Curious Pat Miles
What is your “super-power” Pat? When we asked that question, he didn’t hesitate: “constant curiosity.” It is his most-prized trait. “What I was able to bring to ATEC was a deep sense of curiosity about the steps we needed to take in order to quickly begin to make things better. I know what it takes to create a company that distinguishes itself from the pack. Spine companies need to be in the business of stewarding spine surgery; if done right, value chases those companies.”
Who better to join Miles in his constant curiosity than his long-time friend and partner, Luiz Pimenta, M.S., Ph.D., past president of the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery, and the pioneer of lateral-approach spine surgery. Dr. Pimenta now advises Alphatec as its Chief Medical Officer.
“Without Luiz” says Miles, “there would have been no NuVasive. We all worked together to build that company and now continue that pursuit, striving for excellence in the service of ATEC’s patients. Luiz has always been a model of curiosity to me. Few people have more to point at, in terms of past accomplishments, and while others might rest on their laurels, Luiz remains one of the most perpetually curious people I know. He remains relentless in finding ways to improve what we do.”
OTW asked Miles to compare and contrast today’s “ATEC” with the Alphatec of old. “There is no comparison,” he said. “ATEC has shifted 180 degrees. What was before a company seeking to monetize individual products without the curiosity to serve the market. We have turned that upside down; now ATEC serves the requirements of spine surgery—both known and unknown unmet needs.”
Getting Product to Market
The last step in Alphatec’s transformation—and perhaps the most challenging one—has been converting the historically chaotic independent network of non-dedicated sales agents into a cohesive force. To do so, required a complete transformation of the sales leadership team. To lead the effort, Miles tapped David Sponsel, who brought to the role more than 15 years of sales leadership experience with Stryker Spine and as General Manager of the spine division of Medacta, USA. According to Miles, it has been one of the most important additions to the Alphatec leadership team.
“Dave stepped into the EVP, Sales role, and immediately established an unwavering standard: quota matters. What had historically been implicit at best, became crystal clear: those who will be long-term partners with ATEC will commit to becoming exclusive and will meet our high performance standards. Dave delivered exactly the message the sales force needed, at exactly the right time.”
Alphatec’s revenues, once plummeting, have shown industry leading growth over the past five quarters.
Long-term: It’s a Culture of Innovation and Information
“We are building an innovation machine in spine, and our people are in it for the long haul. We have positioned ourselves to be the fastest-growing company in the industry, despite being still a U.S.-only entity.”
To do that, Miles and his team are betting on an information-based approach to innovating within the spine market. “Looking forward, I believe like predictive analytics will be the responsibility of the device companies. That process takes time. It seems some executives are too busy trying to monetize whatever they can to impact the next quarter. I think ATEC’s advantage is that we are re-creating ourselves. We can look long-term at underserved markets and create critical elements to serve those customers. Big companies who plan quarter-to-quarter will not accrue great value, particularly in this time of crisis.”
Of the COVID-19 situation, Miles says, “We still have a market and patients to serve. Yes, it’s challenging. We know numbers will contract in the short-term. That’s okay. We have spent the past three years building a company of people with tremendous experience, commitment and GRIT. I have faith in our team and what we are doing together.”
“When I was at NuVasive, we took that company from zero revenue to over $1 billion per year. I actually feel better at ATEC than I did at this same point at NuVasive.”
“I am exceedingly bullish on what we are doing, and I have confidence that when the financial markets open up once again, we will be as well-positioned as any company to benefit. Many will panic, but the steady, gritty operators that proceed in a dogged, thoughtful manner will be fine.”
Miles reminds us of Chester Puller, one of the most decorated Marine Officers in history. Here is a famous ‘Chesty’ quote which, to us, could just as well have come from Pat Miles when we asked him about the current COVID-19 crisis: “Tell ’em there’s no secret weapon for our country but to get hard, to get in there and fight.”
