We are proud to announce that our Director of Group Services, Susan Braakman is now President Member Value Offering at the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association, congratulations Susan!  

As President Member Value Offering of the European region, Susan will now be overseeing two main programs: the HBA Mentoring Program, composed by 111 pairs of mentors and mentees in 2022; and the European HBA Affinity Groups, which supplies support to members willing to give special attention to specific initiatives.  

New role at HBA Europe: Unifying the professional perspective  

Ever since Susan joined the HBA as a mentor volunteer in 2016, she has always been moved by the impact this Association has both on the healthcare industry and on (female) individuals. It is clear they play an essential role in the professional development of their members, but all of them are working together toward the same goal that Susan defines as “unifying the professional perspective” in the business. This means that every professional will have a chance to have their work valued, regardless of their gender, race, religion, or any other characteristic that does not define or influence their performance.  

Sadly, this kind of bias has always been an issue and there is still a lot of work to be done. However, thanks to the constant effort of organizations like the HBA, we can see an improvement in the situation and the light at the end of the tunnel. And Susan is more than proud to be part of this change at her new role at HBA Europe.  

“I am super excited about this new role at HBA Europe that will enable me to give back to an organization with a great mission, awesome leaders, and ambitious programs.”  

Most important learnings of being part of the HBA  

During these 6 years, Susan assures us that there have been too many learnings to count. However, she highlights that this association has been a key part of her professional and personal development.   

On one hand, she has improved some essential hard skills for her role at Seuss+. Through the experience and projects in which Susan has taken part, she learned to better understand her best strengths, helping her define her personal brand and perfecting the way she presents herself to others. Furthermore, she has had the opportunity to meet and work with many leaders of the industry, improving her leadership skills, and growing her professional and personal networks. As a side effect, Seuss+ learned from these relations as they are a major source of insights and information to keep updated with trends and struggles of the field. Thanks to this, Seuss+ is in a constant process of learning and adapting to new challenges, making sure that we always deliver the best and most upgraded solutions to our clients.  

On the other hand, thanks to the understanding environment of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association, Susan has improved something that she considers crucial: to help and to be helped by others. Asking for help is not always easy but having the chance to work with what she describes as such approachable people who have the same goals and values make things easier.   

Starting in the Healthcare Business   

Lastly, Susan has something to say to all those women starting in the healthcare industry: it might be intimidating at first, but do not ever be afraid to ask questions or to ask for help. When you are new to an industry, you must know it before you love it. So, embrace this process and try to take as much value out of it as possible. This will come in handy not only during your first steps in the business, but also in your future as a professional, because decisions are based on knowledge. A last tip that she would like to give to all the women in this situation is to make sure you work on your personal brand, there is no better way to sell yourself to others than by knowing yourself and your strengths first.  

Finally, if you want to know more about the HBA or Seuss+, do not hesitate to contact Susan Braakman through her email at  s.braakman@consultseuss.com.   

 We want to congratulate Susan once again on her new role at HBA Europe and to thank her and the HBA for the great work they are doing to shift the paradigm: your impact is unmeasurable.