#Confessions of a CEO* Amir Firdaus Abdullah, CEO, Gleneagles

#Confessions of a CEO* Amir Firdaus Abdullah, CEO, Gleneagles Hospital (Kua
Published on The Edge Markets (http://www.theedgemarkets.com)
Jan 02, 2011 | Written by The Editor | 0
Amir Firdaus Abdullah, CEO, Gleneagles Hospital (Kuala Lumpur) Sdn Bhd
How did you come to head a hospital?I’ve been in healthcare for 18 years — ever since
graduating with a Bachelor in Science in healthcare from the University of Wales. After returning [to
Malaysia], I worked with Universiti Hospital for a while before moving to Brunei, where I was
stationed with the RIPAS (Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha) Hospital for 12 years. In fact, I’d have
stayed on, retired there and bought a yacht. Unfortunately, my father broke his hip, which brought
me back to Malaysia. I joined Gleneagles before leaving to join GE Healthcare Malaysia as managing
director. I then moved to Pantai Hospital as CEO before being posted back to Gleneagles in my
current position in 2008, as a result of Khazanah Nasional Bhd’s acquisition of Gleneagles via Pantai
Irama Ventures Sdn Bhd [Pantai Irama, a joint venture between Khazanah and Singapore’s Parkway
Holdings Ltd, acquired a 50% stake in Gleneagles in 2008]. Why did you choose to study
healthcare?I actually wanted to study law and was in fact starting to do a law degree in the UK
when I was forced to re-evaluate my opportunities. As the youngest in a family of five, opportunities
weren’t thick on the ground and healthcare was a more viable option. Actually, my father too was a
healthcare administrator. I hate to admit it but I may be following in his footsteps!So what appeal
does the industry hold for you?I feel we can make people feel good if we want to – delivering
healthcare the way it should be. It’s an ambition that drives me and drives the team. Could you
give some examples?Walking into the building, it doesn’t feel or even smell like a hospital. The
smell of potpourri is the same as the one used in the Ritz Carlton Hotel [in Kuala Lumpur]; the
pictures, lighting and ambience are all carefully selected to be soothing and comforting. Our staff
even receive hospitality training at the Ritz Carlton. Another example is our F&B. Most people
associate hospital food with awful food. But our view is that food is very important and we take great
pains with the catering. Our chefs are all hired from hotels so they understand the culinary arts and
of course the choice of cuisine is overseen by a dietician, so it meets the necessary health
requirements. Happier patients heal faster. And we’re not all frills either; we also invest in cuttingedge technology and training. For example, Gleneagles is known for its cardiology, so if the
cardiologists need a 128-slice CT scanner, it’s my role as CEO to support the clinical needs of the
doctors and to supply that machine, even if it won’t be heavily used. Why do you see going to
such lengths in terms of hospitality as necessary?To cement our positioning of Gleneagles as a
leader in healthcare, it’s necessary to ensure we’re always on the leading edge in terms of clinical
and service levels. Located as we are on Embassy Row (Jalan Ampang), our clientele are discerning
and it’s also important to us to meet client expectations. Furthermore, Gleneagles also takes care of
patients who visit Malaysia for medical care, which makes us a national player. Does this drive
costs up?We have done a lot to ensure that we are not the price leader by any means. In fact we’re
fifth or sixth in the nation. To ensure this, we work very closely with vendors and, where savings can
be made for patients through greater efficiency, we make those investments. We also take CSR very
seriously and have an ongoing programme, started 14 years ago, called A-Heart for A-Heart, which
raises funds for children born with congenital heart diseases who cannot afford corrective surgery.
What is your role at Gleneagles?As CEO my role is to be a propagator who bridges the core
competencies of Gleneagles which are centred around the people, service quality, clinical quality
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#Confessions of a CEO* Amir Firdaus Abdullah, CEO, Gleneagles Hospital (Kua
Published on The Edge Markets (http://www.theedgemarkets.com)
and at the end of the day, the business angle. To ensure growth by making the right business
decisions and investments — what the patients and the clinical staff require. As a non-doctor, I have
to separate pure knowledge and ‘gut feeling’ – knowing what decisions I can and cannot make. I
have a medical director who reports to me and she in turn has nine clinical heads of departments
reporting to her. This seems to work very well. Having said that, running any business, you get
entrenched in the core practices of the industry. Being around hospitals all my life has enabled me to
glean the medical knowledge necessary to make choices that are in the best interests of the
hospital. How would you describe your management style?Very consultative. I’m always open
to learning from others and working towards a better way. Engagement and team work are both
very important to me, particularly in a time of transformation and change.Were you tasked with
transforming Gleneagles?When I joined, you could say Gleneagles was going through a lull. While
care and service levels were being maintained, it lacked the strategic drive that would make it truly
cutting-edge and a leader in healthcare. Now we’ve raised our service levels enough to have just
received our JCI Accreditation — an international accreditation by the Joint Commission on
Accreditation of Healthcare Organisations via the Joint Commission International. If you weren’t in
this job, what would you be doing?Sailing off into the sunset on a yacht. And, maybe, a spot of
afternoon tennis.
This article appeared in Management@work [1], the monthly management pullout of The Edge
Malaysia, Issue 839, Jan 3-9, 2011
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author: The Editor
source: TheEdge
Source URL: http://www.theedgemarkets.com/my/article/confessions-ceo-amir-firdaus-abdullah-ceogleneagles-hospital-kuala-lumpur-sdn-bhd
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