On Tuesday, July 1, Rebecca M. Bergman officially began her duties as the 17th President of Gustavus Adolphus College. The College’s Board of Trustees announced in late February that Bergman would replace Jack Ohle, who retired after serving as President since July 2008. Bergman is the first woman in the 152-year history of the College to be named president.
Bergman, who served on the College’s Board of Trustees from 2007 to 2014, spent the past 26 years at Medtronic, Inc., including the last 14 years as a senior executive. Her most recent position was Vice President of Research, Technology, and Therapy Delivery Systems for the company’s Cardiac Rhythm Disease Management (CRDM) business, where she led a research and development team of scientists and engineers. She previously served as Vice President, CRDM New Therapies & Diagnostics as well as Vice President, Corporate Science and Technology, where she directed biomaterials and biosciences R&D, new therapy development, and information management initiatives.
“Becky is a proven leader as demonstrated not only by her successful 26 years at Medtronic, but also by her seven years of service on the College’s Board of Trustees,” said Warren Beck, Trustee and Chair of the Presidential Search Committee. “Her leadership skills, ability to collaborate and effectively communicate, and knowledge of the College’s strengths and challenges make her uniquely qualified to lead Gustavus at this pivotal time in the College’s history. I couldn’t be more pleased that she will be our next president.”
Full text of press release available here.