Hospitalar is really made up of strong women and, in the week in which International Women's Day was celebrated, there was nothing better than highlighting the role of female executives who are in charge of positions in the health sector.
Mother × Professional
"Time turned out to be my greatest ally and so I learned to leave each slice of my life in its proper place in an equal and full way."
(Liliana Cherfen)
At the head of Sincron, an industry specializing in the manufacture, installation and maintenance of nurse call systems, Liliana Cherfen highlights the great challenge - which she now considers to have been overcome - of reconciling being a mother with being a businesswoman "Time has turned out to be my greatest ally and so I've learned to leave each slice of my life in its proper place equally and fully," she says. "Today I can see my company structured with excellent market positioning and at the same time I see my children becoming excellent people with values and character." Liliana believes that, although women are still slowly conquering their space, her focused way of acting has allowed her to ignore some small situations in which she felt she was being analyzed as a woman and not as a professional.
Drive and Persistence
"Women have a common characteristic: they have determination and persistence, that's why they succeed."
(Tânia Machado)
"No one can stop a woman who is determined, committed and seeking professional growth," emphasizes TM Jobs CEO Tânia Machado. With more than 15 years' experience in the health sector, she is at the head of one of the largest business consultancies specializing in the health segment and, for her, women walk side by side with men in entrepreneurship. "Women have a common characteristic: they have drive and persistence, which is why they succeed," she says. The big challenge, in her opinion, is to make it happen, regardless of the scenario, opinions or statistics. "It's about daring, doing things differently, taking risks and fulfilling our mission."
And the victories are countless: "Today we are creating jobs, building customer loyalty, expanding our operations and visibility nationwide, creating new products and new areas of operation to meet new opportunities," he celebrates.
Drive and Persistence
"There are difficulties in the business world, especially when a woman takes on a senior position."
(Karin Schmidt Massaro)
Fanem's managing partner and chairman of the board, Karin Schmidt Massaro, says that at first she found it difficult to take on the role because she was a woman: "Unfortunately this happened within my own company," she laments. "I've never experienced this in the medical and hospital sector, but there are difficulties in the business sector, especially when a woman takes on a senior position."
Another challenge met. As the company gains prominence and notoriety - especially in the various countries where it operates - the fact that she is in charge brings her great satisfaction and pride in consolidating the brand, which is recognized and awarded for manufacturing state-of-the-art incubators, in many other markets. "My biggest challenge at the moment is as the new manager of the subsidiary in India," said Massaro.
Drive and Persistence
"Today, women take decision-making positions at business tables and are respected as any man would be, as long as the subject is dealt with firmly and the business proposal is viable."
(Clara Porto)
In a predominantly male sector like the medical equipment industry, the marketing and export manager of ABIMO (Brazilian Association of the Medical, Dental, Hospital and Laboratory Equipment Industry), Clara Porto, has no problem. She is responsible for managing the association's project with Apex-Brasil, which takes member companies to fairs and trade missions around the world.
ABIMO's manager believes that the world today is already very advanced and that the difficulties may be the same as those faced by women since the beginning of human history, but the way in which executives who occupy prominent positions in large companies deal with these difficulties has changed a lot today. "Today, women assume decision-making positions at business tables and are respected just as any man would be, as long as the issue is dealt with firmly and the business proposal is viable." We don't doubt it.
Clara says that the most difficult situation she experienced was giving a presentation about ABIMO in Iran to a predominantly male audience, sharing the discussion table with other men. "In Iran, women must wear appropriate clothing and cover their hair, so I was very afraid of not being respected in this environment and of encountering difficulties during my time in the country," she says. "To my surprise, in the business environment, I was treated very well and respected, and all the contacts and meetings held there took on new developments aimed at increasing Brazilian exports to Iran. At the end of the day, it's the business that counts," she says.
Drive and Persistence
"Today, seven years later, it is gratifying to realize that GPeS is recognized by the market not only as a leader in specialized content curation, but also for its quality in event production and B2B relationship management."
(Gilmara Espino)
In 2009, when GPeS - Gestão de Projetos em Saúde was founded, the proposal was very innovative, as it brought together more than 20 competing hospitals in a shared communications project. Running a new company based on an unconventional idea and in a sector as conservative as the health sector was the first challenge overcome by the company's president and founder, Gilmara Espino. The second was to manage the production and commercial areas on her own in the early years. "Today, seven years later, it is gratifying to see that GPeS is recognized by the market not only as a leader in curating specialized content - Best Practices Magazine is one of our publications - but also for its quality in event production and B2B relationship management," she said.
Business Women
Even in the face of setbacks, women have achieved prominence, particularly as entrepreneurs. According to research carried out by the Universidade Potiguar (João Pessoa/PB), women have the majority of entrepreneurial characteristics and their skills are their greatest potential, linked to their ability to diversify.
Celiane Gonçalves, a coach and staff member of the Brazilian Coaching Society, explains that women have a greater sensitivity and a different way of dealing with business, as well as a greater ability to manage. The durability of a woman's business is greater, and she can compete on equal terms with men, or even better, in many sectors.
"Women take risks in a more planned and calculated way, while men are more 'daring'. Women are researching, looking for more information and have discovered themselves to be entrepreneurs," emphasized Gonçalves.
