Pete Nicholas. Image courtesy of Boston Scientific
May 16, 2022 — Boston Scientific announced that Peter M. “Pete” Nicholas, co-founder and former CEO of Boston Scientific from 1979 to 1999 and a corporate visionary in the minimally invasive surgery industry, passed away peacefully on May 14 just a few days before his 81st birthday.
Boston Scientific Chairman and CEO Mike Mahoney said, “As a pioneer who helped shape the field of minimally invasive surgery, Pete Nicholas is remembered worldwide for his contribution to vastly improved patient outcomes and equally impressive increases in healthcare efficiency.” Mahoney added, “Within the Boston Scientific family, Pete was also a lifelong mentor, motivator and friend to hundreds of employees.”
According to a tribute posted on BostonScientific.com, he was an avid sailor, former lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, and beloved helmsman and career navigator to two generations of his Boston Scientific family of leaders and co-workers. Though he turned over his CEO duties in 1999, Nicholas retained an active role at Boston Scientific as chairman of the board until stepping down in 2016. A dealmaker and entrepreneurial risk-taker, Nicholas and co-founder John Abele built Boston Scientific from a startup with fewer than 50 employees and financed with a $500,000 loan and $300,000 in partners’ capital into a global industry leader with 27,000 employees and $8.4 billion in revenue in 2016.
For more information: https://www.bostonscientific.com
March 23, 2026 
