Jeff Royal is Director of Business Development at Abbott where he conducts licensing and acquisition activities for the medical devices division. Jeff has more than 19 years of experience in the medical device industry focused on licensing & acquisitions, corporate strategy, program management, and research and development. Prior to his role in the BD group, he led product development teams at both Abbott Vascular and Guidant, Vascular Intervention to bring new and innovative medical devices from concept through clinical evaluations, and to market introduction. This included ABSORB™, the first bio-absorbable drug eluting coronary implant. Jeff has several patents and received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University, and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.