With a background in selling heart monitors; orthopedic hips and knees; a laser probe for end-stage angina and a radio frequency ablation tool for people with unresectable liver cancer, Stephanie Cavender now teaches brain surgery to brain surgeons. As the New Business Manager of Monteris Medical’s Central Region, Stephanie travels the country, selling an FDA approved laser probe to hospitals for use on patients with inoperable tumors or lesions in their brain. But her job doesn’t stop there. She helps surgeons understand how to use this cutting edge tool.
“TIME IS NOT INFINITE ANYMORE, AND SO YOU REALIZE YOU JUST DO THE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO.”
“It’s really unbelievable,” Stephanie said. “We put a tiny hole in the top of the patient’s head and using neuronavigation, we set a trajectory. Then with an MRI-Guided Laser Ablation tool, we introduce the laser probe into the patient’s brain. It’s so much better for the patient not to have part of their skull removed and have somebody digging around in there.”
Stephanie and her husband, a high-profile businessman, both have demanding careers but still find time to be involved in their community. “When my girls were 10 and my son was 13, I did more part-time work. During that time I was President of the Charity Ball Association. It’s one of the best organizations, bar none; the best stewards of people’s money. I’m very proud to have done that and was Chairman of the Board and Treasurer.”
“Then when my girls were 17, a friend called and said, ‘I know you’re bored. You’ve got to be bored. This is a perfect job for you. It’s capital equipment. It’s lasers. It’s cancer. It’s a perfect fit for you. Just meet me for two hours. If you don’t want the job, then I’ll leave you alone.’ I came home and told my husband, ‘I’m going back to work.’ It was the absolute best decision I have made. I love it.
“When I started, there were 12 people in the entire company. It’s privately held. We’ve gotten approximately $80M in venture capital to take us to where we are now. We have 50 employees, and we’re in just about every major neurosurgery program in the country.
“What I do every day is so interesting. I’m with smart people; successful neurosurgeons who are tops in their field and passionate about what they do. You’re working with neuro-oncologists who are trying to find an answer for people, dying of brain cancer. To have another tool to be able to offer their patients excites them, which excites me!”
When asked what she aspires to from here, Stephanie Cavender says, “I’m pretty happy where I am. You can’t do everything, and you can’t have it all. You can have parts of it all, and you can do a lot more than people think you can, but at some point, you do run out of time, and you do run out of energy.”
“I have an amazing relationship with my children. They’re three, really fine people. I have a fabulous relationship with my husband, and great friends. I have a job I love, and I’m successful at. I don’t know how much more you could ask for.”
3 thoughts on “Stephanie Cavender”
I love how she describes fellow travelers as looking like homeless people!! It’s so true and drives me crazy. Then those very same people wonder why I get the upgrade and they don’t!
Jennifer,
I know. So many travelers these days look like they couldn’t decide whether they wanted to mow the yard, or fly to NYC. What’s happened to pride in our appearance?
XOX,
Brenda
Somewhere manners have stopped being relevant? Why weren’t they taught as they grew up.
There is no respect for authority or individual. If you dont agree with me you are_?__fill in the blank.
Agree about proper ‘dress ‘in kind AND style(revealing too much information) in todays world, airplanes, church, …blue jeans, very short shorts etc in nice restaurants and at a formal wedding…etc etc.
..no knowledge or disrespect of every day manners,i.e. thank you, you are welcome etc.
Very Sad.
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