At SESAM 2025 in Valencia, Jake Rahman sits down with Lou Oberndorf, Chairman and CEO of Operative Experience, for a candid conversation about innovation, lived experience, and the future of combat medicine training. From the story behind the SESAM Innovation Awards to the importance of listening to frontline medics and technologists, Lou shares insights shaped by decades in healthcare simulation.
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Jake Rahman: So Lou, tell me about the idea behind the SESAM Innovation Awards—how did it all come about?”
Lou Oberndorf: “My relationship with SESAM goes back more than ten years. One of my passions has always been supporting the organization, and when the committee came to me with the idea of engaging members in innovation—new ideas that needed funding and recognition—it immediately caught my attention. It was like in the Jerry Maguire movie… they had me at hello. I knew we had to support it.”
Jake Rahman: “When you bring retired combat medics or paramedics into simulation development, what impact does that have?”
Lou Oberndorf: “It’s huge. These are the people who’ve been there, who’ve lived it. They know the shortcomings of technology because they’ve had to improvise in the field. Their insights opened my eyes to the real needs in combat medicine—and that shapes everything we do at Operative Experience.”
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