Rashid Khalani is the new CEO of Aga Khan University Hospital.
The man at the helm of the reputable hospital was born and bred in Karachi, Pakistan which is the world’s 12th most populous city.
Khalani, 42, was appointed to his current position in February 2023 after serving as the interim CEO since March 2021.
Here is his story as told by WoK.
Background
Growing up in Karachi, Khalani’s dad was a small business owner while his mother was a housewife.
“What I remember are the many human interactions. Unlike my children, we were not glued to the TV or gadgets. There was no internet
“So we sat outside the house, laughing with friends. I was active in sports until the age of 23 when I completed university. To date, I still play badminton twice a week,” he said.
He has worked in different capacities in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tanzania and, since August 2012, in Kenya.
Khalani has had a long and distinguished career with the Aga Khan University and the Aga Khan Development Network since March 2005.
He joined Aga Khan University in as a senior budget analyst, a position he held for four years before he was appointed the assistant manager finance.
In August 2012 he was promoted to be manager finance, two years before he ascended to the senior manager finance office.
Khalani held the position from July 2015 to June 2016 after which he was appointed as the regional finance director.
In May 2018, he joined The Aga Khan University Hospital as the Chief Financial Officer, a position he held for three years and a month.
He was the appointed the interim CEO in May 2021 and held the position for 10 months before he was named the new CEO.
In an interview with Business Daily, Khalani noted that it took hard work to bag the job at such a young age.
“Also, there has to be someone who recognises your hard work and I was fortunate that my bosses over time in the past 19 years of my career threw me at the deep end and when I swam they recognised me
“And when they recognised me I grew, I moved up the ladder. And I think God has been very kind. Without Him, I don’t think anyone can grow,” he told Jackson Biko.
He noted that transitioning from his previous jobs had a sense of fear especially because he took over the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, noting that he did not have self-doubt.
“The news of what was happening in other parts of the world was playing on my mind, but I had faith in the institution and the people. But this external environment did cause fear and anxiety, but I never doubted myself,” Khalani said.
On running a medical facility despite’s not having a background in medicine, Khalani explained;
“With 19 years of experience, I think I have domain knowledge. I have not become a physician, I cannot cut you or treat you, but I know a lot about the domain
“Because once you have good domain knowledge, and you continue to learn, that gives you some credibility. That also requires hard work.”
