When Devan Bolden set out to build his career, he didn’t expect to end up in the operating room helping surgeons change lives. With degrees in marketing and an MBA in digital marketing, his path into medical technology wasn’t obvious—but his drive to find purpose made all the difference.
“I hit a point where I realized I wasn’t really helping anyone,” Devan says. “I was making people with money more money. I wanted something meaningful, something that mattered.”
That desire led him from marketing into healthcare, first managing the state of Florida for a nonprofit helping patients with blood cancers and then into pharmaceutical sales at Pfizer. Still, he wanted to be closer to the work that directly improved patient outcomes.
He found that connection at Intuitive—but not in the way he expected.
A chance encounter that changed everything
Devan’s journey to Intuitive began at a professional conference hosted by the National Sales Network (NSN). He hadn’t planned on interviewing with anyone when he arrived—but ended up with eight interviews on the spot.
“I didn’t have any interviews scheduled when I got there,” he recalls. “I just walked booth to booth, talking to people, and one of those booths happened to be Intuitive. Honestly, I didn’t even think they’d be interested in me.”
His final interview was the last slot of the conference. Most of the team had already left because of a storm, but one leader stayed behind to meet him. “He told me he had about fifteen minutes. I said, ‘That’s all I need.’”
That quick conversation—and Devan’s persistence in following up afterward—opened the door to a career that aligned both his skills and his sense of purpose.
Finding purpose in precision
As a Clinical Territory Associate (CTA) in Fort Myers, Florida, Devan now works alongside surgeons and hospital staff to support minimally invasive robotic procedures. What stands out most to him is the trust and respect that comes with the role.
“When I was in pharma or nonprofit, I always had to prove myself. At Intuitive, the training and preparation give you credibility before you even step into the OR,” he says.
That kind of trust—and contributing to surgeons caring for their patients—drives him every day. “When I go home at night, I know I made a difference. It’s not abstract—it’s real.” 
Supported from day one
Devan describes his team as a family of mentors who’ve helped him grow since day one.
“Most of my teammates have been here more than a decade,” he says. “They’ve taken me under their wing.” Despite being newer to the field, he’s never felt out of place. “I’m the youngest on my team, but they’ve made it so welcoming. We’re all spread across Florida, but the connection is strong. Everyone just genuinely wants to help each other succeed.”
Shaping the future of surgery
For Devan, the excitement isn’t just about the work he’s doing today—it’s about what’s ahead.
“I’ve been through training for both the da Vinci 5 and SP platforms, and I’ve seen how machine learning is changing everything,” he says. “The data surgeons can access now—like where they spent the most time or how much force was applied—it’s going to elevate patient outcomes even further.”
He compares the moment to the historical leaps in surgical innovation. “Open to laparoscopy was a huge change. Then lap to robotic surgery was the next big one. And now, with da Vinci 5 and the data it provides, we’re on the edge of another transformation. It’s incredible to think about what’s next.”
Why Intuitive?
Looking back, Devan says what sets Intuitive apart isn’t just the technology—it’s the people and the mission.
“Other companies I interviewed with had a type. They wanted a very specific résumé. Intuitive cared about who I was and why I wanted to make a difference,” he says. “Everyone here wants you to win. You’re not competing with your teammates—you’re growing with them.”
And that’s exactly the kind of environment he was searching for all along. “At Intuitive, I’m finally doing something that matters.”
Join Us
Are you early in your sales career and looking for a path with purpose? At Intuitive, you’ll receive world-class training, mentorship, and the opportunity to make a real impact—helping surgeons and patients around the world. Explore Clinical Territory Associate careers in Florida, Atlanta, and across the U.S.
👉 Explore CTA Careers: https://careers.intuitive.com
