2023 Hall of Fame inductee Janis Dezso has never missed an opportunity to expand her professional horizons, as well as give back to others in the industry.
Her plan was to become a physical therapist. Fascinated by the medical industry at an early age, Janis Dezso interned in the physical therapy department at a local hospital while in high school. “However, having a family took priority for me, and I set that goal aside,” she recalls. Still, a growing family calls for extra income, so in 1987 she began what was intended to be a temporary position with a medical device company, Suncoast Medical. Suncoast was later acquired by Aaron Medical, which in turn was bought by Bovie Medical. In 2018, Bovie was acquired by Symmetry Surgical, and most recently Symmetry Surgical was acquired by Aspen Surgical.
The passing years and changing hands have not fazed her. In fact, the longer she remained in medical manufacturing and distribution, the more convinced she was that she was exactly where she wanted to be. “I definitely found my spot in the industry and have never looked back,” she says. Starting in Bovie’s shipping department, she has held roles in customer service, sales and marketing management and currently is part of Symmetry Surgery’s executive leadership team. “Each of these roles provided a learning experience and further opportunity,” she points out. “I’ve always enjoyed being a lifelong learner; each time the company changed and grew, I changed and grew with it. And every step of the way, I was blessed to have a group of mentors, both within and outside of our organization, who supported, taught and encouraged me forward. My colleague, Rob Saron, has been a true leader, always believing in me and supporting me in every new experience.”
Additionally, Dezso has been a member of Professional Women in Healthcare – a volunteer-led member organization dedicated to providing a national voice and fostering leadership for women in healthcare manufacturing and distribution – since 2004. After serving on its membership committee for a year, she served as Marketing Chair (2005-2009), Chair Elect (2009-2010) Chairwoman (2011-2012) and Past Chair (2013-present). In 2022, she received the Anne Eiting Klamar Leadership Award of Distinction in recognition of her industry growth and accomplishments. Finally, an active member of the Healthcare Manufacturers Management Council (HMMC) since 2002, she joined its board in 2015, since serving as Secretary, President Elect and, most recently, President.
Nor has Dezso’s family life slowed down in all these years. She and her husband, Andy, have been married for 40 years, and she has two wonderful children, Andrea and Joseph, as well as a grandson, Emmett.
One of the greatest challenges one faces, whether in their personal or professional life, is the ability to learn and develop the right skills at the right time, notes Dezso. “It requires a lot of hard work, as well as a little luck,” she explains. “I’ve never been afraid of hard work, and luck has always been on my side.”
The value of relationships
“I’ve always said I feel blessed to be in this industry,” says Dezso. “What I most love about working with distribution are the relationships that are formed by striving toward a common goal to grow our mutual businesses. As our industry has changed and grown, in turn, I have been able to grow and develop my own network. I have gotten to know, not just colleagues, but lifelong friends. The last few years, during the pandemic, these relationships have kept me sane. For someone like myself, who likes to travel and meet face-to-face with my customers, working remotely at my desk and meeting with customers by computer could often be overwhelming. That said, it was always fantastic to turn on that video and see a friendly face.”
Indeed, the value of relationships cannot be emphasized enough, she says. In addition to her day-to-day involvement with colleagues and customers at Symmetry Surgical, she has devoted years to promoting leadership roles for women through her involvement at Professional Women in Healthcare. “I am especially proud to be affiliated with this organization,” she says. “Being part of PWH has enabled me to give back to an industry that has given so much to me. The years I spent mentoring other members has taught me to become a stronger leader – to analyze and think in new ways, enabling me to bring creative thinking to my own team at Symmetry Surgical.
“As a founding member, a board member, chair and past chair, I’ve relished the opportunity to be a part of a movement that has helped change the face of leadership in our industry,” she continues. “When PWH was started in 2004, there were very few women in executive leadership roles in healthcare manufacturing and distribution. This past year, however, while attending the HIDA Executive Conference, the extensive number of women I saw reminded me of how far we’ve come.”
2022 Anne Eiting Klamar Leadership Award
Dezso’s years of service to Professional Women in Healthcare have not gone unnoticed. In 2022 she was awarded the Anne Eiting Klamar Award, which recognizes a woman who has proven herself to be an accomplished industry leader and has demonstrated a broadened scope of responsibility and professional development over the years. Recipients are respected industrywide for their confidence and integrity, as well as their commitment to giving back to the industry.
“I can’t tell you how excited I was to receive this award,” she says. “It is quite humbling to have my name on an award next to Anne Eiting’s.” Achieving true leadership calls for years of learning, she points out. It’s easy to make mistakes along the way, but essential to learn from those mistakes. “I think the moments that define one’s leadership are those where we must leave our comfort zone and make the necessary changes to do better, be better and grow in our profession. I can recall times in my career when I could have reacted with emotion, but instead opted to reach out to one of my mentors for direction. Often, when I’ve spoken at PWH or worked with my mentees, I’ve pointed out that everyone should have their own personal board of directors – a group of people they can depend on to listen to their ideas, challenge them, champion them and tell them the truth, whether good or bad. Over the years I’ve had many great people serve on my personal board of directors. Some of them have truly stood out: Rob Saron, always my champion; Cindy Juhas, who tells it like it is; Anne Klamar, who challenges me to ask the hard questions and think in new ways; Cris Pellegrino, who is always available to bounce ideas around; and my husband, Andy, who is always willing to listen and support me, no matter what.
“Winning this award has reminded me of how important it is to continue learning new ideas and approaches and to continue giving back to the industry. I look forward to continuing to do both in the years to come. Even more, I look forward to continuing to coach and mentor others who, like myself, are dedicated to a career in healthcare manufacturing and distribution, because it truly is an opportunity of a lifetime.”
“One of the best things about this industry is that it’s consistently changing in innovative ways,” she says. “I can always count on looking forward to the next horizon. The acquisition of Symmetry Surgical by Aspen Surgical signifies exciting opportunities and challenges ahead, and I’m looking forward to learning, growing and coaching as I navigate my way forward.
‘I anticipate continuing to develop an awesome team of professionals and colleagues as we work towards common goals, build new relationships and swap stories about the good old days. And I always look forward to spending quality time with my husband, children and grandchildren. When the time comes to wind down my career (and, no, that time will not come soon!) I look forward to traveling the world – drinking some great wine and spending time with the people I love.”
Sidebar:
Rob Saron, SVP, Global Distribution, Symmetry Surgical
Janis Dezso is a great addition to the Medical Distribution Hall of Fame. I’ve known her since 1987, when she joined our company as a temporary employee in the shipping department. She soon moved on to a position in customer service, later becoming a customer service manager. She eventually went on to work for our first international director and quickly learned that aspect of the business. Janis later became vice president of sales and marketing, and currently is VP of Global Distribution. She cares deeply about her customers, both internal and external. Because she has worked in so many areas of the business, she has learned how everything works, from the inside out. In turn, she uses that knowledge to be an invaluable asset to the company and our distribution partners.
Cristopher Pellegrino, Director of Distributor Relations and Corporate Accounts, Metrex Research
I’ve known Janis Dezso for over 20 years. She was one of the first people I met in the industry and quickly became a great friend, mentor and, at one point, boss! It’s remarkable that she started in the warehouse at Aaron Medical and has risen to her current role at Aspen. Along the way she has had a huge impact on the industry by helping start – and chairing – PWH, as well as leading HMMC as president. In fact, Janis has always been willing to share her talents by volunteering for multiple committees and councils within the industry.
Whether it’s a quick text to offer advice or a formal mentoring conversation, she’s open and honest and willing to help. While Janis has been incredibly successful in her career and has been recognized recently, not only by the Anne Eiting Klamar Leadership Award of Distinction but also with her induction into the Medical Distribution Hall of Fame, I know she’s most proud of her family. If you know Janis, it’s apparent how much she enjoys spending time with them. She beams when she tells stories about their recent accomplishments!