Bill Peine, PhD

Bill Peine leads the Robotic Technology Development Center at Medtronic, where he brings together experts from around the globe to accelerate innovation and enterprise-wide robotic strategies. He also serves as the Vice President of Research and Technology for the Surgical Operating Unit, fusing cutting-edge robotic-assisted technology and AI with groundbreaking surgical devices. Both roles enable him to deliver on his passion – leading innovation across multi-disciplinary teams to develop breakthrough technologies and products that deliver better outcomes and improve people’s lives. Since he joined Medtronic more than 12 years ago, Bill has driven the development of the HugoTM robotic-assisted surgery system for soft-tissue, to deliver the benefits of minimally invasive surgery – fewer complications, shorter hospital stays, and a faster return to everyday life.

Additionally, he has been inducted into the Bakken Society, the highest technical honor at Medtronic. The Society recognizes technical employees for their contributions to the company and to the healthcare technology industry. Peine’s first foray into robotics was at Harvard University where he earned his Doctorate in Engineering Sciences. After completing his PhD, he worked at several start-up medical device companies, some fueled by his own doctoral research and one that was purchased by Medtronic. He was a tenure track professor of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University – where he had also completed his BS in Electrical Engineering several years prior. While teaching at Purdue, he focused on researching novel surgical robotic technology and algorithms for image-guided surgery. Throughout his career, he has authored of over 100 patents and peer reviewed publications.