The Minds Behind Nonin
Phil Isaacson and his executive team are dedicated to product quality and customer satisfaction. Their leadership in technology innovation and industry partnerships, and their passion for recruiting and retaining talented employees, help drive our success.
Phil Isaacson
Executive Chairman and Chief Technology Officer
Phil Isaacson founded Nonin Medical in 1985 to pursue a new idea: making pulse oximetry devices smaller, more reliable, and more affordable. The company was incorporated in 1986. Under his leadership, Nonin established international sales channels and OEM partnerships early on—relationships that continue today.
Beginning with pulse oximetry and expanding to regional oximetry and capnography, with more parameters in the works, Phil has led Nonin through several product developments and technological innovations. At the same time, he is always looking for ways to improve existing Nonin products. He is listed as an inventor on 25 patents to date.
John Hastings
Chief Executive Officer
John Hastings joined Nonin in 2022 as CEO. Hastings has 20 years of progressive experience in the medical technology industry with a demonstrated track record of starting, building, and growing organizations. Prior to joining Nonin, he served as Executive Vice President at Cardiovascular Systems Inc, where he was responsible for research & development, quality, operations & supply chain, regulatory affairs and Strategic Ventures. He held leadership roles of increasing responsibility at Abbott Laboratories, St. Jude Medical and American Medical Systems prior to CSI.
Hastings holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Minnesota State University, Mankato and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas.
Rashad Buckner
Sr. Director of Global Marketing and Communications
Rashad Buckner is a seasoned marketing executive with 18+ years of experience in building insights, developing growth strategies, and executing programs through best-in-class marketing tools within the healthcare space. Buckner has held various sales and marketing positions at Medtronic, and most recently was the Marketing Director of Global Commercial Strategy and Marketing Excellence in the Medtronic Diabetes division. Prior to his work at Medtronic, Buckner worked in Sales and Marketing at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, where he was a critical leader of the account management, marketing, and negotiation teams.
He holds an MBA in Strategic Planning and Consulting from the University of St. Thomas’ Opus College of Business.
Scott Firman
Sr. Director of R&D, Sustaining Engineering and Corporate Sustainability
Scott Firman is an engineering leader with a passion for product development and sustainability. He has over 25 years of experience as an engineering professional and is focused on sustainability, energy efficiency, and product innovation. He holds several certifications in both sustainability and energy engineering. Firman began his career at Boeing as a Design Engineer, and prior to his role at Nonin, spent 19 years at MTS Systems Corporation where he held various engineering and leadership roles with increasing responsibility.
He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from North Dakota State University, a post-bachelor’s Certificate of Academic Achievement in Product Development from the University of St. Thomas, and an MS in Sustainable Management from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. He also holds several certifications in both sustainability and energy engineering.
Jim Gonnella
Vice President of Finance & IT
Jim Gonnella has extensive experience in accounting, financial management, and operational excellence. He has worked with other leading manufacturers such as Nilfisk-Advance, Circuit Check, and Stratasys. Gonnella has taken on increasing responsibility and leadership roles at Nonin from financial management to financial strategy.
He holds a BS in accounting from Winona State University, and an MBA in finance from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.
Aaron Lobbestael
Sr. Director of Advanced Technology
Aaron Lobbestael joined Nonin as a Biostatistician in 2008 and has held technology roles with increasing responsibility for 15+ years. Lobbestael is responsible for the development of many patents within the Nonin product portfolio, and as the Senior Director of Advanced Technology, serves as the head of new technology development. Prior to joining Nonin, he was a Senior Consultant at Alquest, now part of NAMSA, the world’s leading MedTech contract research organization.
Lobbestael holds an MS in Biostatistics from the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health, and an Executive MBA with honors from the Quantic School of Business and Technology in Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Statistics.
Steve Rempe
Vice President of Human Resources
Steve Rempe has over 20 years of experience leading Human Resource functions across various Medical Technology companies. Rempe has a proven track record of results across multiple human resource disciplines including strategy, mergers & acquisitions, business partnering, talent management, learning and development, talent acquisition, total rewards, and organizational effectiveness. Prior to joining Nonin, Rempe was the Chief Human Resources Officer at Cardiovascular Systems, Inc. and held Senior Leadership roles at Smiths Medical and Boston Scientific.
Rempe holds a BS degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Masters in Human Resources Management from the University of St. Thomas.
Jackie Robinson
Vice President of Quality and Operations
Jackie Robinson has over 25+ years of Global Supply Chain and Operations experience in roles of increasing responsibility within the medical device industry. Having spent her career supporting Interventional Cardiology, Structural Heart, Peripheral Vascular, Renal Care, Medication Delivery and Procedural Support businesses; she has had noteworthy success leading quality, supply chain, process development, manufacturing, distribution, and customer service at sites located within the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Europe, Japan, and China. Prior to joining Nonin, she held various leadership roles at Boston Scientific, St. Jude Medical, Medtronic, and Baxter where she served as Vice President of Integrated Supply Chain for the United States and Canada.
Robinson holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota, a BS in General Engineering Technology and AS degrees in Petroleum Engineering and Business Management from Oklahoma State University.
Peter Rother
Vice President, General Counsel
Peter Rother has twenty-five years of experience in the practice of law, including over fifteen years of experience in the medical device industry providing legal advice to senior executives in three medical device companies. Rother has experience in public and private companies, as well as in domestic and international legal matters. He has built best practices and tools, including in the areas of compliance, contracting, and risk mitigation. His diverse practice includes litigation, compliance, human resources, and commercial and intellectual property, among others. Prior to joining Nonin, Rother was Deputy General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of AGA Medical Corporation, Assistant General Counsel and Senior Director of Investigations of St. Jude Medical, and Senior Counsel of Litigation and Investigations of Abbott Laboratories.
Rother holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, in Political Science and Psychology from Winona State University and a Juris Doctor degree, magna cum laude, from William Mitchell College of Law.
Bruce Zajac
Vice President of Global Branded Sales
Bruce Zajac is a strategic global sales leader with 15+ years of experience as a sales and marketing executive within the medical device industry. He is known for driving sales results through his leadership skills, strategic thinking, and his passion for results. Zajac was previously the Vice President of Global Sales, Marketing, and Strategic Accounts at Qardio, a leader in the remote patient monitoring space. Prior to that, he held various Vice President of Sales and Marketing roles at Medtronic in their peripheral vascular (PV) division, along with several sales positions with increasing responsibility at Schering-Plough, NeuroVax, St. Jude Medical, and Coloplast.
Zajac holds a BA in Business Administration and Management for Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas.
Board of Directors
Our strategically selected board is positioned to address rapidly changing market needs and meet the demands of providers, payors and other audiences through health-driven digital and data solutions.
Phil Isaacson
Executive Chairman and Chief Technology Officer
Phil Isaacson founded Nonin Medical in 1985 to pursue a new idea: making pulse oximetry devices smaller, more reliable, and more affordable. The company was incorporated in 1986. Under his leadership, Nonin established international sales channels and OEM partnerships early on—relationships that continue today.
Beginning with pulse oximetry and expanding to regional oximetry and capnography, with more parameters in the works, Phil has led Nonin through several product developments and technological innovations. At the same time, he is always looking for ways to improve existing Nonin products. He is listed as an inventor on 25 patents to date.
John Hastings
Chief Executive Officer
John Hastings joined Nonin in 2022 as CEO. Hastings has 20 years of progressive experience in the medical technology industry with a demonstrated track record of starting, building, and growing organizations. Prior to joining Nonin, he served as Executive Vice President at Cardiovascular Systems Inc, where he was responsible for research & development, quality, operations & supply chain, regulatory affairs and Strategic Ventures. He held leadership roles of increasing responsibility at Abbott Laboratories, St. Jude Medical and American Medical Systems prior to CSI.
Hastings holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Minnesota State University, Mankato and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas.
Waqaas Al-Siddiq
Founder & CEO of Biotricity
Waqaas Al-Siddiq is the CEO and founder of Biotricity, a leading digital health company that has been recognized as one of the Top 50 Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company and the Most Innovative Medical Device Company. Al-Siddiq is a serial entrepreneur, a former investment advisor, an expert in corporate strategy, and an innovative technologist. Al-Siddiq has held several high-level design positions at IBM, AMD, and Intel. He also has vast experience leading various groups through his board experience and executive roles within start-ups, mid-sized companies, and non-profits.
Al-Siddiq holds a dual Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering and Economics, a Master’s in Computer Engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology, and a Master’s in Business Administration and a Doctorate in Business Administration from Henley Business School.
Angela Dillow
Strategic Consultant & Board Director at Regions Hospital
Angela Dillow is a seasoned executive who has driven accretive, sustainable organizational transformation for a variety of businesses. She has significant experience leading all phases of strategic execution and organizational effectiveness, including P&L management, business development, strategic planning, acquisitions and alliances, market development, and corporate/key accounts. Dillow is an independent director for Nonin Medical, and also currently serves on the Executive Committee and as Chair of Quality Committee on Regions Hospital Board of Directors.
Previously Dillow was Vice President of Global Healthcare Corporate Accounts for Ecolab. Prior to this role, Dillow served as Vice President & General Manager of Global Innovative Services, a B2B division partnering with medical device manufacturers to customize and commercialize new products. Dillow graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Centre College with a BS in chemistry. She earned her doctorate in chemical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a post-doctorate at the University of Minnesota. Dillow is the author or co-author of one book, five patents, and 23 peer-reviewed publications in the fields of chemical engineering, smart biomaterials, and targeted drug delivery.
Larry Betterley
President & CEO of Lexington Advisors, LLC
Larry is currently the President and CEO of Lexington Advisors LLC, providing business advisory and board services, and funding to early-stage companies. He is a seasoned executive with over 30 years of experience in public and private technology companies. Most recently, Betterley was the CFO of Cardiovascular Systems, Inc., where he was instrumental in raising more than $200 million in financing, growing annual revenues to over $200 million, and achieving a market capitalization of over $1Billion.
Prior to CSI, Betterley was a senior executive in several organizations ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, including Cray Research, Inc., Diametrics Medical, Inc., and Plato Learning.
Laura Gillund
Corporate Board Director & Global Human Resources Executive
Laura Gillund is a transformational Board Leader and Global Human Resources Executive optimizing organizational success through strategic oversight of organizational, compensation, and talent planning initiatives aligned with business strategy. Gillund serves as a board member and chair of the human resources and compensation committees for Allina Health System and Stratacor/Delta Dental of Minnesota. She also serves on the Integrated Planning and Operations and Governance and Nominating Committees for Allina, and the Audit and Risk Management and Executive Committees for Stratacor.
Gillund created the human resources functions at Cardiovascular Systems, Inc. and C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. leading culture definition and transformation, achieving subsequent double-digit growth. Gillund holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Relations and a Master of Arts Degree in Industrial Relations from the University of Minnesota, and actively supports the university as an advisory board member.
Robert Rajalingam
President, U.S. Medical Products & Distribution of Cardinal Health
Robert Rajalingam currently serves as the President of the US Medical Products & Distribution at Cardinal Health and oversees market-leading product and distribution services to acute, nonacute, and lab sites across the country. Prior to this, he led Cardinal Health’s Medical selling organization. Rajalingam joined Cardinal Health after serving as the vice president and general manager of the Vascular Access Business Unit. Prior to Smith Medical, he was the Vice President of Global Marketing for Medtronic Peripheral Vascular.
Rajalingam earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering and economics from Duke University and his MBA from Stanford University. He previously served on the board of the American College for Phlebology Foundation and volunteered as a Year Up mentor.
Lending Hands, Enriching Lives
At Nonin, we take pride in nurturing the communities we serve. Our community enrichment programs and partnerships raise awareness and generate support for causes that make a positive difference in our world. We regularly donate our time and talents to local charities and organizations that share our dedication to improving the lives of others. In recent years, we have provided:
- Cash and food donations for The Minnesota Emergency Foodshelf Network
- Corporate donations to The United Way
- Blood donations to the American Red Cross
- Contributions to Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota
- Volunteer support for Second Harvest events
Our Team
Innovation and teamwork are the keys to our success. We are always looking for talented people who want to make a difference. If you are searching for a meaningful career, join our team!
Our Culture
We believe that all employees contribute to our company culture, and that we all benefit from thinking of that culture as something we share.
Our Benefits
We value technical skill, creative thinking, customer focus, and collaboration—and we strive to create an environment where people can do their best work.
Our People
As a company built on innovation, we value the contributions of employees with different perspectives and experiences.
Our Future
We invest in our employees today, supporting their personal and professional growth, to become a better company tomorrow.
We are committed to diversity and support the principles listed in Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law. Nonin is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer—Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran. To request a copy of our Affirmative Action policy, or if a disability prevents you from applying for a job online, call us at 800-356-8874 and ask for a human resources representative.