Melanie Neal
Former Vice President of Global Service, Baxter Healthcare
Melanie Neal is a versatile operations expert with over 15 years of experience in a dynamic, innovation-driven environment. She is a certified Master Lean Leader and Six Sigma Black Belt, who excels in change management and complex problem solving. Her ability to foster collaborative partnerships and her overall adaptability have resulted in top-tier performance that routinely exceeds the goals of her team and company.
Currently she is the Vice President of Global Service at Baxter Healthcare. In her role, she is responsible for the full life-cycle management of over a million Baxter medical devices on the global market; including the design process for serviceability and reliability with new product development and sustaining products, equipment installation, training, preventative/reactive maintenance, spare parts inventory management, commercial strategies, and end of life activities. She oversees 1500+ employees and the service delivery of a diverse product portfolio that can be found in hospitals, clinics, and home settings in over 60 countries worldwide.
During her 7+ years at Baxter, Melanie has held various leadership roles in commercial operations, program management, and trade relations. Prior to Baxter, Melanie worked at GE Healthcare and GE Supply (Gexpro) in service operations, customer advocacy, sales, and marketing. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences at Purdue University.
A champion of women, Melanie always looks for opportunities to accelerate the careers of women around her. Since 2013, she has been a member of Baxter’s Building Women Leaders Business Resource Group, is a member of the Board of Directors for the Chicago Chapter of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association, and is an active member of Advancing Women Executives (AWE). In addition to the work that she does to support women, Melanie has been volunteering for the Special Olympics for over 30 years.
When she is not in the office, Melanie can be found hiking outdoors – she finds that the fresh air re-energizes her mind, body, and soul; participating in a remote/virtual book club with her two sisters and parents, where she can indulge in her two favorite pastimes – reading and spending time with family; or traveling somewhere new and learning about a culture different than her own. Melanie currently resides with her husband and 3 dogs in Pleasant Prairie, WI.