Lynne McHugh, RDH, BS, Vice President, Operations and Administration, Henry Schein North America
Prioritizing is a big part of Ms. McHugh’s day-to-day work as her position with Henry Schein involves many meetings, conference calls, and business travel. Much of her time is spent on the phone with colleagues identifying what’s happening with all of Henry Schein’s businesses. After 11 years in private practice, McHugh decided to give industry a try with Oral-B. Using both her clinical expertise and business acumen, she moved to Henry Schein where she helped move the organization from a catalog-based direct sales company to a full service organization.
What advice would you give to dental hygienists who are interested in moving from clinical practice to dental industry?
I think you need to focus on your strengths. One of the most important factors of my success in industry is my ability to build relationships, which is a skill I learned and honed as a clinical dental hygienist. I also learned time management skills. Dental hygienists effectively communicate one-on-one and they build trust with their patients. All of these skills can be translated into business and are highly valued. I started my career in industry in an area that I knew. This is a good strategy for launching a career from practice to industry. You can build on your skill set by taking whatever your passion is as a starting point. Look at what you do, find out what aspect of it turns you on, and then capitalize on it.
