Deniz Bruce is no ordinary leader. Her professional background is enriched with extensive experience in various pharmaceutical and medical device organisations, where she has held global leadership positions overseeing diverse product portfolios. Her expertise centres on strategic planning and execution within medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and biologics. Throughout her career, Deniz has consistently demonstrated her ability to meet ambitious targets, excel in change management, and possess the essential skills to propel organisational strategies forward. In November 2022, Deniz became a part of the GMDN Agency team and has played a pivotal role in directing the company’s efforts toward two critical objectives: enhancing external stakeholder engagement and advancing patient safety through global harmonisation efforts as integral components of the Agency’s overarching vision.

For Deniz, leadership has always been natural, amalgamating personal values and external circumstances.

She has always been driven by a strong sense of responsibility and a desire to impact the people and organisations around her positively. “I am passionate about improving patient care and healthcare outcomes. This internal motivation was further fueled by external factors, such as seeing opportunities for improvement in the teams and projects I was involved in,” explains Deniz.

The opportunity to inspire, guide, and support my colleagues or team members in their professional growth was a compelling reason for me to embrace leadership.”

Becoming A Great Leader

The pioneering leader strongly believes that leadership is about directing others and listening, learning, and adapting. It offers a chance to foster collaboration, create a shared vision, and drive meaningful change. Her motivation to become a leader stems from a deep-seated desire to lead by example, facilitate growth, and contribute to the success and well-being of individuals and the larger community or organisation.

Deniz has always been passionate about people development and dedicated to nurturing talent. For example, she could see the great potential in the GMDN Agency before she joined, fulfilling the need for global harmonisation in collaboration with its stakeholders. Knowing the value of the skills and expertise required to deliver such a complex and critical task, Deniz was impressed by the quality of the people and wanted to help them grow into leaders in their fields.

“My team are very expert and experienced in delivering complex and technical information in the world of medical technology. One thing I wanted to do when starting at GMDN Agency was to provide them with opportunities to grow into other aspects of organizational management and communication,” elucidates Deniz. “One, to give them experiences that they hadn’t had before, and secondly, to see what other strengths they may have outside their core roles and responsibilities. Another thing I have introduced is having the team work together to develop objectives that reflect our organizational strategy. To help keep them focused on our mission “To be the global leader in naming, describing and unambiguously identifying medical devices for the protection of patients”.”

Towards A Bright Future

According to Deniz, standardised nomenclature is essential for maintaining patient safety and promoting better healthcare outcomes. The GMDN currently has over 15,000 active members in more than 145 countries globally. It is also used by medical device Regulators in more than 70 countries worldwide, making it the world’s most widely used and trusted medical device nomenclature. At the GMDN Agency, they firmly believe that the global harmonisation of medical device nomenclature is essential to ensuring patient safety, improving regulatory compliance, and fostering innovation. A globally harmonised nomenclature system can facilitate better communication between stakeholders and make tracking and monitoring medical devices throughout their lifecycle easier. The GMDN is the best-placed nomenclature system to be adopted globally because of its proven track record of success.

“We have been developing and maintaining the GMDN for over 20 years, and our system has been adopted by regulators and healthcare providers worldwide. Our system is also continuously updated to reflect the latest advances in medical technology. In addition, the GMDN is designed to be flexible and adaptable, supporting organisations operating in multiple jurisdictions, by simplifying regulatory compliance and streamlining supply chain management,” adds Deniz. “Throughout 2023-2024 we will continue to launch new analytical tools and services as part of our commitment to meet the evolving needs of stakeholders and stay relevant in an ever-changing industry.”

Promoting the value of Global collaboration and harmonisation is a continuous effort and challenge in an ever-changing innovative medical device industry. Deniz and her team are working relentlessly to future proof GMDN for many years ahead. Her approach to upscale the team, investing in the infrastructure, and commitment to strategic partnerships and alliances with key players in the medical device industry, with guidance from the GMDN Board of Trustees, is making a positive difference. This experience underscores her commitment to taking a revolutionary approach to tackling challenges, driving innovation, and delivering tangible results. It demonstrates Deniz’s ability to lead teams and organisations toward success through innovative thinking and strategic decision-making.

“I aim to continue building the reputation of the GMDN Agency and consolidating and expanding the GMDN as the leading global standard for the naming, classification, and categorisation of medical devices. Anyone can register as a member on the GMDN website to access and use any GMDN term,” says Deniz. “Our nomenclature provides healthcare professionals, regulators, manufacturers and others with a common language to communicate and share information.” GMDN enables safer and more effective patient care, fosters innovation and collaboration in the medical device industry, and supports global harmonisation of regulatory requirements.

On a personal level, Deniz believes in the importance of work-life balance. She plans to continue investing time in her family and emotional well-being. “Balancing the demands of a CEO role with my personal life is a priority for me, as it not only contributes to my happiness and health but also sets an example for our employees,” says Deniz. “I’m also keen on giving back to the community and contributing to causes that matter to me. As a CEO, I believe in the importance of corporate social responsibility, and I’m actively exploring opportunities for GMDN to make a positive impact on society (We love volunteering for our local Charities).”