@DahliaMacNamara I don't think the CEO needs to have endometriosis themselves, but they could not have chosen someone who could be in a worse position to empathise with the condition itself.
This is a charity for a condition which was long ignored because the people doing the research didn't have female reproductive systems.
Endometriosis causes intensely painful periods - many, if not most women will have experienced at least one bout of very painful menstrual cramping if not other fertility related ailments in their lives. Many women suffer from infertility or trouble getting pregnant, which comes with sadness, intense grief and social stigma. It can be an identity-shattering experience, demoralising and lonely. So, so many women have experienced these things and even if they don't have an endo diagnosis they would be in a much better position to sympathise with those that do.
The history of endometriosis is that it has been woefully understudied, the pain women report to doctors has been reduced, ignored and waved away for decades. This has only very recently began to change once WOMEN who would take the issue seriously began to fill high level roles in medical fields and feminists advocated tirelessly for acknowledgement and better healthcare. Given this historical context it just seems like such bad optics to choose a CEO who has never experienced menstrual pain, pregnancy complications, infertility and all its social pressures.
Given how commonplace these experiences are for women (even without endo), it would not be difficult to find a more empathetic fit who was just as qualified as a C-level exec.