Align Technology is a global medical device company well known for pioneering digital orthodontics and the clear aligner industry with its Invisalign® System, the most advanced clear aligner system in the world, as well as its innovative digital solutions, including the iTero™ intraoral scanner and exocad CAD/CAM software platform.
Name: Khilola Shukurova
Role: Vice President Marketing EMEA, Align Technology
Tenure at Align Technology: 14 months
Previous experience: Smith & Nephew, Coloplast, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare
Are you a CEMSie? Yes, I graduated from Copenhagen Business School in 2004, with a semester at Bocconi University.
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Why did you decide to make the move to Align Technology?
Align represented a new industry and challenge. I’d spent around 20 years in pharma and MedTech, so had vast experience in healthcare, but dentistry was completely new. The industry’s innovation and forward-thinking approach immediately hooked me.
What has surprised you the most about working at Align?
What instantly stood out was the level of digitisation in dentistry - I didn’t expect it to be so technologically advanced. My first real “aha moment” was attending the International Dental Show in Cologne last year - honestly it felt like attending an AI-driven tech conference.
The pace at which Align operates is much faster than I ever expected. My previous employers moved at a fast speed, but here it feels three times faster!
The other thing I have been blown away by is the engagement and passion of our customers. Many orthodontists and dentists are also business owners, so they have a lot at stake. If you fall behind, you fall behind quickly. That creates a very strong entrepreneurial energy.
What does a typical day look like for you?
The honest answer is that there isn’t any one typical day.
Some days I’m travelling — visiting customers or other offices and meeting our teams across different countries. Other days are more internally focused.
Most of my time is split between strategic work and operational execution. I also spend a lot of time with the team, learning from them and from our customers.
How would you describe the company culture at Align?
Fast-paced, dynamic and constantly evolving.
At 29 years old, Align is still a relatively young organisation, so the culture rewards resilience and adaptability.
There’s a strong entrepreneurial spirit as well, which reflects the attitude of customers. For example, everyone knows traditional braces, but Align’s founders recognised an unmet customer need: people wanted a more discreet, invisible treatment option. That insight led to the creation of the Invisalign System. It’s a great example of innovation driven by customer needs.
How does Align support leadership development and professional growth?
In my own experience, growth comes largely through exposure and responsibility.
Leaders are given significant projects, complex challenges and international collaboration opportunities early on. A lot of development happens through learning by doing, supported by feedback and engagement with senior leadership.
If you’re willing to take on challenges and try new things, there are definitely opportunities here.
Internally we often joke that half the company says we’re a technology company, and the other half says we’re a healthcare company. The truth is we sit right at the intersection of two cutting-edge industries and that’s a very exciting place to be.
What advice would you give to a CEMS student or early graduate joining Align?
- Clarity doesn’t always come top-down. When you join a company like Align, you need to be comfortable navigating ambiguity and creating structure yourself. That entrepreneurial spirit really matters here.
- Industry knowledge can be built over time. I didn’t know much about dentistry before joining so don’t be put off if you don’t know the sector. The key thing is that you are intellectually curious, resilient and a great communicator.
- Focus on mindset, drive and curiosity, as these qualities are much harder to teach, but they are what really make the difference at Align Technology
