyed a distinguished career of achievement by reaching one critical decision: to make a positive difference in the lives of other people. By skillfully blending an extensive education and learning background with in-depth business leadership experience, he has been successful in stretching life sciences, healthcare, and innovative technology organizations into new levels of capability, opportunity, and performance. Today, he is recognized as a masterful sales advisor and trainer and an inspiring mentor. Charlie is also the co-author of a book that gives medical professionals a “12-minute MBA” in the areas of persuasive communication, strategic planning, negotiations, and conflict resolution. He is sought out as a featured speaker for industry and association events as well as national sales meetings. As the founder of CJC Associates, Charlie has driven the design and delivery of leadership development and sales training programs for clients since 1999, always with a focus on customizing content and delivery to align with overall corporate strategy. His client portfolio represents more than 60 companies and a wide range of organizational cultures and environments. The trajectory of Charlie’s career began with his promotion to the Vice President of Sales for U.S. Surgical Corp. in 1990. Holding accountability for a 1,000-member global sales organization, he played a pivotal role in tripling annual sales from $400M to $1.2B over four years. In 1994, Charlie was promoted to Vice President of Education for U.S. Surgical Corp. He secured strategic training and education relationships with 15 world-class academic institutions, produced key opinion leaders (KOLs) and influencers, institutionalized brand value, and was a member of the leadership team that drove a 300% increase in annual sales in less than 5 years. Charlie holds a M.Ed. degree from the College of New Jersey and a B.S. in education from Rider University in Trenton, New Jersey. He is a former adjunct faculty member for the Wharton School Leadership Program for chiefs of surgery. Additionally, he is a former adjunct instructor for Essex County Community College and Quincy College.