Cindy Kent is no stranger to medtech – she’s spent 20 years in healthcare, moving up the ranks and finding her way to president & GM for 3M’s infection prevention division. She spoke with MassDevice.comPublisher Brian Johnson at the DeviceTalks event in Minnesota this week about her skills as a leader, how she ended up as an ordained minister and the importance of inclusion and mentorship in the workplace.
Brian Johnson: Recently you were hanging out with Oprah. How did that come about?
Cindy Kent: I love giving back, and I was invited to Johnson C. Smith, which is an historic black college and university, in Charlotte. I was supposed to make a reception for all of their faculty and graduating seniors in STEM fields.
As we were ending the [first] night, the president and chairman of the board pulled us aside, and they’re looking at each other very strangely, and they said, “We think we should tell her.” “Well, do you think we should?” And I’m like, “Somebody tell me something.” And so they leaned over, very sheepish smiles and they said, “Oprah’s going to be there tomorrow. We don’t want you to be nervous.” And I said, “Oprah, as in what’s her last name?”
Get the full story at our sister site, MassDevice.
And check out DeviceTalks Boston on Oct. 2.
