01 July 2026
Episode 359 - Dexcom CEO on G8, Stolen Sensors, and the Truth from their New Advisory Council
Diabetics Doing Things Podcast
About
Rob was at ADA 2026 in spirit — armed with press access and a list of
questions unrelated to the usual conference talking points. His first guest
from that coverage is Jake Leach, Dexcom's new CEO, who took over the role
on January 1st after 22 years at the company. This is Jake's first time on
Diabetics Doing Things as CEO. It sounds like two people having a real
conversation about what it means to lead a company that millions of people
with diabetes depend on every single day.
They get into the research that came out of this year's scientific sessions
— specifically, the CONNECT trial, a global randomized controlled study
that examined what happens when people with type 2 diabetes who aren't
using insulin start using the Dexcom G7. The numbers are striking: an
average 1.6% reduction in HbA1C, 5 additional hours per day in range, and
97% sensor utilization over 6 months. That last number might be the most
telling — it answers the question the diabetes world has been asking for
years about whether people without hypoglycemia risk would actually wear a
CGM consistently. Turns out, they will.
Rob also pushes the conversation into territory that most executive
interviews don't touch. When Dexcom products intended for destruction were
stolen and resold to patients, Jake had to go from leading conference
sessions to serving as something closer to a chief detective. His candid
answer about feeling genuinely betrayed — and how the newly launched
Customer Advisory Council became an unexpected asset in getting the word
out — is one of the more honest moments you'll hear from a medical device
CEO. The council itself, publicly announced and facilitated externally to
get truly unfiltered feedback, is something Jake stood up as one of his
first acts as CEO.
They close on the bigger picture: G8 on the horizon (half the size of G7,
with adaptive sensor technology that auto-corrects signal drift), the
Nutrisense acquisition adding nutrition coaching to the platform, and where
Jake sees Dexcom going as it scales toward serving hundreds of millions of
people globally. If you've ever wondered what the person at the top of your
CGM company is actually thinking about, this episode gives you a pretty
clear answer.
Chapters:
00:00 Rob sets up ADA 2026 remote coverage
01:46 Welcoming Dexcom CEO Jake Leach back
02:30 First 90 days: Jake's three CEO priorities
04:39 The Customer Advisory Council goes public
06:47 What the council revealed about communication gaps
08:44 Stolen sensors: Jake's personal reaction
10:39 How the council helped contain the crisis
11:20 CONNECT trial: CGM for non-insulin type 2 users
15:16 97% adherence and five more hours in range daily
16:16 G8 preview: smaller, smarter, adaptive sensing
16:44 Acquiring Nutrisense and redesigning the app experience
19:52 Optimizing beyond insulin: smart bolus and GLP-1s
21:13 Why CGM and GLP-1s are surprisingly powerful together
22:27 Jake's long-term vision for Dexcom's global impact
24:14 Transparency as the foundation of high-performance culture
Resources:
* Dexcom — dexcom.com | Follow Jake and the team for updates on G8,
Stello, and the Customer Advisory Council findings
* CONNECT Trial — The full study results from ADA 2026 Scientific
Sessions.
questions unrelated to the usual conference talking points. His first guest
from that coverage is Jake Leach, Dexcom's new CEO, who took over the role
on January 1st after 22 years at the company. This is Jake's first time on
Diabetics Doing Things as CEO. It sounds like two people having a real
conversation about what it means to lead a company that millions of people
with diabetes depend on every single day.
They get into the research that came out of this year's scientific sessions
— specifically, the CONNECT trial, a global randomized controlled study
that examined what happens when people with type 2 diabetes who aren't
using insulin start using the Dexcom G7. The numbers are striking: an
average 1.6% reduction in HbA1C, 5 additional hours per day in range, and
97% sensor utilization over 6 months. That last number might be the most
telling — it answers the question the diabetes world has been asking for
years about whether people without hypoglycemia risk would actually wear a
CGM consistently. Turns out, they will.
Rob also pushes the conversation into territory that most executive
interviews don't touch. When Dexcom products intended for destruction were
stolen and resold to patients, Jake had to go from leading conference
sessions to serving as something closer to a chief detective. His candid
answer about feeling genuinely betrayed — and how the newly launched
Customer Advisory Council became an unexpected asset in getting the word
out — is one of the more honest moments you'll hear from a medical device
CEO. The council itself, publicly announced and facilitated externally to
get truly unfiltered feedback, is something Jake stood up as one of his
first acts as CEO.
They close on the bigger picture: G8 on the horizon (half the size of G7,
with adaptive sensor technology that auto-corrects signal drift), the
Nutrisense acquisition adding nutrition coaching to the platform, and where
Jake sees Dexcom going as it scales toward serving hundreds of millions of
people globally. If you've ever wondered what the person at the top of your
CGM company is actually thinking about, this episode gives you a pretty
clear answer.
Chapters:
00:00 Rob sets up ADA 2026 remote coverage
01:46 Welcoming Dexcom CEO Jake Leach back
02:30 First 90 days: Jake's three CEO priorities
04:39 The Customer Advisory Council goes public
06:47 What the council revealed about communication gaps
08:44 Stolen sensors: Jake's personal reaction
10:39 How the council helped contain the crisis
11:20 CONNECT trial: CGM for non-insulin type 2 users
15:16 97% adherence and five more hours in range daily
16:16 G8 preview: smaller, smarter, adaptive sensing
16:44 Acquiring Nutrisense and redesigning the app experience
19:52 Optimizing beyond insulin: smart bolus and GLP-1s
21:13 Why CGM and GLP-1s are surprisingly powerful together
22:27 Jake's long-term vision for Dexcom's global impact
24:14 Transparency as the foundation of high-performance culture
Resources:
* Dexcom — dexcom.com | Follow Jake and the team for updates on G8,
Stello, and the Customer Advisory Council findings
* CONNECT Trial — The full study results from ADA 2026 Scientific
Sessions.