Biography

Cynthia Drake is the Principal of The Drake Group—a Driftwood, Texas-based small business development and marketing firm. Cynthia has her MBA from the University of Houston, (Texas) and a Diploma in Nursing from Brackenridge Hospital in Austin, (Texas).  Cynthia was recently accepted as an Oblate in the Order of Saint Benedict through the Holy Cross Monastery in Beaumont, Texas. 


CYNTHIA DRAKE, RN, MBA, ObSB 
Driftwood, Texas 
tel: 512.626.4854 email: cdrake@drakegroup.com 

THE DRAKE GROUP: APRIL 1994 - Present

Principal, journalist, columnist, consultant to the medical device industry, expert witness, due diligence. Authored: Emerging Devices for Minimally Invasive Cardiac and Vascular Surgery; US Arthroscopy Market, Market for Endoscopic Surgery, US Market for Wound Therapies, US Market for Urology Products, Surgical Automation & Robotics. 100+ custom strategic marketing reports.

SAINT STEPHEN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH:  JANUARY 2006 – DECEMBER 2011

Parish Administrator:  responsible for all fiscal and physical matters of the Church.

ELECTRO MEDICAL SYSTEMS APRIL 2000 - JUNE 2001 (contract)

DIVISION MANAGER, US & CANADA: coordinated distribution agreement and product launch/sales training with a major orthopaedic distributor, supervised and trained a foreign-born product manager.

UNITED STATES SURGICAL CORPORATION: MAY 1993 - APRIL 1994

DIRECTOR, OPTICS & CARDIOVASCULAR: Launched disposable laparoscopes. Formulated plans for vascular clips, arthroscopes, cystoscopes. Initiated plans for vascular stapler system.

INTRAMED LABORATORIES, INC.: MAY 1989 - MAY 1993

INTERNATIONAL MARKETING MANAGER: Achieved annual sales of $345 K for first year of international sales. Created European distribution team.  MARKETING MANAGER: responsible for OEM relationship for ureteroscopy line, product management of general surgery product, customer service, advertising, trade show management. 22,000 + units sold. Team created niche for single-use, quality optics products in various flexible endoscopic applications.

KARL STORZ ENDOSCOPY, AMERICA 1986 - 1989

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING, UROLOGY PRODUCT MANAGER: managed 3000 item product line. Increased sales by 35 %; profitability by 6 %. Created/introduced first flexible ureteroscope and cystoscope. Managed $60 K advertising budget.

THE DEXTER CORPORATION: 1981 - 1986

MANAGER, MEDICAL MARKETING DEPARTMENT: marketing and sales responsibility Medical Business Unit. Sold $46 M. 95% growth in revenue; 70% in units. Profitability improved 12 %. Negotiated agreements for $32 M. 10 direct reports including sales, product specialists, marketers. PRODUCT MANAGER, DRAPE: drape/gown fabrics.

PARK PLAZA HOSPITAL: 1975-1981

DIRECTOR, OPERATING ROOMS

ST. LUKE'S-TEXAS CHILDREN’S-TEXAS HEART INSTITUTE: 1966-1975

SUPERVISOR, OPERATING ROOMS

EDUCATION—OTHER:

Oblate in the Order of Saint Benedict, Holy Cross Monastery, Beaumont, Texas 2010
MBA, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 1981
Diploma, Brackenridge Hospital 
School of Nursing, Austin, Texas, 1961