He Earned $10 An Hour Washing Lab Equipment. Today He Runs A $30 Billion Company

Jake Leach, CEO of healthcare technology company Dexcom, began his career washing laboratory equipment at an insulin pump company. Nearly three decades later, he leads a global healthcare business. He advises young professionals to work hard, volunteer for challenging assignments, and consistently take on responsibilities beyond their formal roles.

The journey to becoming the chief executive of a multibillion-dollar company does not always begin with an elite degree or a high-paying job. For Jake Leach, the CEO of healthcare technology firm Dexcom, it started with washing laboratory equipment for just $10 an hour.

Leach, now at the helm of a company valued at around $30 billion, began working at MiniMed, an insulin pump manufacturer in California, in the 1990s. He took the job from his high school sweetheart, who had interned at the company. His responsibilities included cleaning laboratory equipment such as beakers and flasks.

According to a report by Fortune Magazine, the teenager took up the job to earn money to support his education at community college. What appeared to be an ordinary entry-level assignment eventually became the starting point of a career spanning nearly three decades in diabetes care and medical technology.

Leach's professional journey was shaped by hard work, curiosity and an interest in understanding how things function. Growing up in California's San Fernando Valley, he came from a family where money was limited. As a child, he even washed cars for $2 each to save enough money to buy a bicycle worth $350.

His interest in engineering was also encouraged by his maternal grandfather, who introduced him to electrical repairs and household projects. The experience sparked an early fascination with technology and engineering.

Leach initially attended Glendale Community College before transferring to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he studied electrical engineering with a minor in biomedical engineering. He became the first member of his family to earn a four-year college degree.

His first job in the medical technology industry eventually turned into a full-time position. He spent seven years at MiniMed, which was acquired by Medtronic in 2001. In 2004, he joined Dexcom, then a startup with around 30 employees, which was looking to challenge established companies in the diabetes technology market.

As reported by Fortune Magazine, the move also offered a significant financial incentive, with his salary increasing from $45,000 to $95,000. More importantly, it allowed him to help build a company from the ground up.

Over the years, Leach took on increasingly senior responsibilities at Dexcom. He became the company's chief technology officer in 2018 and chief operating officer in 2022 before taking over as president and CEO in January 2026.

The company has since grown into a major player in diabetes management technology. By 2025, Dexcom had reported annual revenue of $4.6 billion, approximately 3.5 million users globally and around 11,000 full-time employees.

What Is Jake Leach's Career Advice For Gen Z?

Despite reaching the top position at a major healthcare company, Leach says he never built his career around chasing promotions. Instead, he focused on performing well in his current role, solving important problems and learning from colleagues.

In an interview with Fortune Magazine, Leach said he had never directly asked for a promotion during his 22-year career at Dexcom.

His advice to young professionals entering the workforce is to volunteer for responsibilities that may fall outside their immediate job descriptions, particularly assignments that other colleagues might be reluctant to take up.

He believes employees should look beyond their individual targets and consider what is best for the organisation as a whole.

Leach also encourages young professionals to step outside their usual areas of responsibility rather than restricting themselves to a narrowly defined role.

His message is particularly relevant for Gen Z workers navigating an increasingly competitive job market: career growth is not always about securing the next promotion. Sometimes, it is about demonstrating initiative, accepting difficult assignments and making oneself valuable to the larger organisation.

For Leach, the journey from washing laboratory equipment to leading a multibillion-dollar healthcare company has reinforced one central belief: hard work has no shortcut.