Driven by an insatiable curiosity, Rainer Scholl leads through collaboration as Senior Vice President of Engineering and R&D for our Advanced Surgery business. With more than a decade at the company and a lifelong career in the medical device industry, this field has long been his professional focus. Curiosity and fascination form the foundation of his approach to innovation and growth, both personally and across his teams. He believes this mindset is essential for sustained success.
From Early Curiosity to Breakthrough Technology
A constant desire to explore new ideas defines Scholl’s leadership philosophy. Reflecting on the rapid advancements in AI and progress across medical and engineering disciplines, Rainer recalls early experiences working with MRI scanners during his internship years—then a cutting-edge technology producing high-resolution tissue scans through applied physics. Today, that same spirit of innovation is reflected in minimally invasive surgeries enabled by precise robotics, where engineering and medicine converge to diagnose and treat disease without opening the human body. Contributing to the development of these technologies continues to inspire his work.
Innovation Requires Risk and a Growth Mindset
Rainer views innovation as inseparable from a growth mindset. Calculated risk-taking is essential to meaningful R&D progress. Projects that avoid risk tend to move slowly, while those without technical challenges rarely succeed in the marketplace. The focus is not on avoiding failure, but on managing risk effectively. When embraced correctly, failure can accelerate progress through rapid learning and iteration.
Leading Through Change and Organizational Design
Rainer’s leadership balances curiosity with experience and embraces change, experimentation, and discovery. Leading a multi-site R&D organization of more than 200 people requires acknowledging the uncertainty that accompanies organizational change. Adoption varies, and individuals naturally assess how change affects them personally. Successful transformation depends on engaging the entire organization, particularly those who may feel left behind.
Several structural changes reflect this philosophy. Separating new product introduction (NPI) from product engineering gave engineers greater choice in how they contribute—either supporting long-term development programs or working across multiple sustaining projects. Another successful shift was separating research from development within R&D. A focused research team explores unknowns and manages higher failure risk through iteration, while development teams operate within defined budgets and timelines to bring products to market. This structure accommodates diverse skills, working styles, and preferences, strengthening overall team performance.
Collaboration as the Engine of Innovation
Teamwork and collaboration are central to Rainer’s approach. He believes true innovation emerges from cross-functional, iterative collaboration among engineers, product specialists, and customers. Individual perspectives can limit problem-solving, but open, collaborative exchanges surface breakthrough ideas. Curiosity is the most important trait he seeks when building teams. Engineers must be open to change to create and adapt solutions—particularly in an era shaped by AI. Those who embrace curiosity and learning are best positioned to succeed, even through setbacks.
A Continuous Journey of Growth
Rainer views life and work as an ongoing journey of growth. In a growth-minded organization, success depends on every employee embracing continuous development. Fascination, curiosity, and intentional collaboration enable teams to innovate with excellence every day.