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Mike Mussallem

Co-Founder

Michael (Mike) Mussallem co-founded the Linda and Mike Mussallem Foundation with his wife, Linda, both driven by a desire to create solutions that help people lead healthier and happier lives.  

Mike served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Edwards Lifesciences, a global leader in patient-focused medical innovations, for 23 years until his retirement in May 2023.  Under his leadership, Edwards successfully implemented a patient-focused innovation strategy with a culture focused on patients, giving, and creating community. Mike also prompted the establishment of the Edwards Lifesciences Foundation, which, in addition to strategic giving, encourages every Edwards employee to volunteer in the communities where they live and work.   

Prior to 2000, Mike held a variety of positions at Baxter International from 1979 until 2000, when Edwards was spun off from Baxter.  

Mike, along with Linda, has a long track record of impactful and dedicated philanthropic engagement. Since 2000, they have made substantial contributions to a range of organizations, enhancing the lives of people living with Down syndrome, advancing the field of integrative/whole person health, boosting innovation in healthcare and creating life-changing opportunities for students.   

Mike is a trustee of the University of California, Irvine Foundation and the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana. He is the former Chairman of the Board of Directors for both AdvaMed and the California Health Institute (CHI) and previously served as an advisory board member for the Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics at the University of Southern California.   

In 2022, Mike was elected as a member to the National Academy of Engineering, in recognition of the impact of transcatheter heart valves on the health of patients worldwide.  Mike has been included in the Forum for Corporate Directors Hall of Fame and has received several honors, including the UC Irvine Medal, a lifetime achievement award from The Phoenix Conference and the Wenger Award for Excellence in Corporate Leadership by WomenHeart.   

Mike was born in Gary, Indiana where he was raised by his loving parents Helen and George, along with his brothers, George and Phil. He graduated from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology with his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and an honorary doctorate degree.   

Michael (Mike) Mussallem co-founded the Linda and Mike Mussallem Foundation with his wife, Linda, both driven by a desire to create solutions that help people lead healthier and happier lives.  

Mike served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Edwards Lifesciences, a global leader in patient-focused medical innovations, for 23 years until his retirement in May 2023.  Under his leadership, Edwards successfully implemented a patient-focused innovation strategy with a culture focused on patients, giving, and creating community. Mike also prompted the establishment of the Edwards Lifesciences Foundation, which, in addition to strategic giving, encourages every Edwards employee to volunteer in the communities where they live and work.   

Prior to 2000, Mike held a variety of positions at Baxter International from 1979 until 2000, when Edwards was spun off from Baxter.  

Mike, along with Linda, has a long track record of impactful and dedicated philanthropic engagement. Since 2000, they have made substantial contributions to a range of organizations, enhancing the lives of people living with Down syndrome, advancing the field of integrative/whole person health, boosting innovation in healthcare and creating life-changing opportunities for students.   

Mike is a trustee of the University of California, Irvine Foundation and the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana. He is the former Chairman of the Board of Directors for both AdvaMed and the California Health Institute (CHI) and previously served as an advisory board member for the Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics at the University of Southern California.   

In 2022, Mike was elected as a member to the National Academy of Engineering, in recognition of the impact of transcatheter heart valves on the health of patients worldwide.  Mike has been included in the Forum for Corporate Directors Hall of Fame and has received several honors, including the UC Irvine Medal, a lifetime achievement award from The Phoenix Conference and the Wenger Award for Excellence in Corporate Leadership by WomenHeart.   

Mike was born in Gary, Indiana where he was raised by his loving parents Helen and George, along with his brothers, George and Phil. He graduated from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology with his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and an honorary doctorate degree.