Innovation with Purpose: Cyrille Labourel Of The HRT Club On Exploring the World’s Most Exciting Emerging Purpose Driven Business Models

An Interview With Rachel Kline

Believe yourself in the purpose — The founder/leader needs to believe that the business has a bigger purpose. It can come from a personal story or convictions. In my case, growing up in a country where the cost of healthcare is never something you think about, I believe that access to healthcare is a right, not a privilege.

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, purpose-driven models are at the forefront of innovation. These businesses are not just focused on profit, but are also committed to making a positive impact on society and the environment. In this interview series, we are speaking with visionary leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators who are pioneering purpose driven businesses. I had the pleasure of interviewing Cyrille Labourel.

Cyrille Labourel is a visionary pharmaceutical executive with over two decades of experience in the healthcare industry, and the Founder and CEO of The HRT Club, where he is working to make hormone replacement therapy more accessible and affordable. Previously, Cyrille served as CEO at ASCEND Therapeutics U.S., leading efforts to enhance access to hormone therapies like EstroGel®, and held key marketing roles at Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and Organon. His leadership at The HRT Club is driving a movement focused on personalized, high-quality hormone therapy solutions, revolutionizing women’s health with innovation and patient-centered care.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you share a bit about your background and what has led you to your current role?

I was born and raised in France, where I began my career as an internet entrepreneur right out of school. While our venture didn’t achieve significant commercial success, it provided invaluable lessons that shaped my professional journey.

In 2006, I moved to the U.S. to pursue an MBA. Over the next 15 years, I held leadership roles at major pharmaceutical companies, including Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and most recently, Organon. My work primarily focused on revitalizing women’s health businesses across both consumer healthcare and pharmaceuticals.

In 2022, Besins Healthcare, a leading European pharmaceutical manufacturer, invited me to lead its U.S. division and develop a new go-to-market strategy. This initiative ultimately led to the creation of The HRT Club.

What inspired you to start or join your business, and what is its core mission?

Since moving to the U.S., I have been struck by the astronomical cost of healthcare compared to other countries — especially given the poor outcomes in life expectancy and quality of life. This isn’t due to a lack of innovation but rather a deeply dysfunctional and corrupted system that prioritizes individual interest over meaningful reform. Politicians from both sides are bought out by lobbying efforts that protect the status quo.

Contrary to popular belief, the biggest profits from established drugs and generics don’t go to manufacturers but to intermediaries like pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and wholesalers.

We take a different approach at The HRT Club. By working directly with manufacturers, we provide well-known treatments at prices comparable to those found outside the U.S. The trade-off? We operate outside the traditional system — we never accept insurance (which would require working with PBMs that undermine our model), and we bypass the three largest wholesalers, who can add markups of up to 15%.

By eliminating these middlemen, we pass the savings directly to patients, allowing them to save up to 90% compared to what they typically pay through insurance or retail pharmacies.

Our mission is to democratize access to hormonal therapy treatments.

Could you tell us about your journey in the industry and any significant experiences that have shaped your approach to purpose driven business models?

I’ve worked in both large multinational corporations and smaller organizations and have seen firsthand how challenging it is to maintain a strong sense of purpose as a company grows — especially when it becomes publicly traded. When the top priority is hitting next quarter’s earnings targets, there’s little room to focus on customer delight.

The most impactful purpose-driven businesses — like Patagonia — tend to struggle to preserve their mission once acquired by large multinationals, as seen with Ben & Jerry’s.

At The HRT Club, we’re fortunate to be owned by a 120-year-old family company. The long-term mindset of a family-owned business allows us to stay true to our mission and build a company driven by purpose, not just short-term profits.

What inspired you to create a business model that prioritizes purpose alongside profit, and how do you ensure this balance in your daily operations?

I spent 10 years of my career at Johnson & Johnson, a company well known for its credo: prioritize your customers, and profits will follow. I firmly believe in this philosophy.

The core purpose of any business should be to delight its customers. When you achieve this while maintaining profitability, you build a sustainable business that can lead its industry.

At this stage of our growth, our primary focus is expansion — not maximizing profit. However, we strive to ensure we don’t lose money on the products we sell. Our business model is similar to Costco’s: we keep product margins low, with our membership fee serving as the main driver of profitability.

How do you measure the social or environmental impact of your business model, and what challenges have you faced in aligning these metrics with traditional business goals?

Our mission to make essential medicine more accessible is the heart of our value proposition. There’s no conflict between this mission and our business goals; in fact, they go hand in hand. The more people who gain access to hormone therapy through The HRT Club, the more we fulfill both our purpose and our business objectives.

Can you share an example of a tough decision where you chose to prioritize purpose over profit, and what was the outcome?

At this stage of our development, we don’t yet offer every tool in the toolbox. Sometimes, members sign up for a year only to realize they can’t access the product they need due to regulatory restrictions or challenges in finding a prescriber.

While they’ve agreed to our terms and conditions, we believe that if someone can’t use our service, they shouldn’t have to pay for it. That’s why we systematically refund them. It may not be the most beneficial decision for our business, but it’s the right thing to do.

How do you stay innovative while remaining true to your core mission, especially in a rapidly changing market?

Our core mission is to democratize access to hormonal health. While we have made significant strides, we have yet to offer every solution that could further this mission.

Our biggest challenge is prioritizing innovation — there are countless untapped opportunities, but only so many hours in a week.

What role does community engagement play in your business model, and how have you successfully integrated feedback from those you aim to serve?

“Club” is at the heart of The HRT Club, symbolizing a community of members coming together for a greater purpose. We foster this through our exceptional medical services, membership benefits, and the power of social media.

Our members have told us they want more engagement, conversations, and a space to share their stories. In response, we’re working to establish dedicated support groups — creating a space where members can connect, support each other, and go beyond just getting their prescriptions.

What are your “5 Things You Need To Create a Successful Purpose Driven Business”? If you can, please share a story or example for each.

1 . Believe yourself in the purpose — The founder/leader needs to believe that the business has a bigger purpose. It can come from a personal story or convictions. In my case, growing up in a country where the cost of healthcare is never something you think about, I believe that access to healthcare is a right, not a privilege.

2 . Identify the roadblock or enemy of this purpose — In the case of the HRT Club, PBMs, wholesalers and the overall lack of regulation behind the US healthcare system are our enemies.

3 . Find a way to work around this roadblock in a unique way — For The HRT Club, working without PBMs and wholesalers presents some pros (less cost) and cons (no access to insurance or traditional pharmacies). Using specialty pharmacy partners, we identified a way to make it for patients.

4 . Assess your ‘right to win’ — We work with manufacturers, so we have the products. We just need to find a way to get them into the hands of patients, which is why we work with every provider.

5 . Execute flawlessly and measure success beyond the numbers — This is the stage we are in. We know we are making progress as word of mouth spreads around our offering, and we receive threats from wholesalers and PBMs.

What piece of advice would you give to entrepreneurs looking to pioneer their own purpose driven businesses?

Believe in the purpose more than you believe in the financial success of your company or your own financial success.

Can you share a story of someone who has inspired you in your journey?

I admire business leaders and public figures who stand up against bullying and monopolistic practices. One leader I deeply respect is Hamdi Ulukaya, who built Chobani into a yogurt empire by prioritizing high-quality, natural ingredients and ethical treatment of employees — including profit-sharing with workers. He defied conventional corporate norms, proving that business success and social responsibility can go hand in hand.

How can our readers further follow your work or your company online?

Join us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, and soon TikTok!

This was great. Thanks for taking time for us to learn more about you and your business. We wish you continued success!