What the 2019 HIMSS Europe Annual Women in Health IT Survey Results Mean for Positive Change

Kathrine Myhre is the founder and CEO of Norway Health Tech, (previously known as Oslo Med-Tech), a not-for-profit member organization, focusing on innovation, business creation and international scaling of health companies. The cluster has been formed by more than 200 participants from Medtech, pharmaceutical, eHealth and Digital health businesses, R&D institutions, hospitals and local health officials, global businesses and investors. Kathrine, a thought leader with great futuristic visions for healthcare was born in Re, Vestfold, a small village in the south/east of Norway. Ms. Myhre holds a Bachelor of Political Science from Oslo University and a Master of Political Science from Reading University, the UK in 2001. She then worked on the development of innovation strategies and business development based on the University of Oslo (UiO)'s novel studies until 2008. Also From 2004 to 2008, Ms. Myhre served as Director of Innovation at the University of Oslo's Birkeland Innovation (now Inven2) and has held the role of Innovation Director at IT Fornebu since 2008. The idea of Norway Health Tech was created and introduced from this place in 2009. Within a broad spectrum, Ms. Myhre has initiated and led numerous strategic and innovative processes and projects: creative process management, market analysis, business creation, IPR handling, marketing and sales, and facilitating funding for key projects and businesses. Norway Health Tech was awarded the NCE status (Norwegian Center of Expertise) by Innovation Norway's cluster program in 2015 and was re-certified in 2018 by the European cluster organization Gold Label status. The prestigious HIMSS Future 50 European Achievement Award was also given to Ms. Myhre in 2019. Kathrine Myhre has over the years built a solid network in the health sector, nationally and globally, and is a renowned speaker in the field of health innovation and technology.

Elena Sini is the Group CIO at GVM Care & Research in Italy. She is also a board member of HIMSS Europe Governing Council since 2016. Ms. Sini is extensively known as an innovative CIO with concrete expertise in managing information systems in governmental and private healthcare organizations and digital transformation initiatives.Ms. Sini finished her studies at Oxford University and Milan Polytechnic University. She also holds a Master’s degree in Telecommunications. With her profound knowledge of digital technologies, she plays an active role in encouraging implementation of changes that enable ICT to efficiently lead the shift of the hospital to eHealth.Ms. Sini Has also been actively engaging with HIMSS communities at Italy’s national level and promoting women experts to identify as leaders in the digital health environments. Ms. Sini has been granted numerous prestigious prizes such as the Digital Innovation Award (2005) and the ICT Innovation Award (2010) for her contributions to eHealth.