Press room

Eden Prairie, Minnesota, April 13, 2020 – Starkey and Medical Alley are proud to announce a new milestone in their long-standing partnership. Following a unanimous vote by the Medical Alley Association Board of Directors, Starkey President Brandon Sawalich has been elected to serve on the organization’s Board of Directors. In this role, Sawalich will identify new opportunities for organizational growth and collaboration to further the organization’s goals and mission.

“As a global leader in hearing innovation, Starkey has redefined the hearing aid as we know it,” said Shaye Mandle, President and CEO of Medical Alley. “In 2018, Starkey became the first company in history to incorporate artificial intelligence and integrated sensors into a hearing aid. This new technology is unlocking the ear’s ability to be a source of valuable information about a person’s overall health and wellness. We look forward to tapping Brandon’s expertise as we explore this new frontier in healthcare.”

Growing evidence shows treatment of hearing loss with hearing aids can improve or reduce the impact of health issues such as cognitive decline and heart disease. As the world’s first Healthable hearing aid, Livio AI can track both brain and body activity, allowing people of all ages to take a proactive approach to their overall wellness. It can also detect and send an alert if a user has fallen, translate speech into 27 languages and stream phone calls and music from smartphones directly to the hearing aid. It was named to TIME’s list of Best Inventions of 2019 and The Verge’s list of 100 best gadgets of the decade.

“I’m humbled and honored by this opportunity to serve on the Medical Alley Board of Directors,” said Starkey President Brandon Sawalich. “Together, we find ourselves at the intersection of health care and technology. It is rewarding to share the wealth of knowledge we’ve accumulated here at Starkey with an organization that is pushing the MedTech industry in the right direction. We push ourselves every day to keep innovating, and our partnership with Medical Alley only motivates us to always be doing more.”

Sawalich’s new role on the Medical Alley board of directors is effective immediately.

About Starkey
Starkey is a privately held, global hearing technology company headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Founded by Bill Austin in 1967, Starkey is known for its innovative design, development and distribution of comprehensive digital hearing systems. Led today by President Brandon Sawalich, Starkey is the only American-owned provider of hearing technologies. The company has more than 6,000 employees, operates 26+ facilities and does business in more than 100 markets worldwide. Learn more at starkey.com.

About Medical Alley
Founded in 1984, the Medical Alley Association supports and advances the global leadership of Medical Alley’s healthcare industry, and its connectivity around the world. MAA delivers the collective influence, intelligence and interactions that support Medical Alley. www.medicalalley.org