Intuitive Announces CEO Transition Effective July 1, 2025

Rhea-AI Summary

Intuitive (NASDAQ: ISRG) announced a significant leadership transition, with President Dave Rosa being promoted to CEO effective July 1, 2025. Current CEO Gary Guthart will become executive chair of the board, while current Board Chair Craig Barratt will transition to lead independent director.

Rosa, a 29-year veteran who joined Intuitive as its ninth employee in 1996, has held various leadership positions across engineering, clinical development, marketing, and commercial operations. His notable achievements include founding the company's clinical engineering and endoluminal groups, leading to the development of the da Vinci SP surgical system and Ion robotic bronchoscopy system.

Under Guthart's 15-year tenure as CEO, Intuitive has pioneered advancements in robotic-assisted surgery, with surgeons performing nearly 17 million da Vinci procedures and training approximately 90,000 surgeons on their systems.

Positive

• Smooth leadership transition with experienced internal candidate who has been with company for 29 years
• Continuity maintained with current CEO moving to executive chair position
• New CEO has proven track record in product development and innovation
• Strong company performance metrics with 17 million da Vinci procedures performed and 90,000 surgeons trained

Negative

• Potential uncertainty during leadership transition period
• Risk of strategic direction changes under new leadership

Insights

Healthcare Technology Executive

Intuitive's well-planned CEO transition represents minimal disruption as 29-year company veteran Dave Rosa takes the helm from successful longtime CEO Gary Guthart.

This carefully orchestrated leadership transition at Intuitive Surgical represents a textbook example of well-planned C-suite succession. The appointment of Dave Rosa, a 29-year company veteran who joined as Intuitive's ninth employee, signals strong continuity in leadership and strategic direction. Rosa's extensive experience across nearly every critical function—engineering, clinical development, regulatory affairs, and commercial operations—gives him exceptional cross-functional knowledge of the robotic surgery business.

The timing of this announcement, with implementation over a year away (July 2025), demonstrates thoughtful planning and allows for thorough knowledge transfer. Additionally, the board structure changes—with outgoing CEO Gary Guthart remaining as executive chair and current chair Craig Barratt moving to lead independent director—creates a support framework that preserves institutional knowledge while enabling fresh leadership.

Rosa's background is particularly noteworthy for his pioneering work in developing the da Vinci SP system and Ion robotic bronchoscopy platform, suggesting his leadership will continue Intuitive's focus on innovation. His founding of the company's Future Forward group indicates strategic foresight that will be valuable as Intuitive faces growing competition in the robotic surgery space.

The press release's emphasis on the "Quintuple Aim" framework (patient outcomes, experience, access, and cost) signals a balanced approach to healthcare value creation that addresses both clinical and economic stakeholder priorities. After almost 17 million procedures performed using their technology over 30 years, this leadership transition appears designed to maintain momentum while positioning for future growth.

President Dave Rosa promoted to CEO
Current CEO Gary Guthart to become executive chair of Intuitive’s board
Current Board Chair Craig Barratt to become lead independent director

SUNNYVALE, Calif., May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intuitive (NASDAQ: ISRG), a global technology leader in minimally invasive care and the pioneer of robotic-assisted surgery, today announced the promotion of President Dave Rosa to chief executive officer, effective July 1, 2025. At that time, current CEO Gary Guthart will become the executive chair of Intuitive’s board of directors, and current Board Chair Craig Barratt will become lead independent director. Guthart will work closely with Rosa to support a smooth transition and will remain with Intuitive in a senior advisory capacity.

“Dave’s appointment as CEO is the culmination of the Board’s thoughtful succession planning, reflecting his instrumental role in establishing our strategy, guiding the development of our product pipeline, and expanding the company’s global footprint. We are confident he’s the right leader to drive the company’s next chapter of growth,” said Intuitive Board Chair Craig Barratt.

“On behalf of Intuitive’s board, we thank Gary for his leadership of our company. We are fortunate that he will continue to play an important role as our next executive chair,” continued Barratt. “And, on behalf of our customers, we thank him for the role he has played in helping Intuitive pioneer advancements in robotic-assisted surgery that optimize care and deliver better patient outcomes.”

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as Intuitive’s CEO for the past 15 years, working alongside our talented and dedicated employees as we seek to advance minimally invasive care for healthcare teams and their patients around the world. Together, we’ve developed products and services that have made a positive difference for care teams and millions of their patients,” said Guthart.

“Having worked closely with Dave for decades, I am confident that his patients-first focus and deep capability in guiding Intuitive’s strategy, our designs, our product and service quality, and our operational excellence make him uniquely qualified to lead our business forward,” said Guthart.

“Gary’s stewardship of Intuitive has had a significant impact on patients, clinicians, and hospitals. I thank him for his work and am honored to become the next Intuitive CEO,” said Rosa.

“We are at an exciting time with a significant opportunity to advance the work that customers care most about—the Quintuple Aim—improving patient outcomes, enhancing patient and care team experience, expanding patient access to care, and ultimately lowering the total cost to treat. I look forward to building on this work alongside the entire Intuitive team to deliver on these goals and drive value for all our stakeholders,” said Rosa.

A 29-year veteran with Intuitive, Rosa first joined the company as its ninth employee in March 1996. Since then, he has held leadership positions across the business, including engineering, clinical and product development, marketing, regulatory and quality affairs, and the commercial organization.

Among his achievements, Rosa founded Intuitive’s first clinical engineering and endoluminal groups, leading to the development and commercialization of the da Vinci SP (single port) robotic-assisted surgical system and Ion robotic bronchoscopy system. He also launched the company’s Future Forward group, which identifies and develops transformational new business opportunities.

Rosa assumed the role of executive vice president and chief business officer in 2019, transitioning to chief strategy and growth officer three years later. Rosa has served as Intuitive’s president since 2023 and became a member of the board of directors in 2024.

2025 marks Intuitive’s 30^th year developing robotic-assisted technology with the goal of improving patient outcomes, improving patient and care team experience, increasing access to minimally invasive care, and lowering the total cost to treat. In Intuitive's first three decades, surgeons performed nearly 17 million da Vinci procedures, and nearly 90,000 surgeons have been trained to use Intuitive’s systems.

Contact: Peper Long, Intuitive
Global Public Affairs
corp.comm@intusurg.com
1-202-997-7373

About Intuitive
Intuitive (NASDAQ: ISRG), headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, is a global leader in minimally invasive care and the pioneer of robotic surgery. Our technologies include the da Vinci surgical system and the Ion endoluminal system. By uniting advanced systems, progressive learning, and value-enhancing services, we help physicians and their teams optimize care delivery to support the best outcomes possible. At Intuitive, we envision a future of care that is less invasive and profoundly better, where disease is identified early and treated quickly, so that patients can get back to what matters most.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements which relate to expectations concerning matters that are not historical facts. Statements using words such as “estimates,” “projects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “will,” “can,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “targeted,” “potential,” and similar words and expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates reflecting the judgment of Intuitive’s management and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or impacts on its operations, financial performance, and business position to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements related to research and development of products and services, manufacturing of products, obtaining of regulatory approvals, technical and other performance of products and services, and making products and services available to more patients and health care professionals. These forward-looking statements should be considered in light of various important factors and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of Intuitive, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, economic conditions in the geographic markets in which we operate, changes in governmental regulations, regulatory approval priorities, resources, and timelines, regulatory enforcement priorities, governmental investigations and civil litigation, and other factors discussed in Intuitive’s Annual Reports and other filings with relevant securities regulators.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release and which are based on current expectations and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict, including those risk factors identified under the heading “Risk Factors” in Intuitive’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, as updated by its other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Intuitive’s actual results may differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements, and it undertakes no obligation to publicly update or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

FAQ

Who is the new CEO of Intuitive (ISRG) and when does he start?

Dave Rosa, currently President of Intuitive, will become CEO effective July 1, 2025. He is a 29-year veteran of the company who joined as its ninth employee in 1996.

What will happen to current Intuitive CEO Gary Guthart?

Gary Guthart will transition to the role of executive chair of Intuitive's board of directors and will remain with the company in a senior advisory capacity.

What are Dave Rosa's major achievements at Intuitive (ISRG)?

Rosa founded Intuitive's clinical engineering and endoluminal groups, led the development of the da Vinci SP surgical system and Ion robotic bronchoscopy system, and launched the Future Forward group for new business opportunities.

How many da Vinci procedures have been performed under Intuitive's technology?

Surgeons have performed nearly 17 million da Vinci procedures, and approximately 90,000 surgeons have been trained to use Intuitive's systems.

What positions has Dave Rosa held at Intuitive (ISRG)?

Rosa has held leadership positions in engineering, clinical development, marketing, regulatory affairs, and commercial operations. He became EVP and chief business officer in 2019, chief strategy officer later, president in 2023, and board member in 2024.