Medtech: Boldly Going Where Women Have Not Gone Before
Each year it bumps up a percentage point. That is, the rate of female executives in medical technology companies, now up to 23% according to the of Medical Design & Outsourcing, which has published an annual 鈥淲omen in Medtech鈥 issue since 2018.1 But with representation still under a quarter of medtech leadership roles, organizations like the nonprofit have emerged to support female leadership in this space. was one of the sponsors of its fourth annual conference, 鈥,鈥 held May 16, 2023, in Cambridge, MA.
A need to meet, build community
鈥淥ur goal is to create a community where none has existed before,鈥 said MedExecWomen cofounder Laurie Halloran, who is also President & CEO of . 鈥淲e are a group dedicated to empowering women executives in leadership roles in the medical device, diagnostics, drug delivery, and digital healthcare industries by arming female executives with relevant skills and robust networks.鈥 Halloran said the group started with word-of-mouth gatherings, which has grown into a formal conference of 150 attendees.
“Women continue to be underrepresented in the medtech leadership space.”
Jovan Reyerson
Reyerson attended this year鈥檚 event. 鈥淭here was great value in listening to the presenters share how they are making an impact each day, and to hear their stories of challenges through adversity,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he path to leadership is a journey; it is helpful when we can learn from others and relate to their experiences.鈥
Underrepresented across medtech specialties
Many of the MedExecWomen conference attendees were marketing and sales professionals, but female underrepresentation in medtech spans disciplines, according to Olympus鈥 Harmeet Chhabra, who also attended. 鈥淩eimbursement and health policy leaders are predominantly male,鈥 said Chhabra, who was glad to represent medtech support functions outside of marketing and sales as Global Lead Director on the 在线黑料门Health Economics and Market Access team in Westborough, MA.
Admittedly, Chhabra would like to see more representation from professionals in health policy at conferences like these, coupled with networking opportunities. She believes that communities like MedExecWomen can be mutually beneficial for the career seeker and organizations like Olympus, which can benefit from these talent pools. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so many smart women out there, and if given the opportunity, I think they can contribute to this field.鈥
Networking, personal growth, and taking care
Overall, 鈥淚 thought it was great,鈥 said Chhabra of the event. 鈥淭his was the first conference I attended for med-exec women. I was excited. I walked away meeting so many people, learning about people鈥檚 experiences in the field, especially with women trying to take leadership roles and the challenges they go through.鈥
鈥淚 also found it valuable to focus not only on topics for professional growth, but for personal growth,鈥 added Reyerson. 鈥淏eing a leader, a nurse, a mother, I am wired to be constantly thinking about how to help others,鈥 she said. 鈥淛ust being present at the conference was a wonderful step forward, reminding me that not only was it acceptable to take the time to network and grow professionally, it is imperative,鈥 she stated. 鈥淏eing surrounded by so many other women taking the time to be present was inspirational.鈥
Harmeet Chhabra
Reyerson鈥檚 other takeaway is an affirmation: 鈥淵ou need to unapologetically take time to take care of yourself.鈥
1. Kirsh, D. () Diverse executive teams bring more innovation to medtech. Medical Design and Outsourcing. 8(6):12.
Gabriela Kaynor
Upcoming events for women in medtech:
Some risks are worth taking. Gabriela Kaynor, Division Head of Therapeutics Solutions, 在线黑料门Corporation, will be presenting a keynote address on women and smart risk taking at 鈥,鈥 a event hosted by 在线黑料门on September 7, 2023, in Westborough, MA. Kaynor is Olympus鈥 first female executive officer.
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