In this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab, host Mitch Robbins sits down with Alina Lisanke, Director of Talent Acquisition at Lexington Medical, for an honest conversation about leadership, career transitions, and navigating a challenging hiring market.

Alina shares her journey from agency recruiting to leading talent acquisition functions in MedTech, along with the pivotal moments that shaped her career. Most notably, she opens up about her time in transition during a difficult market when senior TA roles were limited, competition was intense, and finding the right next step required patience, resilience, and intention.

Rather than rushing into the wrong role, Alina talks about taking contract and individual contributor work to stay sharp, leaning on community for support, and using the time to reassess what kind of role and environment truly fit her strengths. That clarity ultimately led her to Lexington Medical, where she is now building and scaling the TA function during a period of growth.

The conversation also explores:

• The shift of talent acquisition from order-taking to strategic partnership
• What changes when recruiters move into people leadership roles
• How to balance trust, delegation, and accountability as a TA leader
• Where AI adds real value in hiring, and where human judgment still matters most
• Why strong systems and process create freedom, not friction

This episode is especially relevant for talent acquisition leaders who are navigating career uncertainty, considering a transition, or feeling stuck in today’s market. Alina’s story is a reminder that career detours are not setbacks, but filters that can lead to the right opportunity.

In this episode of The Med-Tech Talent Lab, host Mitch Robbins sits down with Jahnavi Lokre, Chief Operating Officer at Diality, a Series B medical device company focused on transforming kidney care.

Jahnavi shares her 25+ year journey from growing up in India in a science-driven household to building a career across software engineering, regulated industries, and executive leadership in MedTech. With experience spanning transportation systems, contract manufacturing, and product ownership at both large organizations and startups, she offers a rare, cross-industry perspective on what it truly takes to build and scale high-performing teams.

Listeners will gain practical insight into:

• How transferable skills from highly regulated industries can unlock MedTech leadership opportunities
• Why stepping up before you feel “ready” is often the catalyst for executive growth
• The mindset shifts required to move from engineering into senior leadership
• Hiring lessons learned the hard way, including when to act quickly on a mis-hire
• How strong leaders balance trust, accountability, and execution
• Why bold thinking, persistence, and values-driven leadership matter in fast-moving startups

Jahnavi also discusses Diality’s mission to improve outcomes and reduce costs in dialysis care, the realities of innovating in an under-evolved market, and what excites her most about the future of kidney disease treatment.

This episode is packed with candid leadership lessons, career-defining insights, and actionable advice for engineers, operators, and aspiring executives looking to grow their impact in MedTech and beyond.

In this episode, Mitch sits down with Travis Christman, a respected operations, regulatory, and quality leader in the orthopedic manufacturing world. Travis has spent his career across Zimmer, Medartis, Nextremity, and now Priority Medical, an end-to-end engineering services organization operating from the orthopedic capital of the world — Warsaw, Indiana.

Travis shares details on a major industry event launching December 18th: The “Made Here” Manufacturing Showcase — a first-of-its-kind, hands-on demonstration of the full orthopedic supply chain ecosystem that exists in northern Indiana.

You'll hear:

• Why Warsaw remains the global epicenter of orthopedic innovation
• What OEMs don’t see — but need to know — about today’s supply chain pressures
• How contract manufacturers can accelerate lead times, nearshoring, and production readiness
• Where the biggest growth trends are emerging (AI, robotics, navigation, additive, pre-op planning, and more)
• How Priority Medical is serving as a connector across surgeons, OEMs, contract manufacturers, and local talent

This is a must-listen if you’re involved in: orthopedic product development, contract manufacturing, supply chain, engineering services, regulatory/quality, or OEM commercialization planning.

Guest Bio — Who is Travis Christman?

• Operations & Quality Leader at Priority Medical
• Former leader at Zimmer, Medartis, and Nextremity Solutions
• U.S. Army National Guard Captain (10+ years of service)
• Board member at KEDCO (Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation)
• Deep expertise in engineering services, supply chain partnerships, regulatory/quality systems, and commercialization for orthopedic products

What We Cover

• The vision behind the Made Here Manufacturing Showcase
• Why OEMs are struggling with today’s longer lead times
• How Warsaw’s supply chain ecosystem drives speed, cost, and quality
• Nearshoring trends and why U.S. manufacturing is surging
• The rise of robotics, navigation, pre-op planning, and AI in orthopedics
• What contract manufacturers must do to stay competitive
• The new economy emerging around CDMOs and orthopedic innovation hubs
• How Priority Medical is helping OEMs innovate faster and more efficiently