Medtronic 10-K 2020-04-24

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

Commission File No. 1-36820

®

MEDTRONIC PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

20 On Hatch, Lower Hatch Street

Dublin 2, Ireland

(Address of principal executive offices)

+353 1 438-1700

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§229.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer ☒ Accelerated filer ☐ Non-accelerated filer ☐ Smaller reporting company ☐ Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

Aggregate market value of voting and non-voting common equity of Medtronic plc held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of October 25, 2019, based on the closing price of $105.44 as reported on the New York Stock Exchange: approximately $141.3 billion. Number of Ordinary Shares outstanding on June 17, 2020: 1,341,298,882

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the registrant’s Proxy Statement for its 2020 Annual General Meeting are incorporated by reference into Part III hereof.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K, and other written reports of Medtronic public limited company, organized under the laws of Ireland (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, Medtronic, the Company, or we, us, or our), and oral statements made by or with the approval of one of the Company’s executive officers from time to time, may include “forward-looking” statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, business strategy and plans, objectives of management for future operations and current expectations or forecasts of future results, are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements may include statements related to our growth and growth strategies, developments in the markets for our products, therapies and services, financial results, product development launches and effectiveness, research and development strategy, regulatory approvals, competitive strengths, the potential or anticipated direct or indirect impact of COVID-19 on our business, results of operations and/or financial condition, restructuring and cost-saving initiatives, intellectual property rights, litigation and tax matters, governmental proceedings and investigations, mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, market acceptance of our products, therapies and services, accounting estimates, financing activities, ongoing contractual obligations, working capital adequacy, value of our investments, our effective tax rate, our expected returns to shareholders, and sales efforts. In some cases, such statements may be identified by the use of terminology such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “looking ahead,” “may,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “project,” “should,” “will,” and similar words or expressions. Forward-looking statements in this Annual Report include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our ability to drive long-term shareholder value, development and future launches of products and continued or future acceptance of products, therapies and services in our segments; expected timing for completion of research studies relating to our products; market positioning and performance of our products, including stabilization of certain product markets; divestitures and the potential benefits thereof; the costs and benefits of integrating previous acquisitions; anticipated timing for United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) and non-U.S. regulatory approval of new products; increased presence in new markets, including markets outside the U.S.; changes in the market and our market share; acquisitions and investment initiatives, as well as integration of acquired companies into our operations; the resolution of tax matters; the effectiveness of our development activities in reducing patient care costs and hospital stay lengths; our approach towards cost containment; our expectations regarding healthcare costs, including potential changes to reimbursement policies and pricing pressures; our expectations regarding changes to patient standards of care; our ability to identify and maintain successful business partnerships; the elimination of certain positions or costs related to restructuring initiatives; outcomes in our litigation matters and governmental proceedings and investigations; general economic conditions; the adequacy of available working capital and our working capital needs; our payment of dividends and redemption of shares; the continued strength of our balance sheet and liquidity; our accounts receivable exposure; and the potential impact of our compliance with governmental regulations and accounting guidance.

We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions described in the “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Because forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. One must carefully consider forward-looking statements and understand that such forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified, and involve a variety of risks and uncertainties, known and unknown, including, among others, those discussed in the sections entitled “Government Regulation and Other Considerations” within “Item 1. Business” and “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as those related to:

• the COVID-19 pandemic and the actions of businesses, communities and governments in response;

• competition in the medical device industry;

• reduction or interruption in our supply;

• laws and governmental regulations;

• quality problems;

• liquidity shortfalls;

• decreasing prices and pricing pressure;

• fluctuations in currency exchange rates;

• changes in applicable tax rates;

• positions taken by taxing authorities;

• adverse regulatory action;

• delays in regulatory approvals;

• litigation results;

• self-insurance;

• commercial insurance;

• healthcare policy changes;

• international operations;

• cybersecurity incidents;

• failure to complete or achieve the intended benefits of acquisitions or divestitures; or

• disruption of our current plans and operations.

Consequently, no forward-looking statement may be guaranteed and actual results may vary materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. We intend to take advantage of the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding our forward-looking statements, and are including this sentence for the express purpose of enabling us to use the protections of the safe harbor with respect to all forward-looking statements. While we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, whether as a result of any new information, future events, or otherwise, we have no current intention of doing so except to the extent required by applicable law.

PART I

Medtronic plc, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is among the world's largest medical technology, services, and solutions companies - alleviating pain, restoring health, and extending life for millions of people around the world. Medtronic was founded in 1949 and today serves hospitals, physicians, clinicians, and patients in more than 150 countries worldwide. We remain committed to a mission written by our founder in 1960 that directs us “to contribute to human welfare by the application of biomedical engineering in the research, design, manufacture, and sale of products to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life.”

With innovation and market leadership, we have pioneered advances in medical technology. Our commitment to enhance our offerings by developing and acquiring new products, wrap-around programs, and solutions to meet the needs of a broader set of stakeholders is driven by the following primary strategies:

• Therapy Innovation: Delivering a strong launch cadence of meaningful therapies and procedures.

• Globalization: Addressing the inequity in healthcare access globally, primarily in emerging markets.

• Economic Value: Becoming a leader in value-based healthcare by offering new services and solutions to improve outcomes and efficiencies, lower costs by reducing hospitalizations, improve remote clinical management, and increase patient engagement.

Our primary customers include hospitals, clinics, third-party healthcare providers, distributors, and other institutions, including governmental healthcare programs and group purchasing organizations (GPOs).

Medtronic plc is the successor to Medtronic, Inc., a Minnesota corporation. Medtronic, Inc. and Covidien plc (Covidien) were combined under and became subsidiaries of Medtronic plc on January 26, 2015.

On July 29, 2017, we completed the divestiture of our Patient Care, Deep Vein Thrombosis, and Nutritional Insufficiency businesses (the Divestiture). Among the product lines included in the divestiture were the dental and animal health, chart paper, wound care, incontinence, electrodes, SharpSafety, thermometry, perinatal protection, blood collection, compression, and enteral feeding offerings. Prior to the divestiture, these businesses were included within the Minimally Invasive Therapies Group segment.

We have four operating and reportable segments that primarily develop, manufacture, distribute, and sell device-based medical therapies and services: the Cardiac and Vascular Group, the Minimally Invasive Therapies Group, the Restorative Therapies Group, and the Diabetes Group. For more information regarding our segments, please see Note 21 to the consolidated financial statements in "Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

CARDIAC AND VASCULAR GROUP

The Cardiac and Vascular Group is made up of the Cardiac Rhythm & Heart Failure, Coronary & Structural Heart, and Aortic, Peripheral & Venous divisions. The primary medical specialists who use our Cardiac and Vascular products include electrophysiologists, implanting cardiologists, heart failure specialists, cardiovascular, cardiothoracic, and vascular surgeons, and interventional cardiologists and radiologists.

Cardiac Rhythm & Heart Failure

Our Cardiac Rhythm & Heart Failure division develops, manufactures, and markets products for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of heart rhythm disorders and heart failure. Our products include implantable devices, leads and delivery systems, products for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF), products designed to reduce surgical site infections, information systems for the management of patients with Cardiac Rhythm & Heart Failure devices, ventricular assist systems, and an integrated health solutions business. Principal products and services offered include:

• Implantable cardiac pacemakers including the Azure MRI SureScan, Adapta, Advisa MRI SureScan, Micra Transcatheter Pacing System, which is leadless and does not have a subcutaneous device pocket like a conventional pacemaker, and Micra AV, which can treat patients with atrioventricular block.

• Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), including the Visia AF, Evera MRI SureScan, and the Cobalt and Chrome portfolio of BlueSync-enabled ICDs, as well as defibrillator leads, including the Sprint Quattro Secure lead.

• Implantable cardiac resynchronization therapy devices (CRT-Ds and CRT-Ps) including the Claria/Amplia/Compia family of MRI Quad CRT-D SureScan systems and the Cobalt and Chrome portfolio of BlueSync-enabled CRT-Ds, as well as the Percepta/Serena/Solara family of MRI Quad CRT-P SureScan systems.

• AF ablation products including the Arctic Front Cardiac CryoAblation Catheter System, designed for pulmonary vein isolation in the treatment of patients with drug refractory paroxysmal AF.

• Insertable cardiac monitoring systems including the Reveal LINQ, which is used to record the heart’s electrical activity before, during, and after transient symptoms such as syncope (i.e. fainting) and palpitations to assist in diagnosis.

• Mechanical circulatory support products including miniaturized implantable heart pumps, or ventricular assist devices, patient accessories and surgical tools to treat patients suffering from advanced heart failure.

• TYRX products including the Cardiac and Neuro Absorbable Antibacterial Envelopes, which are designed to stabilize electronic implantable devices and help prevent infection associated with implantable pacemakers, and defibrillators.

• Remote monitoring services and patient-centered software to enable efficient care coordination and specialized telehealth nurse support as well as services related to hospital operational efficiency.

Coronary & Structural Heart

Our Coronary & Structural Heart division includes therapies to treat coronary artery disease and heart valve disorders. Our products include coronary stents and related delivery systems, including a broad line of balloon angioplasty catheters, guide catheters, guide wires, diagnostic catheters, and accessories, as well as products for the repair and replacement of heart valves, perfusion systems, positioning and stabilization systems for beating heart revascularization surgery, and surgical ablation products. Principal products offered include:

• CoreValve family of aortic valves, including the Evolut R, Evolut PRO, and Evolut PRO+ systems for transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

• Percutaneous Coronary Intervention stent products including our Resolute Onyx drug-eluting stent.

• Surgical valve replacement and repair products for damaged or diseased heart valves, including both tissue and mechanical valves, blood-handling products that form a circulatory support system to maintain and monitor blood circulation and coagulation status, oxygen supply, and body temperature during arrested heart surgery, and surgical ablation systems and positioning and stabilization technologies.

Aortic, Peripheral & Venous

Our Aortic, Peripheral & Venous division is comprised of a comprehensive line of products and therapies to treat aortic disease, such as aneurysms, dissections, and transections, as well as peripheral vascular disease, and venous disease. Our products include endovascular stent graft systems, peripheral drug coated balloons, stent and angioplasty systems, and carotid embolic protection systems for the treatment of vascular disease outside the heart, and products for superficial and deep venous disease. Principal products offered include:

• Endovascular stent grafts and accessories including the Endurant II Stent Grant System for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms, the Valiant Navion Thoracic Stent Grant System for thoracic endovascular aortic repair procedures, and the Heli-FX EndoAnchor System.

• Percutaneous angioplasty balloons including the IN.PACT family of drug-coated balloons, vascular stents, directional atherectomy products, and other procedure support tools.

• Products to treat superficial venous diseases in the lower extremities including the ClosureFast radiofrequency ablation system and the VenaSeal medical adhesive closure system.

MINIMALLY INVASIVE THERAPIES GROUP

The Minimally Invasive Therapies Group is made up of the Surgical Innovations and Respiratory, Gastrointestinal, & Renal divisions. Products and therapies of this group are used primarily by hospitals, physicians' offices, ambulatory care centers, and other alternate site healthcare providers. While less frequent, some products and therapies are also used in home settings.

Surgical Innovations

Our Surgical Innovations division develops, manufactures, and markets advanced and general surgical products including surgical stapling devices, vessel sealing instruments, wound closure, electrosurgery products, hernia mechanical devices, mesh implants, and gynecology products and therapies to treat diseases and conditions that are typically, but not exclusively, addressed by surgeons. Principal products and services offered include:

• Advanced stapling and energy products, including the Tri-Staple technology platform for endoscopic stapling, including the Endo GIA reloads and reinforced reloads with Tri-Staple Technology and the Endo GIA ultra universal stapler, the LigaSure Exact Dissector and L-Hook Laparoscopic Sealer/Divider, and the Sonicision curved jaw cordless ultrasonic dissection system.

• Electrosurgical hardware and instruments, including the Valleylab FT10 energy platform, and the Force TriVerse electrosurgical pencils, and surgical artificial intelligence (AI), data and analytics, and digital education and training to support robotic assisted surgery platform.

• Products designed for the treatment of hernias, including the AbsorbaTack absorbable mesh fixation device for hernia repair, the Symbotex composite mesh for surgical laparoscopic and open ventral hernia repair, and Parietex ProGrip, a self-gripping, biocompatible solution for inguinal hernias.

Respiratory, Gastrointestinal, & Renal

Our Respiratory, Gastrointestinal, & Renal division develops, manufactures, and markets products in the emerging fields of minimally invasive gastrointestinal and hepatologic diagnostics and therapies, patient monitoring, respiratory interventions including airway management and ventilation therapies, and for the treatment of renal disease. Principal products and services offered include:

• Gastrointestinal and endoscopy products, including the PillCam portfolio, the Bravo calibration-free reflux testing systems, the EndoFLIP imaging systems, the Emprint ablation system with Thermosphere Technology, the Barrx platform through ablation with the Barrx 360 Express catheter, the Cool-tip radiofrequency ablation system, and the HET Bipolar System.

• Airway, ventilation, and inhalation therapies products, including the Puritan Bennett 980, 840, and 560 ventilators, the Newport e360 and HT70 ventilators, the TaperGuard Evac tube, Shiley Endotracheal Tubes, Shiley Tracheostomy Tubes, McGRATH MAC video laryngoscopes, and DAR Filters.

• Products focused on patient monitoring, including Capnostream capnography monitors, Nellcor pulse oximetry monitors, INVOS cerebral/somatic oximetry systems, and Bispectral Index (BIS) brain monitoring technology.

• Products providing solutions for the treatment of renal disease, including Palindrome, Mahurkar and Mahurkar Elite Dialysis Access Catheters for renal therapy, and other products designed for use in treatment of both acute and chronic renal failure conditions.

RESTORATIVE THERAPIES GROUP

The Restorative Therapies Group is made up of the Brain Therapies, Spine, Specialty Therapies, and Pain Therapies divisions. The primary medical specialists who use the products of this group include spinal surgeons, neurosurgeons, neurologists, pain management specialists, anesthesiologists, orthopedic surgeons, urologists, colorectal surgeons, urogynecologists, interventional radiologists, and ear, nose, and throat specialists.

Brain Therapies

Our Brain Therapies division develops, manufactures, and markets an integrated portfolio of devices and therapies for the treatment of neurological disorders and diseases, as well as surgical technologies designed to improve the precision and workflow of neuro procedures. Principal products and services offered include:

• Neurovascular products to treat diseases of the vasculature in and around the brain. This includes coils, neurovascular stent retrievers, and flow diversion products, as well as access and delivery products to support procedures. Products also include the Pipeline Flex Embolization Devices, endovascular treatments for large or giant wide-necked brain aneurysms, the portfolio of Solitaire revascularization devices for treatment of acute ischemic stroke, the Riptide Aspiration System and a portfolio of associated access catheters including our React aspiration catheters also for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke.

• Brain modulation products, including those for the treatment of the disabling symptoms of Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, refractory epilepsy, severe, treatment-resistant obsessive compulsive disorder (approved under a Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE) in the U.S.), and chronic, intractable primary dystonia (approved under a HDE in the U.S.). Specifically, this includes our family of Activa Neurostimulators, including Activa SC (single-channel primary cell battery), Activa PC (dual channel primary cell battery), and Activa RC (dual channel rechargeable battery). This also includes our Percept PC Neurostimulator DBS system with BrainSense technology, which received CE Mark approval in January of 2020.

• Neurosurgery products, including platform technologies, implant therapies, and advanced energy products. Our StealthStation S8 Navigation System, Stealth Autoguide cranial robotic guidance platform, and O-arm Imaging System are platforms used in cranial, spinal, sinus, and orthopedic procedures. Our Mazor X robotic guidance systems are used in robot-assisted spine procedures and combine the best-in-class robotics and navigation capability. Our Midas Rex Surgical Drills, including our new MR8 high-speed drill system, are used in cranial, spinal, ENT, and orthopedic procedures. Our CSF Management Portfolio is used in treating hydrocephalus and other conditions impacting the intracranial pressure, and our Visualase MRI-guided laser ablation is used in cranial procedures. Our PEAK Surgery System and Aquamantys Sealers are advanced energy products. Our PEAK Surgery System is a tissue dissection system that consists of the PEAK PlasmaBlade and PULSAR Generator and is cleared for use in a variety of settings, including plastic reconstructive surgery, general surgery, and certain conditions of ENT. Our Aquamantys Sealers use patented transcollation technology to provide haemostatic sealing of soft tissue and bone and are cleared for use in a variety of surgical procedures, including orthopedic surgery, spine, solid organ resection and thoracic procedures.

Spine

Our Spine division develops, manufactures, and markets a comprehensive line of medical devices and implants used in the treatment of the spine and musculoskeletal system. Our Spine division also provides biologic solutions for the orthopedic and dental markets and, in concert with our Neurosurgery business, offers unique and highly differentiated imaging, navigation, power instruments, nerve monitoring, and Mazor robotic guidance systems used in robot assisted spine procedures. Principal products and services offered include:

• Products to treat a variety of conditions affecting the spine, including degenerative disc disease, spinal deformity, spinal tumors, fractures of the spine, and stenosis. These products include our CD HORIZON SOLERA system, T2 Strastosphere, and the CLYDESDALE, and ELEVATE interbody spacers. These products also include titanium interbody implants and surface technologies from Titan Spine, acquired in June of 2019.

• Products that facilitate less invasive thoracolumbar surgeries, including the CD HORIZON SOLERA VOYAGER and LONGITUDE Percutaneous Fixation Systems.

• Products to treat conditions in the cervical region of the spine, including the ZEVO Anterior Cervical Plate System, the INFINITY OCT System, and PRESTIGE LP Cervical Artificial Discs.

• Biologic solutions products, including our INFUSE Bone Graft (InductOs in the European Union (E.U.)), which contains a recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein, rhBMP-2, for certain spinal, trauma, and oral maxillofacial applications.

• Demineralized Bone Matrix products, including MagniFuse, GRAFTON/GRAFTON PLUS, COREX, and PROGENIX, and the MASTERGRAFT family of synthetic bone graft products - Matrix, Putty, and Granules.

Specialty Therapies

Our Specialty Therapies division develops, manufactures, and markets products and therapies to treat diseases of the ear, nose and throat (ENT), help control the systems of overactive bladder, (non-obstructive) urinary retention, and chronic fecal incontinence. Principal products and services offered include:

• Pelvic health and gastric therapies products, including our Interstim, InterStim Micro, and InterStim II neurostimulators, and InterStim SureScan MRI leads, to help control the systems of overactive bladder, (non-obstructive) urinary retention, and chronic fecal incontinence. Our NURO System delivers Percutaneous Tibial Neuromodulation therapy to treat overactive bladder and associated symptoms of urinary urgency, urinary frequency, and urge incontinence. Our Enterra gastric neurostimulator is approved as a humanitarian device and is used for the treatment of chronic, intractable nausea and vomiting due to gastroparesis.

• ENT products, including the Straightshot M5 Microdebrider Handpiece, the IPC system, NIM Nerve Monitoring Systems, FUSION Compact and StealthStation ENT Navigation System, as well as products for hearing restoration and obstructive sleep apnea.

Pain Therapies

Our Pain Therapies division develops, manufactures, and markets spinal cord stimulation systems, implantable drug infusion systems for chronic pain, as well as interventional products. Principal products and services offered include:

• Spinal cord stimulation products, including rechargeable and non-rechargeable devices and a large selection of leads used to treat chronic back and/or limb pain. This includes the Intellis Spinal Cord Stimulation System, with

AdaptiveStim and SureScan MRI Technology, DTM (differential target multiplexed) proprietary waveform, the Evolve workflow algorithm, and Snapshot reporting. Products also include our RestoreSensor (rechargeable) SureScan MRI neurostimulation system, with its proprietary AdaptiveStim technology.

• Implantable drug infusion systems, including our SynchroMed II Implantable Infusion System, that deliver small quantities of drug directly into the intrathecal space surrounding the spinal cord.

• Interventional products, including the Xpander II Balloon Kyphoplasty system, the Kyphon-V vertebroplasty system and the OsteoCool RF Tumor ablation system.

• The Accurian nerve ablation system, which conducts radio frequency ablation of nerve tissues.

DIABETES GROUP

The Diabetes Group develops, manufactures, and markets products and services for the management of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. The primary medical specialists who use and/or prescribe our Diabetes products are endocrinologists and primary care physicians.

Principal products and services offered include:

• Insulin pumps, including the MiniMed 670G system, which is the world's first hybrid closed loop system. The system, powered by SmartGuard technology, mimics some of the functions of a healthy pancreas by providing two levels of automated insulin delivery to maximize Time in Range with reduced user input.

• Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems, including the Guardian Connect smart CGM system, the iPro2 professional CGM, and the Envision PRO professional CGM, are products worn by patients capturing glucose data to reveal patterns and potential problems, such as hyperglycemic and hypoglycemic episodes.

OTHER FACTORS IMPACTING OUR OPERATIONS

COVID-19 Pandemic

The global COVID-19 pandemic, together with the preventative and precautionary measures taken by businesses, communities and governments, is impacting, and we expect will continue to impact significant aspects of our Company and business, including demand for our products, our operations, supply chains and distribution systems, and our ability to research and develop and bring new products and services to market. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Research and Development

The markets in which we participate are subject to rapid technological advances. Constant improvement of existing products and introduction of new products is necessary to maintain market leadership. Our research and development (R&D) efforts are directed toward maintaining or achieving technological leadership in each of the markets we serve in order to help ensure that patients using our devices and therapies receive the most advanced and effective treatment possible. We remain committed to developing technological enhancements and new indications for existing products, and less invasive and new technologies for new and emerging markets to address unmet patient needs. That commitment leads to our initiation and participation in many clinical trials each fiscal year as the demand for clinical and economic evidence remains high. Furthermore, our development activities are intended to help reduce patient care costs and the length of hospital stays in the future. We have not engaged in significant customer or government-sponsored research.

Our R&D activities include improving existing products and therapies, expanding their indications and applications for use, and developing new therapies and procedures. We continue to focus on optimizing innovation, improving our R&D productivity, driving growth in emerging markets, clinical evidence generation, and assessing our R&D programs based on their ability to deliver economic value to our customers.

Intellectual Property

We rely on a combination of patents, trademarks, tradenames, copyrights, trade secrets, and agreements (non-disclosure and non-competition agreements) to protect our business and proprietary technology. In addition, we have entered into exclusive and non-exclusive licenses relating to a wide array of third-party technologies. In the aggregate, these intellectual property assets and licenses are of material importance to our business; however, we believe that no single intellectual property asset or license is material in relation to any segment of our business or to our business as a whole.

We operate in an industry characterized by extensive patent litigation. Patent litigation may result in significant damage awards and injunctions that could prevent the manufacture and sale of affected products or result in significant royalty payments in order to continue selling the products. At any given time, we are involved as both a plaintiff and a defendant in a number of patent infringement actions, the outcomes of which may not be known for prolonged periods of time. For additional information, see Note 19 to the consolidated financial statements in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Sales and Distribution

We sell most of our medical devices and therapies through direct sales representatives in the U.S. and a combination of direct sales representatives and independent distributors in markets outside the U.S. For certain portions of our business, we also sell through distributors in the U.S. Our medical supplies products are used primarily in hospitals, surgi-centers and alternate care facilities, such as home care and long-term care facilities, and are marketed to materials managers, GPOs and integrated delivery networks (IDNs). We often negotiate with GPOs and IDNs, which enter into supply contracts for the benefit of their member facilities. Our four largest markets are the U.S., Western Europe, China, and Japan. Emerging markets are an area of increasing focus and opportunity, as we believe they remain under-penetrated.

Our marketing and sales strategy is focused on rapid, cost-effective delivery of high-quality products to a diverse group of customers worldwide. To achieve this objective, we organize our marketing and sales teams around physician specialties. This focus enables us to develop highly knowledgeable and dedicated sales representatives who are able to foster strong relationships with physicians and other customers and enhance our ability to cross-sell complementary products.

We are not dependent on any single customer for more than 10 percent of our total net sales.

Competition, Industry and Cost Containment

We compete in both the therapeutic and diagnostic medical markets in more than 150 countries throughout the world. These markets are characterized by rapid change resulting from technological advances and scientific discoveries. Our product lines face a mix of competitors ranging from large manufacturers with multiple business lines to small manufacturers offering a limited selection of products. In addition, we face competition from providers of other medical therapies, such as pharmaceutical companies.

Major shifts in industry market share have occurred in connection with product problems, physician advisories, safety alerts, results of clinical trials to support superiority claims, and publications about our products, reflecting the importance of product quality, product efficacy and quality systems in the medical device industry. In the current environment of managed care, economically motivated customers, consolidation among healthcare providers, increased competition, and declining reimbursement rates, we have been increasingly required to compete on the basis of price. In order to continue to compete effectively, we must continue to create or acquire advanced technology, incorporate this technology into proprietary products, obtain regulatory approvals in a timely manner, maintain high-quality manufacturing processes, and successfully market these products.

Government and private sector initiatives to limit the growth of healthcare costs, including price regulation, competitive pricing, bidding and tender mechanics, coverage and payment policies, comparative effectiveness of therapies, technology assessments and managed-care arrangements, are continuing in many countries where we do business, including the U.S. These initiatives put increased emphasis on the delivery of more cost-effective medical devices and therapies. Government programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, private healthcare insurance and managed-care plans have attempted to control costs by limiting the amount of reimbursement they will pay for particular procedures or treatments, tying reimbursement to outcomes, shifting to population health management, and other mechanisms. Hospitals, which purchase our technology, are also seeking to reduce

costs through a variety of mechanisms, including, for example, centralized purchasing, and in some cases, limiting the number of vendors that may participate in the purchasing program. Hospitals are also aligning interests with physicians through employment and other arrangements, such as gainsharing, where a hospital agrees with physicians to share any realized cost savings resulting from changes in practice patterns such as device standardization. This has created an increased level of price sensitivity among customers for our products.

Worldwide Operations

Our global operations are accompanied by certain financial and other risks. Relationships with customers and effective terms of sale vary by country. Exchange rate fluctuations may affect revenues, earnings, and cash flows from operations. We use operational and economic hedges, as well as derivative contracts, to manage the impact of currency exchange rate changes on earnings and cash flow. See “Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” and Note 8 to the consolidated financial statements in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Net sales and property, plant, and equipment attributable to significant geographic areas are presented in Note 21 to the consolidated financial statements in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Production and Availability of Raw Materials

We manufacture products at manufacturing facilities located in various countries throughout the world. We purchase many of the components and raw materials used in manufacturing our products from numerous suppliers in various countries. Certain components and raw materials are available only from a sole supplier. We work closely with our suppliers to help ensure continuity of supply while maintaining high quality and reliability. Generally, we have been able to obtain adequate supplies of such raw materials and components. However, due to the U.S. FDA’s manufacturing requirements, we may not be able to quickly establish additional or replacement sources for certain components or materials if we experience a sudden or unexpected reduction or interruption in supply and are unable to develop alternative sources.

For additional information related to our manufacturing facilities refer to “Item 2. Properties” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Quality Management and Product Liability

Our business success depends on the quality of our products, and we have global processes, procedures and programs, including our “Quality Begins with Me” program, that are intended to help us maintain the highest possible level of quality in all products. We operate in an industry susceptible to significant product liability claims. These claims may be brought by individuals seeking relief on their own behalf or purporting to represent a class.

Working Capital

Our goal is to carry sufficient levels of inventory to meet the product delivery needs of our customers. We also provide payment terms to customers in the normal course of business and rights to return product under warranty to meet the operational demands of our customers.

Employees

On April 24, 2020, we employed more than 90,000 full-time employees. Our employees are vital to our success. We believe we have been successful in attracting and retaining qualified personnel in a highly competitive labor market due to our competitive compensation and benefits and our rewarding work environment.

Seasonality

Worldwide sales do not reflect a significant degree of seasonality. However, the number of medical procedures incorporating Medtronic products is generally lower during summer months in the northern hemisphere due to summer vacation schedules, particularly in European countries.

Government Regulation

Our operations and products are subject to extensive regulation by numerous government agencies, including the U.S. FDA, European regulatory authorities such as the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in the United Kingdom (U.K.) and the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices in Germany, the China National Medical Product Administration (NMPA), and other government agencies inside and outside the U.S. To varying degrees, each of these agencies requires us to comply with laws and regulations governing the development, testing, manufacturing, labeling, marketing,

distribution and post-marketing surveillance of our products. Our business is also affected by patient privacy laws and government payer cost containment initiatives, as well as environmental health and safety laws and regulations.

Product Approval and Monitoring

Many countries where we sell medical devices subject such medical devices and technologies to their own approval and other regulatory requirements regarding performance, safety, and quality of our products. Authorization to commercially distribute a new medical device in the U.S. is generally obtained in one of two ways. The first, known as pre-market notification or the 510(k) process, requires us to demonstrate that our medical device is substantially equivalent to a legally marketed medical device. The second, more rigorous process, known as pre-market approval, requires us to independently demonstrate that a medical device is safe and effective for its intended use. This process is generally much more time-consuming and expensive than the 510(k) process.

In the E.U., a single regulatory approval process exists, and conformity with the legal requirements is represented by the CE Mark. To obtain a CE Mark, defined products must meet minimum standards of performance, safety, and quality (i.e., the essential requirements), and then, according to their classification, comply with one or more of a selection of conformity assessment routes. The competent authorities of the E.U. countries separately regulate the clinical research for medical devices and the market surveillance of products once they are placed on the market. A new Medical Device Regulation was published by the E.U. in 2017 which imposes significant additional premarket and postmarket requirements (EU MDR). The regulation initially provided a three-year implementation period to May 2020, but that timeline has been delayed to May 2021 due to COVID-19 and its impact on audits and technical file review by Notified Bodies. After that time, medical devices marketed in the E.U. will require certification according to these new requirements, except that devices with valid CE certificates, issued pursuant to the Medical Device Directives before May 2020, can be placed on the market until May 2024.

The global regulatory environment is increasingly stringent and unpredictable. Several countries that did not have regulatory requirements for medical devices have established such requirements in recent years, and other countries have expanded, or plan to expand, their existing regulations. While harmonization of global regulations has been pursued, requirements continue to differ significantly among countries. We expect this global regulatory environment will continue to evolve, which could impact the cost, the time needed to approve, and ultimately, our ability to maintain existing approvals or obtain future approvals for our products. Regulations of the U.S. FDA and other regulatory agencies in and outside the U.S. impose extensive compliance and monitoring obligations on our business. These agencies review our design and manufacturing practices, labeling, record keeping, and manufacturers’ required reports of adverse experiences and other information to identify potential problems with marketed medical devices. We are also subject to periodic inspections for compliance with applicable quality system regulations, which govern the methods used in, and the facilities and controls used for, the design, manufacture, packaging, and servicing of finished medical devices intended for human use. In addition, the U.S. FDA and other regulatory bodies, both in and outside the U.S. (including the Federal Trade Commission, the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Justice, and various state Attorneys General), monitor the promotion and advertising of our products. Any adverse regulatory action, depending on its magnitude, may limit our ability to effectively market and sell our products, limit our ability to obtain future premarket approvals or result in a substantial modification to our business practices and operations. For additional information, see "Item 1A. Risk Factors" We are subject to costly and complex laws and governmental regulations and any adverse regulatory action may materially adversely affect our financial condition and business operations.

In April 2015, we entered into a consent decree with the U.S. FDA relating to our Pain Therapies division's SynchroMed II drug infusion system and its associated quality system. The consent decree requires us to complete certain corrections and enhancements to the SynchroMed pump and the Neuromodulation quality system. The consent decree’s limitations on our ability to manufacture and distribute the SynchroMed drug infusion system were lifted by the U.S. FDA in September 2017. Following the successful completion of the required third-party expert audits and subsequent FDA inspection, and in coordination with the FDA, Medtronic can move to have the consent decree vacated. The Company must undergo third-party audits and submit audit reports to the U.S. FDA through calendar 2020.

In June 2016, TYRX received a Warning Letter from the U.S. FDA following an inspection at the TYRX facility in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey. The U.S. FDA completed its follow up inspection to the Warning Letter in March 2018 and issued a Form-483 with observations. FDA completed its Warning Letter reinspection at the TYRX facility in Minneapolis, since the manufacturing operations at Monmouth Junction have ceased. The inspection concluded in March 2020 with zero observations, and in April 2020 the Warning Letter was lifted by FDA. In June 2014, HeartWare Inc. received a Warning Letter from the U.S. FDA following an inspection at the HeartWare facility in Miami Lakes, Florida. Medtronic acquired HeartWare in August 2016, and implemented corrective actions and process improvements to address the items in the Warning Letter. In July 2018, HeartWare received a Form-483 after a U.S. FDA inspection and is implementing additional corrective actions, primarily related to the Pioneer 2.0 Controller, in response to the observations. We have been communicating monthly with the U.S. FDA on the progress of the actions and the timing for reinspection. In August 2018, we received two FDA Warning Letters, one

issued to the CRHF facility in Mounds View, MN, and the other issued to the Juncos facility in Puerto Rico. The letters were limited to the Blackwell ICD and focused on the manufacturing and design processes for Blackwell. Reinspection was completed at Juncos in November 2019 and resulted in four 483 observations. Reinspection was completed at Mounds View in January 2020 and resulted in zero 483 observations. Both the Juncos and Mounds View Warning Letters were lifted in February 2020.

Trade Regulations

The movement of products, services, and investment across borders subject us to extensive trade regulations. A variety of laws and regulations in the countries in which we transact business apply to the sale, shipment and provision of goods, services and technology across borders. These laws and regulations govern, among other things, our import, export and other business activities. We are also subject to the risk that these laws and regulations could change in a way that would expose us to additional costs, penalties or liabilities. Some governments also impose economic sanctions against certain countries, persons or entities. In addition to our need to comply with such regulations in connection with our direct activities, we also sell and provide goods, technology and services to agents, representatives and distributors who may export such items to customers and end-users. If we, or the third parties through which we do business, are not in compliance with applicable import, export control or economic sanctions laws and regulations, we may be subject to civil or criminal enforcement action, and varying degrees of liability. Such actions may disrupt or delay sales of our products or services or result in restrictions on our distribution and sales of products or services that may materially impact our business.

Anti-Boycott Laws

Under U.S. laws and regulations, U.S. companies and their subsidiaries and affiliates outside the U.S. are prohibited from participating or agreeing to participate in unsanctioned foreign boycotts in connection with certain business activities, including the sale, purchase, transfer, shipping or financing of goods or services within the U.S. or between the U.S. and countries outside of the U.S. If we, or certain third parties through which we sell or provide goods or services, violate anti-boycott laws and regulations, we may be subject to civil or criminal enforcement action and varying degrees of liability.

Data Privacy and Security Laws and Regulations

As a business with a significant global footprint, compliance with evolving regulations and standards in data privacy and cybersecurity has resulted, and may continue to result, in increased costs, new compliance challenges, and the threat of increased regulatory enforcement activity. Our business relies on the secure electronic transmission, storage and hosting of sensitive information, including personal information, protected health information, financial information, intellectual property and other sensitive information related to our customers and workforce.

For example, in the U.S., the collection, maintenance, protection, use, transmission, disclosure and disposal of certain personal information and the security of medical devices are regulated at the U.S. federal and state, international and industry levels. U.S. federal and state laws protect the confidentiality of certain patient health information, including patient medical records, and restrict the use and disclosure of patient health information by healthcare providers. Privacy and Security Rules under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), as amended, and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (HITECH), govern the use, disclosure, and security of protected health information by “Covered Entities,” (which are healthcare providers that submit electronic claims, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses) and by their “Business Associates” (which is anyone that performs a service on behalf of a Covered Entity involving the use or disclosure of protected health information and is not a member of the Covered Entity’s workforce). Rules under HIPAA and HITECH include specific security standards and breach notification requirements. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) (through the Office of Civil Rights) has direct enforcement authority against Covered Entities and Business Associates with regard to both the Security and Privacy Rules, including civil and criminal liability. With the exception of certain of its operations in its Diabetes and care management services businesses, Medtronic is generally not a Covered Entity. Medtronic also operates as a Business Associate to Covered Entities in a limited number of instances. There are comparable state laws governing the use and protection of personal health information by healthcare providers, and Medtronic may be subject to these laws in certain of its businesses.

In addition to the regulation of personal health information, a number of states have also adopted laws and regulations that may affect our privacy and data security practices for other kinds of personally identifiable information, such as state laws that govern the use, disclosure and protection of sensitive personal information, such as social security numbers, or that are designed to protect credit card account data. State consumer protection laws may also establish privacy and security standards for use and management of personally identifiable information, including information related to consumers and care providers.

Outside the U.S., we are impacted by the privacy and data security requirements at the international, national and regional level, and on an industry specific basis. We serve customers in more than 150 countries. Legal requirements in these countries relating to the collection, storage, handling and transfer of personal data and potentially intellectual property continue to evolve

with increasingly strict enforcement regimes. More privacy and security laws and regulations are being adopted, and more are being enforced, with potential for significant financial penalties. In the E.U., stringent data protection and privacy rules which substantially impact the use of patient data across the healthcare industry became effective in May 2018. The E.U. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies uniformly across the E.U. and includes, among other things, a requirement for prompt notice of data breaches to data subjects and supervisory authorities in certain circumstances and significant fines for non-compliance. The GDPR also requires companies processing personal data of individuals residing in the E.U. to comply with E.U. privacy and data protection rules.

Because the laws and regulations continue to expand, differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and are subject to evolving (and at times inconsistent) governmental interpretation, compliance with these laws and regulations may require significant additional cost expenditures or changes in products or business that increase competition or reduce revenue. Noncompliance could result in the imposition of fines, penalties, or orders to stop noncompliant activities.

Regulations Governing Reimbursement

The delivery of our devices is subject to regulation by HHS and comparable state and non-U.S. agencies responsible for reimbursement and regulation of healthcare items and services. U.S. laws and regulations are imposed primarily in connection with federally funded healthcare programs, such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs, as well as the government’s interest in regulating the quality and cost of healthcare. Other governments also impose regulations in connection with their healthcare reimbursement programs and the delivery of healthcare items and services.

U.S. federal healthcare laws apply when we or customers submit claims for items or services that are reimbursed under federally-funded healthcare programs, including laws related to kickbacks, false claims, self-referrals and healthcare fraud. There are often similar state false claims, anti-kickback, and anti-self-referral and insurance laws that apply to state-funded Medicaid and other healthcare programs and private third-party payers. In some circumstances, insurance companies attempt to bring a private cause of action against a manufacturer for a pattern of causing false claims. In addition, as a manufacturer of U.S. FDA-approved devices reimbursable by federal healthcare programs, we are subject to the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, which requires us to annually report certain payments and other transfers of value we make to U.S.-licensed physicians or U.S. teaching hospitals. Any failure to comply with these laws and regulations could subject us or our officers and employees to criminal and civil financial penalties.

Implementation of further legislative or administrative reforms to reimbursement systems, or adverse decisions relating to our products by administrators of these systems in coverage or reimbursement, could significantly reduce reimbursement or result in the denial of coverage, which could have an impact on the acceptance of and demand for our products and the prices that our customers are willing to pay for them. Further, as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the “ACA”), the U.S. is implementing value-based payment methodologies and seeking to create alternate payment models, such as bundled payments, to continue to drive improved value.

Environmental Health and Safety Laws

We are also subject to various environmental health and safety laws and regulations both within and outside the U.S. Like other companies in our industry, our manufacturing and other operations involve the use and transportation of substances regulated under environmental health and safety laws including those related to the transportation of hazardous materials.

Available Information

We maintain a website at www.medtronic.com. Our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act) are made available under the “About Medtronic - Investors” caption and “Financial Information - SEC Filings” subcaption of our website free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file them with, or furnish them to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Information relating to our corporate governance, including our Principles of Corporate Governance, Code of Conduct (including our Code of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers), Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for Members of the Board of Directors, and information concerning our executive officers, directors and Board committees (including committee charters) is available through our website at www.medtronic.com under the “About Medtronic - Corporate Governance” caption. Information relating to transactions in Medtronic securities by directors and officers is available through our website at www.medtronic.com under the “About Medtronic - Investors” caption and the “Financial Information - SEC Filings” subcaption.

The information listed above may also be obtained upon request from the Medtronic Investor Relations Department, 710 Medtronic Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55432 USA.

Our website and the information contained on or connected to our website are not incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K.

The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers, including the Company, that file electronically with the SEC. The public may obtain any documents that we file with the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. We file annual reports, quarterly reports, proxy statements, and other documents with the SEC under the Exchange Act.

Investing in our securities involves a variety of risks and uncertainties, known and unknown, including, among others, those discussed below. Each of the following risks should be carefully considered, together with all the other information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and in our other filings with the SEC. Furthermore, additional risks and uncertainty not presently known to us or that we currently believe to be immaterial may also adversely affect our business. Our business, financial condition, operating results, cash flow and prospects could be materially and adversely affected by any of these risks or uncertainties.

Risks Relating to the Company

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had, and we expect will continue to have, an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows, the nature and extent of which are highly uncertain and unpredictable.

Our global operations and interactions with healthcare systems, providers and patients around the world expose us to risks associated with public health crises, including epidemics and pandemics such as COVID-19. In particular, the continuing global spread of COVID-19, including corresponding preventative and precautionary measures that we and other businesses, communities and governments are taking to mitigate the spread of the disease, has led to unprecedented restrictions on, disruptions in, and other related impacts on business and personal activities. Further, in addition to travel restrictions put in place in early 2020, countries, states and governments may continue to close borders, impose prolonged quarantines or other restrictions and requirements on travel, and further limit our ability to conduct business in-person as we did prior to COVID-19, requiring businesses, including our business, to use alternative methods of communication. It is likely the COVID-19 pandemic will cause an economic slowdown of potentially extended duration, and it is possible that it could cause a global recession.

Together with the preventative and precautionary measures being taken, as well as the corresponding need to adapt to new and different methods of communication and conducting business, COVID-19 is having, and will likely continue to have, an adverse impact on significant aspects of our Company and business, including on demand for and supply of our products, operations, supply chains and distribution systems, our ability to research and develop and bring to market new products and services, and our ability to generate cash flow, and may have an adverse impact on our ability to access capital. Some of our products are particularly sensitive to reductions in deferrable and emergent medical procedures, and, as hospital systems prioritize treatment of COVID-19 patients and otherwise comply with government guidelines, certain medical procedures have been suspended or postponed in many of the markets where our products are marketed and sold, which has caused a reduction in sales of these products. The Company has certain product lines that are in higher demand as a result of COVID-19 such as ventilators, pulse oximetry, capnography, advanced parameter monitoring, and extracorporeal life support products. It is not possible to predict the timing of a broad resumption of deferrable medical procedures and, to the extent individuals and hospital systems continue to de-prioritize, delay or cancel these procedures, or if unemployment or loss of insurance coverage adversely impacts an individual’s ability to pay for our products and services, our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations would continue to be negatively affected. Further, the COVID-19 pandemic is straining hospital systems around the world, resulting in adverse financial impacts to those systems that could result in reduced future expenditures for capital equipment and other products and services we provide, as well as disruption of product launches of our recently approved products. Clinical trials generally have suspended enrollment due to facility closures and governmental restrictions, which we expect will delay the results from those clinical trials and will impact our ability to timely develop and bring to market new products.

In addition, a significant number of our global suppliers, vendors, distributors and manufacturing facilities have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including by adversely impacting the ability of their employees to get to their places of work and maintain the continuity of their on-site operations. These impacts could impair our ability to move our products through distribution channels to end customers, and any such delay or shortage in the supply of components or materials may result in our inability to satisfy consumer demand for our products in a timely manner or at all, which could harm our reputation, future sales and profitability.

In addition, COVID-19 has impacted and may further impact the global economy and capital markets, including by negatively impacting demand for a number of our products, access to capital markets (including the commercial paper market), foreign

currency exchange rates, and interest rates, each of which may adversely impact our business and liquidity. We could experience loss of sales and profits due to delayed payments or insolvency of healthcare professionals, hospitals and other customers, suppliers and vendors facing liquidity issues. As a result, we may be compelled to take additional measures to preserve our cash flow.

In addition, COVID-19 could adversely impact our ability to retain key employees and the continued service and availability of skilled personnel necessary to run our complex productions and operations, including our executive officers and other members of our management team, as well as the ability of our third-party suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and vendors to retain their key employees. To the extent our management or other personnel are impacted in significant numbers by COVID-19 and are not available to perform their job duties, we could experience delays in, or the suspension of, our manufacturing operations, research and product development activities, regulatory work streams, clinical development programs and other important commercial functions.

While the impact of COVID-19 has had, and we expect it to continue to have, an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows, the nature and extent of such impact is highly uncertain and unpredictable.

We operate in a highly competitive industry and we may be unable to compete effectively.

We compete in both the therapeutic and diagnostic medical markets in more than 150 countries throughout the world. These markets are characterized by rapid change resulting from technological advances and scientific discoveries. In the product lines in which we compete, we face a range of competitors from large companies with multiple business lines to small, specialized manufacturers that offer a limited selection of niche products. Development by other companies of new or improved products, processes, technologies, or the introduction of reprocessed products or generic versions when our proprietary products lose their patent protection may make our existing or planned products less competitive. In addition, we face competition from providers of alternative medical therapies, such as pharmaceutical companies.

We believe our ability to compete depends upon many factors both within and beyond our control, including:

• product performance and reliability,

• product technology and innovation,

• product quality and safety,

• breadth of product lines,

• product support services,

• customer support,

• cost-effectiveness and price,

• reimbursement approval from healthcare insurance

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None.

Medtronic's principal executive office is located in Dublin, Ireland and is leased by the Company, while its main operational offices are located in the Minneapolis, Minnesota metropolitan area and are owned by the Company.

The Company's total manufacturing and research space is approximately 9.4 million square feet. Approximately 37 percent of the manufacturing or research facilities are owned by Medtronic and the balance is leased. The following is a summary of the Company's largest manufacturing and research facilities by location:

Medtronic also maintains sales and administrative offices in the U.S. at 4 locations in 4 states and outside the U.S. at 145 locations in 64 countries. Most of these locations are leased. The Company is using substantially all of its currently available productive space to develop, manufacture, and market products. The Company's facilities are well-maintained, suitable for their respective uses, and adequate for current needs.

A discussion of the Company’s legal proceedings is contained in Note 19 to the consolidated financial statements in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Not applicable.

PART II

The Company’s ordinary shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “MDT.”

The following table provides information about the shares repurchased by the Company during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2020:

In June 2017, the Company's Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of $5.0 billion of the Company’s ordinary shares. In March 2019, the Company's Board of Directors authorized an incremental $6.0 billion for repurchase of the Company's ordinary shares. There is no specific time-period associated with these repurchase authorizations. The Company has deprioritized repurchases of ordinary shares as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On June 17, 2020, there were approximately 24,933 shareholders of record of the Company’s ordinary shares. Ordinary cash dividends declared and paid totaled 54.0 cents per share for each quarter of fiscal year 2020 and 50.0 cents per share for each quarter of fiscal year 2019.

Stock Performance Graph

The following graph compares the cumulative total shareholder return on Medtronic’s ordinary shares with the cumulative total shareholder return on the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index and the S&P 500 Health Care Equipment Index for the last five fiscal years. The graph assumes that $100 was invested at market close on April 24, 2015 in Medtronic’s ordinary shares, the S&P 500 Index, and the S&P 500 Health Care Equipment Index and that all dividends were reinvested.

For information on the Company's equity compensation plans, see "Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder Matters" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Irish Restrictions on Import and Export of Capital

Except as indicated below, there are no restrictions on non-residents of Ireland dealing in Irish domestic securities, which includes ordinary shares of Irish companies. Except as indicated below, dividends and redemption proceeds also continue to be freely transferable to non-resident holders of such securities. The Financial Transfers Act, 1992, provides that the Irish Minister for Finance can make provision for the restriction of financial transfers between Ireland and other countries. For the purposes of this Act, “financial transfers” include all transfers which would be movements of capital or payments within the meaning of the treaties governing the E.U. if they had been made between Member States of the E.U. This Act has been used by the Minister for Finance to implement European Council Directives, which provide for the restriction of financial transfers to certain countries, organizations and people including the Al-Qaeda network and the Taliban, Afghanistan, Belarus, Burma (Myanmar), Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Republic of Guinea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Ukraine and Zimbabwe.

Any transfer of, or payment in respect of, a share or interest in a share involving the government of any country that is currently the subject of United Nations sanctions, any person or body controlled by any of the foregoing, or by any person acting on behalf of the foregoing, may be subject to restrictions pursuant to such sanctions as implemented into Irish law.

Irish Taxes Applicable to U.S. Holders

Dividends paid by Medtronic will generally be subject to Irish dividend withholding tax (currently at a rate of 25 percent) unless an exemption applies.

Dividends paid to U.S. residents will not be subject to Irish dividend withholding tax provided that:

• in the case of a beneficial owner of Medtronic shares held in the Depository Trust Company (DTC), the address of the beneficial owner in the records of his or her broker is in the United States and this information is provided by the broker to the Company’s qualifying intermediary; or

• in the case of a record owner, the record owner has provided to the Company’s transfer agent a valid U.S. Certification of Residence (Form 6166) or valid Irish Non-Resident Form V2.

Irish income tax may also arise with respect to dividends paid on Medtronic’s ordinary shares. A U.S. resident who meets one of the exemptions from dividend withholding tax described above and who does not hold Medtronic shares through a branch or agency in Ireland through which a trade is carried on generally will not have any Irish income tax liability on a dividend paid by Medtronic. In addition, if a U.S. shareholder is subject to the dividend withholding tax, the withholding payment discharges any Irish income tax liability, provided the shareholder furnishes to the Irish Revenue authorities a statement of the dividend withholding tax imposed.

While the U.S./Ireland Double Tax Treaty contains provisions regarding withholding, due to the wide scope of the exemptions from dividend withholding tax available under Irish domestic law, it would generally be unnecessary for a U.S. resident shareholder to rely on the treaty provisions.

Our fiscal year-end is the last Friday in April, and therefore, the total weeks in a fiscal year fluctuates between 52 and 53 weeks. Fiscal years 2017 through 2020 were 52-week years. Fiscal year 2016 was a 53-week year, as will be fiscal year 2021, with the additional week occurring in the first quarter. The table below illustrates operating results and other selected financial data for fiscal years 2016 to 2020. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior year selected financial data to conform to classifications used in the current year.

The following discussion and analysis provides information management believes to be relevant to understanding the financial condition and results of operations of the Company. You should read this discussion and analysis along with our consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto at April 24, 2020 and April 26, 2019 and for each of the three fiscal years ended April 24, 2020 (fiscal year 2020), April 26, 2019 (fiscal year 2019), and April 27, 2018 (fiscal year 2018), which are presented within "Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Throughout this Management’s Discussion and Analysis, we present certain financial measures that we use to evaluate the operational performance of the Company and as a basis for strategic planning; however, such financial measures are not presented in our financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (U.S. GAAP). These financial measures are considered "non-GAAP financial measures" and are intended to supplement, and should not be considered as superior to, financial measures presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. We generally use non-GAAP financial measures to facilitate management's review of the operational performance of the Company and as a basis for strategic planning. We believe that non-GAAP financial measures provide information useful to investors in understanding the Company's underlying operational performance and trends and may facilitate comparisons with the performance of other companies in the medical technologies industry.

As presented in the GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliations section below, our non-GAAP financial measures exclude the impact of certain charges or benefits that contribute to or reduce earnings and that may affect financial trends, and include certain charges or benefits that result from transactions or events that we believe may or may not recur with similar materiality or impact to our operations in future periods (Non-GAAP Adjustments).

In the event there is a Non-GAAP Adjustment recognized in our operating results, the tax cost or benefit attributable to that item is separately calculated and reported. Because the effective rate can be significantly impacted by the Non-GAAP Adjustments that take place during the period, we often refer to our tax rate using both the effective rate and the non-GAAP nominal tax rate (Non-GAAP Nominal Tax Rate). The Non-GAAP Nominal Tax Rate is calculated as the income tax provision, adjusted for the impact of Non-GAAP Adjustments, as a percentage of income before income taxes, excluding Non-GAAP Adjustments.

Free cash flow is a non-GAAP financial measure calculated by subtracting property, plant, and equipment additions from operating cash flows.

Refer to the “GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliations," "Income Taxes," and "Free Cash Flow" sections for reconciliations of the non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable financial measures prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

EXECUTIVE LEVEL OVERVIEW

Medtronic is among the world's largest medical technology, services, and solutions companies - alleviating pain, restoring health, and extending life for millions of people around the world. Our primary products include those for cardiac rhythm disorders, cardiovascular disease, advanced and general surgical care, respiratory and monitoring solutions, renal care, neurological disorders, spinal conditions and musculoskeletal trauma, urological and digestive disorders, and ear, nose, and throat and diabetes conditions.

The global healthcare system is facing an unprecedented challenge as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic ("COVID-19" or the "pandemic"). The Company’s top priority during this pandemic has been to ensure the health and well-being of our more than 90,000 employees and their families around the globe. In addition, the Company is focused on fulfilling our mission and getting our products and therapies to those who need them by rapidly expanding the production and distribution of critical products in the fight against COVID-19, including dramatically increased ventilator production and partnering with key government authorities to allocate our ventilators to the communities that need them most. In fiscal year 2020, sales of Airway and Ventilator products represented approximately ten percent of the Minimally Invasive Therapies Group's net sales. Medtronic has been supporting our communities during this time of need by, among other things, providing direct support in the form of donations of certain products, and we made an $80 million contribution to the Medtronic Foundation during fiscal year 2020, which has provided direct financial assistance to communities around the world.

COVID-19 is having, and will likely continue to have, an adverse impact on significant aspects of our Company and business, including the demand for our products, our operations, supply chains and distribution systems, and our ability to research and develop and bring to market new products and services. Almost all of our businesses have been affected by a decline in procedure volumes as a result of COVID-19 as hospital resources have been diverted to fight the pandemic, and many government agencies in conjunction with healthcare systems have made decisions to postpone many deferrable and semi-deferrable procedures that use our products. In addition, some people are avoiding seeking treatment for non-COVID-19 emergency procedures, resulting in an impact to those emergent product lines. It is not possible to accurately predict the timing of a broad resumption of deferrable medical procedures and, to the extent individuals and hospital systems continue to de-prioritize, delay or cancel these procedures, our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations would continue to be negatively affected.

Further, COVID-19 is straining hospital systems around the world, resulting in adverse financial impacts to those systems which has resulted in and may continue to result in reduced future expenditures for capital equipment and other products and services we provide. The Company has experienced recent changes in customer buying patterns as customers have prioritized preservation of cash and reduced their holdings of certain purchased product inventories, especially in more deferrable procedure categories. As COVID-19 continues to impact hospital systems and other customers, we may encounter higher inventory levels which could result in inventory obsolescence due to excess and/or expired inventory. Additionally, the pandemic's impact on our customers may adversely impact the collectability of our current and future accounts receivable balance. COVID-19 has also disrupted and may continue to disrupt our product launches for our recently approved products and may negatively impact the regulatory approval of new products. Clinical trials generally have suspended enrollment due to facility closures and governmental restrictions, which we expect will delay the results from those clinical trials and will impact our ability to timely bring new products to market.

In addition, a significant number of our global suppliers, vendors, and distributors have been adversely affected by COVID-19, including an adverse impact on the ability of their employees to get to their places of work and maintain the continuity of their on-site operations. Therefore, although we work closely with our suppliers to try to ensure continuity of supply while maintaining high quality and reliability, the supply of certain components, raw materials, and services has been and may continue to be interrupted, in certain instances, as a direct result of COVID-19.

As of the June 19, 2020 filing date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, which is in the middle of our first quarter of fiscal year 2021, we are starting to see signs of medical procedure recovery in certain

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CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATE RISK

Due to the global nature of our operations, we are exposed to currency exchange rate changes which may cause fluctuations in earnings and cash flows. We use operational and economic hedges, as well as currency exchange rate derivative instruments, to manage the impact of currency exchange rate fluctuations. In order to minimize earnings and cash flow volatility resulting from currency exchange rate fluctuations, we enter into derivative instruments, principally forward currency exchange rate contracts. These contracts are designed to hedge anticipated transactions in other currencies and changes in the value of specific assets and liabilities. At inception of the contract, the derivative instrument is designated as either a freestanding derivative or a cash flow hedge. The primary currencies of our derivative instruments are the Euro, Japanese Yen, Chinese Yuan, and others. Fluctuations in the currency exchange rates of currency exposures that are unhedged, such as in certain emerging markets, may result in future earnings and cash flow volatility. We do not enter into currency exchange rate derivative instruments for speculative purposes.

The gross notional amount of all currency exchange rate derivative instruments outstanding at April 24, 2020 and April 26, 2019 was $11.9 billion and $11.1 billion, respectively. At April 24, 2020, these contracts were in a net unrealized gain position of $384 million. A sensitivity analysis of changes in the fair value of all currency exchange rate derivative contracts at April 24, 2020 and April 26, 2019 indicates that, if the U.S. dollar uniformly strengthened/weakened by 10 percent against all currencies, it would have the following impact on the fair value of these contracts:

Any gains and losses on the fair value of derivative contracts would generally be offset by gains and losses on the underlying transactions. These offsetting gains and losses are not reflected in the above analysis.

In the second quarter of fiscal year 2019, we began accounting for our operations in Argentina as highly inflationary, as the prior three-year cumulative inflation rate exceeded 100 percent. The change did not have a material impact on our results for fiscal year ended 2020.

INTEREST RATE RISK

We are subject to interest rate risk on our investments and our borrowings. We manage interest rate risk in the aggregate, while focusing on our immediate and intermediate liquidity needs. Our debt portfolio at April 24, 2020 was comprised of debt predominately denominated in U.S. dollars and the Euro, of which substantially all is fixed rate debt. We are also exposed to interest rate changes affecting our investments in interest rate sensitive instruments, which include our marketable debt securities.

A sensitivity analysis of the impact on our interest rate-sensitive financial instruments of a hypothetical 10 basis point change in interest rates, as compared to interest rates at April 24, 2020 and April 26, 2019, would have the following impact on the fair value of these instruments:

For a discussion of current market conditions and the impact on our financial condition and results of operations, please see the “Liquidity” section of the Management's Discussion and Analysis in "Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. For additional discussion of market risk, see Notes 6 and 8 to the consolidated financial statements in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of Medtronic plc

Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Medtronic plc and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of April 24, 2020 and April 26, 2019, and the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended April 24, 2020, including the related notes and schedule of valuation and qualifying accounts for each of the three years in the period ended April 24, 2020 appearing under Item 15(a)(1) (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). We also have audited the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of April 24, 2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of April 24, 2020 and April 26, 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended April 24, 2020 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of April 24, 2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO.

Change in Accounting Principle

As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed the manner in which it accounts for leases in fiscal year 2020.

Basis for Opinions

The Company's management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in Management's Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting appearing under Item 9A. Our responsibility is to express opinions on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in

accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (i) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (ii) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.

Litigation Contingencies

As described in Notes 1 and 19 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company’s consolidated accrued litigation was approximately $0.5 billion as of April 24, 2020. The Company is involved in a number of legal actions involving product liability, intellectual property and commercial disputes, and shareholder related matters, which represents a significant portion of the total consolidated accrued litigation reserve. In some actions, the enforcement agencies or private claimants seek damages, as well as other civil or criminal remedies, that could require significant expenditures, result in lost revenues, or limit the Company’s ability to conduct business in the applicable jurisdictions. Management records liabilities for loss contingencies related to legal actions when a loss is known or considered probable and the amount may be reasonably estimated. Determining the estimated loss or range of loss requires management to use significant judgment.

The principal considerations for our determination that performing procedures relating to litigation contingencies is a critical audit matter are there was significant judgment by management when assessing whether a loss is probable of being incurred and when determining whether a reasonable estimate of the loss or range of loss for each claim can be made. This, in turn, led to a high degree of auditor judgment, subjectivity and effort in performing procedures and evaluating audit

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Not applicable.

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act)) and changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based upon that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of the end of the period covered by this annual report, our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) are effective.

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting for the Company (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f)). Management conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Based on this evaluation, management concluded that the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective at April 24, 2020. The effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of April 24, 2020 has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in its report which is included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

During the third quarter of fiscal year 2020, the Company deployed an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software program, SAP, to the Minimally Invasive Therapies Group in the U.S. and Canada. The internal controls were updated to reflect these changes. There have been no other changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act) during the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company's internal control over financial reporting.

None.

PART III

Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K incorporates information by reference from the Company's 2020 definitive proxy statement, which will be filed no later than 120 days after April 24, 2020.

The sections entitled “Proposal 1 — Election of Directors — Directors and Nominees,” “Corporate Governance — Committees of the Board and Meetings,” and “Share Ownership Information — Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance” in the Company's Proxy Statement for our 2020 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, which will be filed no later than 120 days after April 24, 2020, are incorporated herein by reference.

Set forth below are the names and ages of our Section 16(b) executive officers of Medtronic, as well as information regarding their positions with Medtronic, their periods of service in these capacities, and their business experiences. There are no family relationships among any of the officers named, nor is there any arrangement or understanding pursuant to which any person was selected as an officer.

The following table shows the name, age, and position as of April 24, 2020 of each of our executive officers:

Omar Ishrak, age 64, is Chairman of the Board of Directors and, effective April 27, 2020, Executive Chairman of Medtronic. Prior to that, Mr. Ishrak served as Chief Executive Officer of the Company beginning in January 2015 and of Medtronic, Inc., since June 2011. Mr. Ishrak served as President and Chief Executive Officer of GE Healthcare Systems, a division of GE, from 2009 to 2011. Prior to that, Mr. Ishrak was President and Chief Executive Officer of GE Healthcare Clinical Systems from 2005 to 2008 and President and Chief Executive Officer of GE Healthcare Ultrasound and BMD from 1995 to 2004. Mr. Ishrak is also the independent Chairman of the Board of Directors of Intel Corporation.

Geoffrey S. Martha, age 50, is the Chief Executive Officer of Medtronic, a role he assumed on April 27, 2020. He served as President of Medtronic from November 2019 through April 2020 and joined the Board of Directors in November 2019. Prior to that, Mr. Martha served as Executive Vice President and President, Restorative Therapies Group, a role he held since August 2015. Mr. Martha previously served as Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development of the Company beginning in January 2015 and of Medtronic, Inc. beginning in August 2011. Prior to that, he served as Managing Director of Business Development at GE Healthcare from April 2007 to July 2011; General Manager for GE Capital Technology Finance Services from November 2003 to March 2007; Senior Vice President, Business Development for GE Capital Vendor Financial Services from February 2002 to October 2003; General Manager for GE Capital Colonial Pacific Leasing from February 2001 to January 2002; and Vice President, Business Development for Potomac Federal, the GE Capital federal financing investment bank from May 1998 to January 2001.

Michael J. Coyle, age 58, has been Executive Vice President and Group President, Cardiac and Vascular Group of the Company since January 2015 and of Medtronic, Inc. since December 2009. Prior to that, he served as President of the Cardiac Rhythm Management division at St. Jude from 2001 to 2007, and prior positions included serving St. Jude as President of the company’s Daig Catheter division and numerous leadership positions at Eli Lilly & Company. Mr. Coyle is also a current member of the Board of Directors of Haemonetics Corporation.

Richard Kuntz, M.D., age 63, has been Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific and Clinical Officer of the Company since January 2015 and of Medtronic, Inc. since August 2009. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President and President, Neuromodulation from October 2005 to August 2009; and prior to that, he was an interventional cardiologist and Chief of the Division of Clinical Biometrics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Associate Professor of Medicine and Chief Scientific Officer of the Harvard Clinical Research Institute.

Bradley E. Lerman, age 63, has been Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of the Company since January 2015 and of Medtronic, Inc. since May 2014. Prior to that, he was Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) from October 2012 to May 2014; Senior Vice President and Chief Litigation Counsel at Pfizer, Inc. from January 2009 to September 2012; Partner at Winston & Strawn from August 1998 to January 2009; partner at Kirkland & Ellis from March 1996 to July 1998; Associate Independent Counsel from October 1994 to March 1996; and Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Illinois from February 1986 to September 1994. Mr. Lerman is also a current member of the Board of Directors of McKesson Corporation.

Karen L. Parkhill, age 54, joined the Company as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in June 2016. From 2011 to 2016, Ms. Parkhill served as Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of Comerica Incorporated. Ms. Parkhill was a member of Comerica’s Management Executive Committee and the Comerica Bank Board of Directors. Prior to joining Comerica, Ms. Parkhill worked for J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. in various capacities from 1992 to 2011, including serving as Chief Financial Officer of the Commercial Banking business from 2007 to 2011. Ms. Parkhill is also a current member of the Board of Directors for American Express.

Carol A. Surface, age 54, has been Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer of the Company since January 2015 and of Medtronic, Inc. since September 2013. Prior to that, she was the Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Best Buy Co., Inc. from March 2010 to September 2013, and held a series of HR leadership roles at PepsiCo Inc., from May 2000 to March 2010.

Robert ten Hoedt, age 59, has been Executive Vice President and President, EMEA of the Company since January 2015 and of Medtronic, Inc. since May 2014. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President and President, EMEA and Canada from 2009 to 2014; Vice President CardioVascular Europe and Central Asia from 2006 to 2009; Vice President and General Manager, Vitatron from 1999 to 2006; Gastro-Uro leader from 1994 to 1999; and Marketing Manager, Neurological from 1991 to 1994.

Robert J. White, age 57, has been Executive Vice President and President, Minimally Invasive Therapies Group of the Company since December 2017. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President and President, Asia Pacific from January 2015 to December 2017. He had served as President, Emerging Markets, President, Respiratory and Monitoring Solutions and Vice President and General Manager of Patient Monitoring at Covidien. He also held various leadership positions at GE Healthcare and IBM. Mr. White is also a current member of the Board of Directors of Smith & Nephew plc.

John Liddicoat, M.D.****, age 56, was named Executive Vice President and President, Americas Region in September 2018. Dr. Liddicoat joined Medtronic in 2006 as Vice President of Atrial Fibrillation Technologies. In December of 2006, Dr. Liddicoat was named Vice President and General Manager of the Structural Heart Disease Business. Beginning in August 2014, Dr. Liddicoat served as Senior Vice President and President, Cardiac Rhythm and Heart Failure (CRHF) Division.

Sean Salmon, age 55, has been Executive Vice President and Group President, Diabetes Group of the company since October 2019. Mr. Salmon previously served as Senior Vice President and President of Coronary and Structural Heart Business within the Cardiac and Vascular Group of the Company beginning in July 2014. Mr. Salmon is a seasoned leader who has been with Medtronic since 2004 and spent the past 16 years in increasingly senior levels of management. Prior to joining Medtronic, Mr. Salmon worked at CR Bard and Johnson & Johnson.

Brett Wall, age 55, has been Executive Vice President and President of Medtronic’s Restorative Therapies Group since November 2019. Mr. Wall previously served as Senior Vice President and President of the Brain Therapies division of Medtronic, which is part of the Company’s Restorative Therapies Group beginning in March 2016. Prior to that, Mr. Wall served as SVP and President of Medtronic’s Neurovascular business. Prior to joining Medtronic, he served as Covidien’s SVP and President of Neurovascular as well as Senior Vice President and President of the International Vascular Therapies business for Covidien. Mr. Wall also served as Senior Vice President and President, International at ev3, Inc. From 2000 to 2008, Brett held various marketing and sales positions with ev3, Inc. and Micro Therapeutics, Inc. Mr. Wall has also worked at Boston Scientific as Director of Marketing, Cardiovascular, Asia Pacifica and Marketing Manager, Japan, from September 1995 to September 2000.

The sections entitled “Corporate Governance — Director Compensation,” “Corporate Governance — Committees of the Board and Meetings,” “Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” and “Executive Compensation” in Medtronic's Proxy Statement for the Company's 2020 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, which will be filed no later than 120 days after April 24, 2020, are incorporated herein by reference. The section entitled “Compensation Committee Report” in Medtronic's Proxy Statement for the Company's 2020 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, which will be filed no later than 120 days after April 24, 2020, is furnished herein by reference.

The sections entitled “Share Ownership Information – Significant Shareholders,” “Share Ownership Information – Beneficial Ownership of Management,” and “Executive Compensation — Equity Compensation Plan Information” in Medtronic's Proxy Statement for the Company's 2020 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, which will be filed no later than 120 days after April 24, 2020, are incorporated herein by reference.

The sections entitled “Corporate Governance — Director Independence” and “Corporate Governance — Related Party Transactions and Other Matters” in Medtronic's Proxy Statement for the Company's 2020 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, which will be filed no later than 120 days after April 24, 2020, are incorporated herein by reference.

The sections entitled “Corporate Governance — Committees of the Board and Meetings” and “Audit and Non-Audit Fees” in Medtronic's Proxy Statement for the Company's 2020 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, which will be filed no later than 120 days after April 24, 2020, are incorporated herein by reference.

PART IV

MEDTRONIC PLC AND SUBSIDIARIES

SCHEDULE II – VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS

(in millions)