Valentine’s Leadership Style
At Valentine’s urging SeaSpine has gotten into the habit of holding townhall meetings. “These open forums provide a chance for many in leadership to update the organization on key initiatives as well as goals and objectives. It also provides transparency to our results and key performance metrics which each person has a role in achieving.”
“The fun part is now that the business has transitioned and has numerous growth opportunities, we can take more ownership. Fortunately, we have loads of opportunities to take market share. I like taking market share.”
To do so, says Valentine, he must empower managers to drive their business. “I want managers to know that their decisions will be supported if they embrace accountability and ownership. I encourage the old adage, ‘Ask for forgiveness, not permission.’”
Asked to describe the SeaSpine brand, Valentine noted, “We want to be known for organically driving innovation and partnering with the right opportunities in the field—meaning exclusive sales distribution opportunities so as to provide better spine procedures. We truly want surgeons to be intimately involved in product design in order to move the needle on innovation.”
Driving SeaSpine’s Market Share and Future
With a track record of 10-12 new products, Valentine is making sure that SeaSpine will have a busy, impactful 2020.
“We will be launching approximately 10 products next year that will range from Access Systems to ALIF and TLIF procedural solutions that address both anterior and posterior lumbar conditions of the spine. Additionally, we will launch Next Generation Posterior Cervical products and new interbody solutions along with key MIS implant offerings.”
Asked what he most wanted people to know about SeaSpine, he stated, “Our work is truly about the people in the organization coupled with how we work with surgeons. Our motto is that we take pride in helping change patients’ lives through our product offering. Specifically, it is ‘Stronger Together.’ And no, we didn’t pilfer that from Hillary Clinton…we were living by this motto in early 2015, long before the election slogan. Our company is 400 people strong and it’s our passion to work with surgeons to design innovative and market share taking products.”
And at the end of the day, what keeps Keith Valentine “up at night” about industry is…”How a company of our size can most effectively compete and navigate in this marketplace. When I was at NuVasive in the early years the focus was on how to distinguish ourselves with the ‘big giants’ all around us. In order to maintain the exciting growth that SeaSpine has achieved, we must continue to challenge ourselves.”
Valentine’s advice to his fellow executives: “Knock down obstacles so that other, talented leaders can be successful in their roles.”
On the home front, Keith Valentine has had the pleasure of raising three children with his very supportive wife, Lynne—where he, no doubt, has employed his accountability strategy. “My daughter has just graduated from nursing school and works in an oncology unit at Providence Hospital Portland. My son is at UCLA studying business and economics degree, and my youngest son will soon be graduating from high school.”
