Leigh Volkland is Vice President, Government Affairs, Edwards Lifesciences, focusing on Edwards’ global
manufacturing sites including Singapore, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Spain and
Ireland.  Leigh’s early career involved political campaigns and advocating for the motion picture industry
as Vice President of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. She spent more than a
decade as a government affairs consultant representing clients ranging from electric utilities to major
universities.  Leigh transitioned to the healthcare industry in 2003 helping to drive development of the
Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) for PacifiCare (later United Healthcare).  Since 2008, she has
advocated on behalf of Edwards, initially directing the company’s legislative issues in the fifty U.S.
states, transitioning to her current role in international government affairs in 2015.  Leigh served on the
Board of the Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce for seven years and was a member of the Executive
Committee. She was recently appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to the District Export
Council of Southern California.  A Missouri native, Leigh holds an MSSC in International Political Studies
from the University of Southampton, England and a BA, History, from the University of Missouri, Kansas
City.