For the third year in a row, Medtronic Vice President Bronwyn Brophy has been named among Ireland’s 25 Most Powerful Women by Ireland’s Women’s Executive Network (WXN).  Brophy leads her company’s Early Technologies division for Europe, Middle East and Africa. In Ireland, the WXN is the largest network of female senior executives, managers and entrepreneurs, with over 2,500 members.

Brophy was interviewed after being notified of the recognition, and asked to share more about her role and what the award means to her.

Q: Please describe your history with the company and your current role.

I joined Medtronic in April 2014 as Vice President, Early Technologies, Europe. Having worked in the medical device industry for 19 years I have to admit that my current role encompasses all of the things that I enjoy doing – developing new businesses, driving growth, building high-performance teams, and bringing new therapies to market that can change the standard of care and deliver better patient outcomes. 

Q: What does this award mean to you?

I felt very proud to represent Medtronic at the WXN this year. As I looked around the room on the awards night I saw women from all walks of life trying to make a difference in their respective fields and I felt truly humbled to be sitting there amongst them.

Q: What advice would you give women who wish to enter a leadership role?

It’s all about your team and the people that you surround yourself with. Leading without having the right people in place is tough, but when you get it right you can surpass all expectations. I have an energetic and passionate team that shares a common vision. It's a lot like conducting an orchestra where everyone wants to play together and in tune.

Q: What are you most proud of?

When I met the other female winners I was very impressed by their backgrounds, experiences and achievements.  There were several winners from the tech industry, a couple from banking, one or two from the public sector and so on. While I was in great company, I realized I work for a company that wants to alleviate pain, restore health and extend life - and I wouldn’t swap that for the world.