Female CEO Excellence 2017 Awards

CEO MONTHLY / FEMALE CEO EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2017 7 , Finally, Josephine highlights what changes she would like to see within the corporate landscape which would make it easier for women to succeed. “Fundamentally, I would like there to be a greater awareness of the unspoken messages involved with leadership and imagery. For example, when the media run stories about CEOs, let’s ensure the accompanying image is not always a stock picture of a man in a suit – through imagery, we create and shape people’s perceptions and expectations. Women need to take responsibility for themselves – they need to ensure they have robust emotional health. Companies have also got to take responsibility for all staff – regardless of gender – by supporting them at work and encouraging them to achieve their potential.” Contact: Josephine Swinhoe Email: Josephine.swinhoe@ thetinnitusclinic.co.uk Address: The Smiths Building, 179 Great Portland Street, London, W1W 5PL, UK Tel: 0203 326 1777 Website: www.thetinnitusclinic.co.uk The Tinnitus Clinic is a private adult audiology rehabilitation clinicwith branches across the UK specialising in tinnitus and hyperacusis treatment andmanagement.We spoke to Josephine Swinhoe to discuss winning this recent award and explore the secrets behind her success. Best Aural Healthcare Practice MD &Most Innovative Specialised Tinnitus Clinic - UK The leading provider of the latest evidence- based tinnitus treatments in the UK, The Tinnitus Clinic work with adults who have severe tinnitus and/or hyperacusis who require specialised rehabilitation services including Armed Forces veterans and the emergency services. Many patients are highly anxious and have been previously misinformed there is nothing that can be done about their condition and no possibility of treatment. Josephine tells us a bit more about her firm and the types of clients she deals with. “A poll of our patients found 91 per cent were told by their healthcare professional their tinnitus was something they would have to ‘learn to live with’. As a result, we published a GP Guide, with input and contributions from doctors and other healthcare professionals, as a free resource to help the healthcare industry better understand the condition and what can be done to help those affected. “Many of our products are only available in the UK at The Tinnitus Clinic, including the Levo® Therapy System which recently won a prize at the Annual Medical Design Excellence Awards in the USA.” Talking us through her previous roles, Josephine explains how she came to achieve her position as CEO of the clinic and whether or not she draws on past experiences when making decisions in her current role. “Having started my professional career as an officer in the British Army, this is where I learned to develop my leadership skills, moral courage, self-reliance and the importance of teamwork. From there, I went on to have a successful career as a fundraising and marketing professional culminating in working at the Alzheimer’s Society leading a period of extensive financial growth including a re-brand. “My past experiences in a number of high-pressure roles and environments have helped me develop coping strategies for my own well-being. I am very aware of my own high performance zone and strive to ensure that zone is maintained within my working life. I have also been able to build up a greater awareness of and understanding that behind every person is an individual with different backgrounds, experiences and needs.” Josephine discusses with us what changes she has seen both in the firm and the wider industry with regard to women. She notes that although there are women in audiology, it could be a few years before the industry fully accepts gender equality. “There are many women in junior to mid-level management in audiology. However, audiology businesses with a female MD or CEO are relatively few and tend to be smaller clinics, run and owned by that person. Audiology is seen as an attractive industry for women FCE17004 to enter but I think we are many years off total gender equality.” Regarding her leadership style, Josephine informs us of how she ensures everyone in her clinic understands her vision and how they all work towards achieving the same goals. Josephine is always visible and interacting with staff, encouraging them to share ideas and celebrate everyone’s success as a team. “My leadership style is open, transparent and dependent on good communication – which means listening more than speaking. I am a visible and present leader. I encourage everyone to feel part of the vision by being very clear on how everyone’s role impacts on successfully delivering the end result, as well as celebrating their successes and learning from failures.” Looking ahead, Josephine comments on her future aspirations for the clinic and also mentions what plans she has regarding her own career, outlining how she is looking to capitalise on her current success. “Moving forward, I want to see us become the ‘clinic of choice’, in the UK and other markets, for those seeking the very best quality in tinnitus treatment and management. I want to take my learnings from my career and share them with other companies, acting as a non-executive director to help them maximize their offering.”