For the first time in its 27 years, ABIMED will have a woman at the lead of its Board of Directors. As of January, Patrícia Frossard, Country Manager of Philips do Brasil and Head of Legal & Compliance LATAM, will lead the Board for the 2024-2025 biennium. In addition to her, four other women have joined the body, representing around 40% of its members. This historical fact demonstrates the profile of an organization that values diversity of gender, age and experience, a matter that enhances its work.

“It’s a huge challenge to be the first woman to lead the board of ABIMED, an organization with an extraordinary presence in all the forums where we need to take a stand. I’m grateful for the opportunity and for having brave women and men by my side for this journey,” said Patrícia at the association’s Annual Meeting in the beginning of December. She already held the position of vice-chairwomen, when led by Antônio Nasser.

Regarding the organization’s activities for the coming period, she said that it will continue to focus on relevant issues such as tax reform and payroll tax relief. According to Patrícia, “the country is in a different scenario, and we have to take advantage of this ‘wave’ to put together our business case, displaying Brazil’s great attributes for the foreign market”.

Having worked in healthcare for 10 years, she has a very clear vision of the sector’s wide-ranging role. “Our companies need to continue helping society.  When we talk about healthcare technology, we tend to think of highly complex equipment, which may be a reality in the state of São Paulo, but is not the case throughout Brazil,” says the chairwoman. For Patrícia, innovation initiatives need to take into account the different audiences and seek solutions to ensure access for all. “That’s how we’re going to make a difference as an industry in this country,” she said.