Page 24 - Kettering Magazine Spring 2017

The engineering oF heAlThCAre
KeTTering experienCe
prepares graduate to be executive in
the medical industry
B y S a r a h S c h u c h
Fexperiences, dave Anderson ‘93 let his array of
“The Co-op wAs
huge in Terms oF
geTTing A sense oF
whAT i wAnTed To
do And whAT i wAs
mosT eFFeCTiVe AT.
eACh opporTuniTY
wAs A diFFerenT
depArTmenT wiTh A
diFFerenT FoCus.”
- Dave Anderson ‘93
24 Ke TT ering mA g A zine
rom his time at Kettering university and his co-op
opportunities lead him to a job where he feels he’s
making a difference in the world.
starting as an engineer, Anderson slowly moved into management roles and
discovered his true passion.
Anderson, Vice president of m&A integration for Abbott, didn’t always know he
would land in the medical industry in management roles, but now that he’s here,
it’s where he wants to stay.
Anderson has been with Abbott (formerly st. Jude medical) for 23 years.
recently, he was elected to the California life sciences Association Board of
directors.
“personally, how i’m wired my main focus is i want to make a difference and i
want to do something impactful for people,” Anderson said. “The diseases we
treat at (Abbott) are all life-threatening diseases. The innovation you bring will
have a significantly improved outcome. it will improve life, relieve or reduce pain
or suffering.”
when Anderson was considering where to go to college he knew he was going
to have to pay for college himself, and he knew he wanted a strong internship
program.
Kettering’s co-op opportunities made Kettering his top contender. with a strong
interest in math and science, Kettering made sense.
“engineering was always an interest. As i looked at companies for co-op, the
medical industry was the most interesting,” Anderson said. “i wanted to be able
to make my own way. Kettering was something i knew i could start on.”
learning the importance of a good co-op experience is knowledge Anderson
has carried with him throughout his career as he mentors and trains others at
Abbott.