STRYKER

2017 FORM 10-K

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STRYKER CORPORATION 2017 FORM 10-K Dollar amounts in millions except per share amounts or as otherwise specified. 3 procedures are properly designed to comply, in all material respects, with applicable environmental laws and regulations. We do not expect compliance with these requirements to have a material effect on purchases of property, plant and equipment, cash flows, net earnings or competitive position. Employees On December 31, 2017 we had approximately 33,000 employees globally. Executive Officers As of January 31, 2018 Name Age Title First Became an Executive Officer Kevin A. Lobo 52 Chairman and Chief Executive Officer 2011 Yin C. Becker 54 Vice President of Communication and Public Affairs 2016 William E. Berry Jr. 52 Vice President, Corporate Controller and Principal Accounting Officer 2014 Glenn S. Boehnlein 56 Vice President, Chief Financial Officer 2016 Lonny J. Carpenter 56 Group President, Global Quality and Business Operations 2008 M. Kathryn Fink 48 Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer 2016 David K. Floyd 57 Group President, Orthopaedics 2012 Michael D. Hutchinson 47 General Counsel 2014 Graham A. McLean 53 President, Asia-Pacific 2017 Katherine A. Owen 47 Vice President, Strategy and Investor Relations 2007 Bijoy S.N. Sagar 49 Vice President, Chief Information Officer 2014 Timothy J. Scannell 53 Group President, MedSurg and Neurotechnology 2008 Each of our executive officers was elected by our Board of Directors to serve in the office indicated until the first meeting of the Board of Directors following the annual meeting of shareholders in 2018 or until a successor is chosen and qualified or until his or her resignation or removal. Each of our executive officers held the position above or served Stryker in various executive or administrative capacities for at least five years, except for Ms. Fink and Mr. Sagar. Prior to joining Stryker in October 2013, Ms. Fink held a variety of senior level human resources roles for the previous six years at Johnson & Johnson, most recently as the Worldwide Vice President, Human Resources of Ethicon. While at Stryker, Ms. Fink held two different senior level Human Resource roles. Prior to joining Stryker in May 2014, Mr. Sagar served as the Chief Information officer for Merck Millipore, and before that as Global Head of Information Systems and a member of the divisional board for the chemicals division of Merck KGaA. Mr. McLean was appointed to the position of President, Asia-Pacific, effective January 1, 2017. Prior to this role, Mr. McLean held a variety of senior level leadership roles at Stryker since 2005. Available Information Our main corporate website address is www.stryker.com. Copies of our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) are available free of charge on our website within the "Investors Relations" section as soon as reasonably practicable after having been electronically filed or furnished to the SEC. All SEC filings are also available at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS. This report contains statements that are not historical facts and are considered "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on current projections about operations, industry conditions, financial condition and liquidity. Words that identify forward-looking statements include words such as "may," "could," "will," "should," "possible," "plan," "predict," "forecast," "potential," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "believe," "may impact," "on track," "goal," "strategy" and words and terms of similar substance used in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance, an acquisition or our businesses. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward- looking statements. Those statements are not guarantees and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual results could differ materially and adversely from these forward-looking statements. Some important factors that could cause our actual results to differ from our expectations in any forward-looking statements include the risks discussed below. Our operations and financial results are subject to various risks and uncertainties discussed below that could materially and adversely affect our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem not to be material may also materially and adversely affect our business, cash flows, financial condition or results of operations. LEGAL AND REGULATORY RISKS Current economic and political conditions make tax rules in jurisdictions subject to significant change: Our future results of operations could be affected by changes in the effective tax rate as a result of changes in tax laws, regulations and judicial rulings. In December 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 was signed into law in the United States. We are continuing to evaluate the impact of tax reform and expect our effective tax rate to increase. In addition, further changes in the tax laws of foreign jurisdictions could arise, including as a result of the base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) project undertaken by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The OECD, which represents a coalition of member countries, has issued recommendations that, in some cases, would make substantial changes to numerous long-standing tax positions and principles. These contemplated changes, to the extent adopted by OECD members and/or other countries, could increase tax uncertainty and may adversely affect our provision for income taxes. The impact of United States healthcare reform legislation on our business remains uncertain: In 2010 the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was enacted. While the provisions of the ACA are intended to expand access to health insurance coverage and improve the quality of healthcare over time, other provisions of the legislation, including Medicare provisions aimed at decreasing costs, comparative effectiveness research, an independent payment advisory board and pilot programs to evaluate alternative payment methodologies, are having a meaningful effect on the way healthcare is developed and delivered and could have a significant effect on our business. Among other things, the ACA imposed a 2.3 percent excise tax on medical devices that applies only to United States sales, which are a majority of our medical device sales. Congress suspended the excise tax for 2016 and 2017. The suspension was once again upheld in January 2018 for two years. If the excise tax is not repealed or further suspended, the tax will adversely impact future results of operations after the current suspension expires in December 2019. We also face uncertainties that might result from modification or repeal of any of the provisions of the ACA, including as a result of current and future executive orders and legislative actions. We

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