CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 12 2023 15 Mar22259 A Marvellous Mission to Manage Menopause The Menopause Hub is at the heart of educating, empowering, and empathising with women as they navigate menopause across both home and work, enabling them to live their lives as unhindered as possible. The company was founded in Dublin in January 2019, born out of Women’s Health CEO of the Year 2023 – ROI awardee Loretta Dignam’s own experience of menopause, which she found to be lonely, challenging, and difficult to navigate. By reaching out to others, Loretta found that she was not alone, and thus decided to improve the situation for all women of her generation and future ones to come. We catch up with Loretta, to learn more about her mission and the journey she has undergone to reach this point. Under The Menopause Hub brand, Loretta Dignam aims to shatter the taboo surrounding menopause, increasing mainstream discourses around the subject. This is achieved through the implementation of three pillars, with each of these serving as key instruments in the company’s success. First of all, the business proudly provides evidence-based clinical services that focus on multidisciplinary and specialist menopause care for women. It is one of Loretta’s central aims to let women know that, unlike previous generations, there is no need to suffer in silence, and a dedicated team of doctors, comprised of a consultant gynaecologist, dietitian/nutritionist, psychologist, and women’s health physiotherapist, are always on-hand to help. The second pillar that facilitates success is The Menopause Hub Academy, a venture undertaken to provide employers and workplaces with CPD accredited education and training to support those impacted by the menopause. Thirdly, Loretta is passionate about providing previously unheard women with a voice, tirelessly campaigning to afford women tackling the menopause awareness, accessibility, and affordability. As a result of these pillars, Loretta explains that she is “confident that through the work we do to make menopause mainstream, we are the last generation to put up with suffering menopause in silence and shame!” Spurring this on is Loretta’s more than 25 years of direct industry experience, working across the corporate sector in senior marketing, communication, and branding roles for companies such as Mars, Diageo, and Kerry Group. During this prosperous career, Loretta has led teams, been a part of teams, reported to boards, had boards report to her, worked freelance, collaboratively, and independently. It is this host of varied experience that serves to set her apart in the industry and has moulded Loretta Dignam into the informed leader she is today. This knowledge also consistently differentiates The Menopause Hub from its competitors, with an unparalleled level of expertise and an unwavering commitment to providing excellent service. Moreover, an innovative, forward-thinking approach combined with a strong and reputable foundation bolster the company’s mission, and the business is proud to grow primarily through word-of-mouth and the power of social media. As Loretta explains, “in the four years since I founded the business we have never had to advertise. Our satisfied patients and clients do it for us!” Forever humble, Loretta acknowledges that the success of a company starts with its staff. In regard to The Menopause Hub, the team are central to the personal and tailored service that is offered, and it is they who ultimately grow the business and yield results. As a relatively new company, an internal culture is still being developed, as Loretta prefers not to prescribe a culture, instead allowing it to flourish naturally based on the ideas and values of team leaders, current staff, and new recruits. Having overcome numerous challenges in her career, Loretta cites the biggest as the decision whether or not to transition from a corporate job into an entrepreneurial role, setting up a menopause business and creating a market that did not yet exist. Doing this at an age when many people retire also had its difficulties, yet it was this personal experience of menopause that has continuously driven the business forward. As an entrepreneur building a company from scratch, the resources available to Loretta are much fewer than when she worked for multi-national organisations, making prioritising, juggling, and self-motivation key. As for the future, Loretta explains, “the menopause revolution is just beginning”, and plans to take the business international are in place to globally smash the taboo and help women who are struggling everywhere. Despite never dreaming of becoming the CEO of a menopause business, Loretta Dignam is today the champion for an incredibly important cause, and through her continuous hard work and support, is more than deserving of this award celebrating her excellence in the field of women’s health. Company: The Menopause Hub Web Address: www.themenopausehub.ie/ Oct23577
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