Jake Vander Zanden
PARTNER, Executive Search
Jake Vander Zanden serves as a Partner and leader of McDermott + Bull’s Technology Life Sciences Practice.
Jake spent over 25 years as a turnaround and growth leader completing business transformations as a senior executive at companies like Allergan, Medtronic, and more. He has lived and worked throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe, and managed businesses in all the major regions of the world. Jake’s success has come from his ability to quickly and continuously develop high performing teams and guide their achievement of company changing initiatives, regardless of country, language, culture, or product group.
Jake is an active member of the Life Sciences community and serves on the Leadership Board of DeviceAlliance™, as a Growth Services Advisor for OCTANe, and judge for the annual OCTANe High Technology Awards Program. Jake is a OWL Champion Member, an organization committed to developing diverse leadership to advance Ophthalmic Innovation and create opportunities for collaboration. He is an expert-in-residence at Applied Innovation and an MBA mentor for the Paul Merage School of Business, both at the University of California Irvine. Jake is also a reviewer for the NIH POP grant program for the University of California system. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in marketing and management from St. Thomas University in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Placement Announcements, Articles, and Video Interviews

2023 Forecast of Executive Hiring Trends in Life Sciences
2022 has been an interesting year for life sciences and executive search. We have finally been able to attend in-person conferences and events without the looming fear of the COVID-19 pandemic hanging over our heads. In October, Jessica Combs and I attended the...

The CEOs Role in Digital Transformation
In my recent conversations with senior leaders, I’ve noticed there is a lot of talk about digital transformation, and many CEOs are struggling to figure out where they fit within this. The CEO’s responsibility is to serve as the heartbeat of an organization, driving...

McDermott + Bull Places Vice President of Clinical Affairs, enVVeno Medical
McDermott + Bull has successfully placed Kevin Belteau as Vice President (VP) of Clinical Affairs at enVVeno Medical. Kevin will develop, implement, and execute the company’s U.S. clinical trial strategy, ensuring the highest possible performance of clinical affairs...

White Paper: Looking Ahead to 2022 and What Leaders Need to Know
As we slowly emerge from the pandemic, we are beginning to see a bright spot in the future of the life sciences industry and wider global economy.

The Future of a Hybrid Workforce
As we begin to re-enter a normalized version of the past 16 months, the transition from fully remote workforces to new working environments is nearly upon us.

What Independence Day Means to Me
On Independence Day, I’m reminded of so many men and women who have made incredible sacrifices to help keep our country free.

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