Welcome to Rise Up, AllBright’s celebration of diverse careers, diverse experiences and diverse women in the workplace. Curated by our community, for our community, this is a space to champion the incredible work achieved by all women. Here, we meet two powerhouse females that have made it to the top of the traditionally male-dominated healthcare industry, to hear about their experiences and learn from their advice.
It’s been shown time and time again that having women in senior leadership positions is a key element for business success. Yet despite these facts, the visibility of women in these roles remains shockingly poor. There were only 37 female CEOs in last year’s Fortune 500 list, and there are currently only 5 female CEOs in the UK’s FTSE 100. Part of the problem is that, despite great strides being made for women’s equality at work, many industries are traditionally male-dominated - and continue to be so. However, it’s not all bad news, with more and more women entering into STEM roles and other disciplines, and rising up the ranks of the healthcare industry. Here, two of these women share their stories – and their invaluable advice.
Juliana Ansah is the Director of Black Leaders in Healthcare and the Improvement and Change Management Specialist for the Mid and South Essex NHS Trust Foundation. “I started my career in health and social care over 20 years ago as a youth worker,” Juliana says. “I understood very early on that it was important to specialise in something if you want to be taken seriously, and I chose drugs awareness and sexual health. I have worked with documentaries and newspapers, as well as directly with young people and their families. “Later in my career I decided to focus specifically on healthcare and its impact on those most deprived. I have worked in reformation across Urology, Mental Health and Maternity. I am currently the Director of Black Leaders in Healthcare; a not-for-profit organisation led by senior healthcare professionals. We provide career progression guidance to students and professionals across the UK. We aim to be a motivating power in reducing healthcare inequalities for Black and other minority ethnicities, while tackling social exclusion within the workplace. We will achieve this by educating, inspiring and equipping a community of professionals with meaningful and practical leadership skills, to improve career prospects.”
"Many a time in my career I’ve been told by a male member of the team, 'I think you’re being sensitive', or I’ve received passive aggressive emails stating, 'I understand this is how you feel but...' as if feelings are what I’ve built my career and credentials on"
Juliana Ansah, Director Of Black Leaders In Healthcare
What are your experiences of working in a male-dominated environment, as a woman? Have these generally been positive or negative? The NHS is 77% women, and like most organisations has a pyramid hierarchical structure. The NHS has worked hard to ensure there are more women at board level. My experience has been that women are extremely welcome into the healthcare industry and always have been. Have you encountered sexism as a woman working in a male-dominated environment? Yes, women are often seen as the weaker gender that require constant protection and support during challenging situations. As a woman of colour, I have not been privileged to this type of benevolent sexism where my role was to be protected. I have been seen as the aggressor, or less intelligent, and more emotionally driven. There are far more times when I’ve disagreed with a particular decision and have been gaslighted into believing I was the problem, or that I did not really understand what was going on, because it was beyond my capabilities. Many a time in my career I’ve been told by a male member of the team, “I think you’re being sensitive”, or I’ve received passive aggressive emails stating, “I understand this is how you feel but...” as if feelings are what I’ve built my career and credentials on. Of course, an emotional response would only fuel their fire. I have learned to be strong and resilient in the workplace; to keep my head low enough so as not to fall into any of these potholes that lay about waiting for women to fall through, ending their career climb. But I’ve also held my head high enough to be recognised and valued for the work that I contribute to the healthcare system.
"Do not let gender bias prevent you from learning new skills, as you’ll need to be the change that you want to see in the system. Be confident in everything you do and demand the respect that you deserve"
Juliana Ansah, Director Of Black Leaders In Healthcare
Throughout your career, have you seen any progress being made in balancing out the numbers of men and women? Yes, I’ve seen a push for more women to take up roles in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). This is evident in the NHS with more and more women working in strategic roles within the public sector. What would be your advice for any other women wanting to progress in a male-dominated environment? My advice is to be unapologetically YOU! Historically, women have fought long and hard for the rights that we have today. Systemic sexism has, for too long, been embedded into all areas of our community and the only way to stamp it out is for women to continue following their dreams. Do not let gender bias prevent you from learning new skills, as you’ll need to be the change that you want to see in the system. Be confident in everything you do and demand the respect that you deserve. It is also very important to have a mentor, someone with lived experiences to help you navigate through different stages of your career. You can follow Black Leaders In Healthcare on Instagram here
Kari Lindsey is the Deputy CEO & EVP Clinical Operations for Welbeck Health Partners in London. “Our company partners with best-in-class consultants and we operate day case outpatient surgery centres,” says Kari. “We have opened 10 centres so far and have established partnerships with over 150 physicians. Prior to WHP, I worked for AMSURG / Envision Healthcare in the US and held various leadership roles in my 20 years there. When I retired I was serving as Division President and oversaw 78 centres and 1200 physician partnerships ($1.2b USD revenue).”
"My attitude has always been to outwork and overcome any obstacle that may be in my way"
Kari Lindsey, Deputy CEO & EVP Clinical Operations For Welbeck Health Partners
What are your experiences of working in a male-dominated environment, as a woman? Have these generally been positive or negative? One of the advantages of working in the healthcare industry is that, as a general rule, all of the stakeholders (patients, doctors, administrators, payors) want the same outcome – that is, a positive end result for the patient. While I’ve enjoyed the occasional moment of differing opinions with my colleagues, I’ve not really seen that many differences have come from a sexist perspective. Most of the time we’re all just trying to do what is in the best interests of the patient. We may have different ways of getting there, but the end results we are hoping to achieve are usually the same. Have you encountered sexism as a woman working in a male-dominated environment? I have a lot of experience working with high-performing men, particularly through our many doctor partnerships. It’s possible that a few of these relationships over the years may have been sexist, but I’ve never really paid much attention to it. My attitude has always been to outwork and overcome any obstacle that may be in my way.
"A strong sense of self-confidence is probably at the root of my success. I’d encourage other women to seek out tools and resources that will help them build an understanding of themselves"
Kari Lindsey, Deputy CEO & EVP Clinical Operations For Welbeck Health Partners
Throughout your career, have you seen any progress being made in balancing out the numbers of men and women? Yes, we are definitely seeing a better balance. Healthcare leadership is now, more than ever, representative of those whom they serve. Over my 30-year career I have witnessed a clear and purposeful movement to include a great number of women and minorities in management roles. Efforts like those of the AllBright community are helping keep the conversation of diversity, inclusion and participation active for all. What would be your advice for any other women wanting to progress in a male-dominated environment? A strong sense of self-confidence is probably at the root of my success. I’d encourage other women to seek out tools and resources that will help them build an understanding of themselves. I’m an avid reader of self-improvement, a meticulous listener to opposing opinions and have sought out many mentors over the years. There is no doubt that these activities have had long-lasting personal and professional benefits for me.
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