Every three hours a baby is born to parents who have sought the assistance of Monash IVF Group to help shape their families. CEO James Thiedeman describes the “magical” work undertaken by his staff as he tells The CEO Magazine how Monash IVF Group has grown and evolved during its 43-year history.
A driving force in assisted reproductive technologies
Back in 1973, when Monash IVF Group began, it achieved the world’s first IVF pregnancy. Since that time, the company has assisted in the birth of 25,000 babies. With the simple goal of helping people to realise their dream of having a family, Monash IVF Group has become a forerunner in the development of assisted reproductive technologies in Australia and around the world.
“The notion of continuing to improve our services and the technology we have available for our patients is part of our DNA,” says James. “Being the first to achieve an IVF pregnancy really speaks to the quality of people we bring into the organisation to work with us and that pioneering spirit is embedded in the company. We’re always looking for what is the next step and the next opportunity to improve our clinical outcomes. I believe there’s a great pride among the staff who work with us about our heritage and history.”
Fertility care and imaging services in Australia and now overseas
The talented and professional team of specialists, scientists, nurses and counsellors at Monash IVF Group deliver a holistic range of fertility treatments and services from state of the art facilities in Australia and through international partnerships in Asia.
Continued expansion in the region is a major focus for Monash IVF Group and a real opportunity in terms of its growth agenda, which also includes growing its women’s imaging business.
“Certainly South East Asia and China are burgeoning markets,” explains James. “We see a growing middle class of people who are able to afford high-quality health care. We’re also seeing similar demographic trends as we saw in Australia, probably 20 years ago now, where people and couples in South East Asia and China are leaving children to a little later in life because they are staying in the education system longer, and they’re staying in the workforce longer. As a result, there is an increased demand for fertility care and assisted services.”
Quality services rely on quality staff
James says the delivery and expansion of Monash IVF Group’s high quality and innovative services relies on its 600 staff members working together. “It’s very much a team approach. Our scientists need to be working hand-in-hand with our nurses, they need to be collaborating with our doctors and part of making that collaborative model work is recruiting the right people into the business, which we spend considerable time on in terms of assessing and screening candidates. The other part of it is about investing in training and professional development for our staff. We have a great focus on that. Finally, it’s about continuing as a company to invest in research and innovation and engage our staff in that exercise.”
For James, it’s also the people he works with at Monash IVF Group who influence his own high levels of job satisfaction. “I love the buzz of coming to work, knowing that I’m working with such a passionate group of people who at the end of the day are solely focused on helping our patients achieve the dream of having a family. It’s just very, very special. I don’t think there are too many organisations that can have such a profound effect on the lives of their patients and their customers,” he says.
Monash IVF Group key facts
- Company name: Monash IVF Group
- CEO: James Thiedeman
- Headquarters: Melbourne, Australia
- Number of employees: Approx. 600
- Industry: Healthcare & Pharmaceutical