Healthcare Businesswomen's Association establishes its first Spanish office in Barcelona

The Healthcare Businesswomen's Association, founded in the United States in 1977, is opening HBA Barcelona, the organization's first location in Spain. HBA is a non-profit professional organization that, over 40 years, has become the most important international benchmark in the sector thanks to its strength, impact, and diversity.

HBA has more than 50 locations around the world, brings together more than 15,000 members from 79 countries, and has more than 170 corporate partners. In recent years, HBA has experienced tremendous growth in Europe with the opening of a dozen locations.

“Barcelona has a strong fabric in the healthcare sector, which includes pharma and biotech companies, innovative start-ups, and internationally recognized research centers”

Laura Requejo, president of Barcelona's HBA office

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Laura Requejo, president of Barcelona's HBA office and Business Unit Director at Ferring Pharmaceuticals, pointed out: "It was strange that with such a long history and the weight of the healthcare industry here, HBA did not have a presence in Spain. Barcelona has a strong fabric in this sector, which includes pharmaceutical companies—both local and international—biotechnology companies, innovative startups, and internationally recognized research centers".

The group of female managers and technicians in the healthcare sector that drives HBA Barcelona believes that the association's presence can be a catalyst to promote and make visible female leadership in Catalan health in the Catalan and Spanish healthcare ecosystem.

According to the World Health Organization "Closing the Leadership Gap" in 2021, more than 70% of jobs in the healthcare sector are occupied by women. However, women hold only 25% of leadership positions in the industry and healthcare organizations. This percentage further decreases as one moves up the corporate ladder in larger companies, with only 8% of Fortune 500 CEOs being women.

Source: Healthcare Businesswomen's Association