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Women Executives in the Healthcare Sector

March 11, 2019

Hospitalar is truly made up of strong women, and in the week we celebrated International Women’s Day, there’s nothing better than highlighting the role of female executives who hold leadership positions in the healthcare sector.

Mother × Professional

“Time eventually became my greatest ally, and that’s how I learned to give each part of my life its rightful place, equally and fully.”
(Liliana Cherfen)

As the head of Sincron, a company specializing in the manufacture, installation, and maintenance of nurse call systems, Liliana Cherfen highlights the major challenge—which she now considers overcome—of balancing her roles as a mother and a businesswoman. “Time has ultimately become my greatest ally, and so I’ve learned to give each aspect of my life its rightful place, treating them equally and fully,” she says. “Today, I can see my company well-structured with an excellent market position, and at the same time, I see my children growing into outstanding individuals with strong values and character.” Liliana believes that, although women are still carving out their place in the world at a slow pace, her focused approach has allowed her to brush off certain minor situations in which she felt she was being judged as a woman rather than as a professional.

Determination and Perseverance

“Women share one common trait: they’re determined and persistent, which is why they succeed.”
(Tânia Machado)

“Nothing can stop a determined, committed woman who is seeking professional growth,” emphasizes TM Jobs CEO Tânia Machado. With over 15 years of experience in the healthcare sector, she leads one of the largest business consulting firms specializing in the healthcare industry, and in her view, women are on equal footing with men in entrepreneurship. “Women share a common trait: they’re tenacious and persistent, which is why they succeed,” she says. The biggest challenge, in her view, is making things happen, regardless of the circumstances, opinions, or statistics. “It’s about being bold, doing things differently, taking risks, and fulfilling our mission.”

And the successes are countless: “Today, we’re creating jobs, building customer loyalty, expanding our operations and visibility nationwide, and developing new products and new areas of business to capitalize on new opportunities,” he celebrates.

Determination and Perseverance

“There are indeed challenges in the business world, especially when women take on leadership roles.”
(Karin Schmidt Massaro)

Karin Schmidt Massaro, managing partner and chair of the board at Fanem, says that at first she faced some difficulties when taking on the role because she is a woman: “Unfortunately, this happened within my own company,” she laments. “I’ve never felt this way in the medical and hospital sectors, but in the business world, there are indeed difficulties, especially when a woman takes on a leadership role.”

Another challenge overcome. As the company gains prominence and recognition—especially in the various countries where it operates—holding a leadership position brings the director great satisfaction and pride in consolidating the brand, which is recognized and has won awards for manufacturing state-of-the-art incubators in many other markets. “My biggest challenge right now is as the new manager of the branch in India,” Massaro emphasized.

Determination and Perseverance

“Today, women hold decision-making positions at the negotiating table and are respected just as any man would be, as long as the matter is handled firmly and the business proposal is viable.”
(Clara Porto)

In a predominantly male-dominated sector such as the medical equipment industry, Clara Porto, marketing and export manager at ABIMO (Brazilian Association of the Medical, Dental, Hospital, and Laboratory Supplies and Equipment Industry), navigates her role with ease. She is responsible for managing the association’s project with Apex-Brasil, which takes member companies to trade shows and trade missions around the world.

The ABIMO manager believes that the world today has come a long way and that while the challenges may be the same ones women have faced since the dawn of human history, the way female executives in leadership positions at large companies deal with these challenges has changed significantly today. “Today, women hold decision-making positions at the negotiating table and are respected just as any man would be, as long as the matter is handled firmly and the business proposal is viable.” We have no doubt about that.

Clara says that the most difficult situation she experienced was a presentation about ABIMO in Iran, before a predominantly male audience, where she shared the panel with other men. “In Iran, women must wear appropriate clothing and cover their hair, so I was very afraid of not being respected in that environment and of facing difficulties during my stay in the country,” she says. “To my surprise, in the business world, I was treated very well and respected, and all the contacts and meetings I had there led to new developments aimed at increasing Brazilian exports to Iran. At the end of the day, what matters is the business,” she says.

Determination and Perseverance

“Today, seven years later, it’s gratifying to see that GPeS is recognized by the market not only as a leader in curating specialized content, but also for the quality of its event production and B2B relationship management.”
(Gilmara Espino)

In 2009, when GPeS – Gestão de Projetos em Saúde was founded, its proposal was highly innovative, as it brought together more than 20 competing hospitals in a shared communications project. Leading a new company based on an unconventional idea—and in a sector as conservative as healthcare—was the first challenge overcome by the company’s president and founder, Gilmara Espino. The second challenge, in the early years, was managing the production and sales departments on her own. “Today, seven years later, it’s gratifying to see that GPeS is recognized by the market not only as a leader in curating specialized content—*Melhores Práticas* magazine is one of our publications—but also for the quality of its event production and B2B relationship management,” she noted.

Businesswomen

Even in the face of setbacks, women have been gaining prominence, particularly as entrepreneurs. According to a study conducted by Potiguar University (João Pessoa, Paraíba), women possess most of the characteristics of entrepreneurs, and their skills—coupled with their ability to diversify—represent their greatest potential.

Celiane Gonçalves, a coach and member of the Brazilian Coaching Society, explains that women are more sensitive and have a different approach to business, as well as a greater capacity for leadership and management. Businesses run by women tend to be more sustainable, and women can compete on equal footing with men—or even outperform them—in many sectors.

“Women take risks in a more planned and calculated way, while men are more ‘impulsive.’ Women do their research, take the initiative, seek out more information, and have discovered their entrepreneurial side,” emphasized Gonçalves.