Health Sector Research Center (HealthSec)
Alexandrakis Emmanuel
Adjunct Professor
With over 30 years of professional experience as an economist, and an extensive University level teaching and research background, Dr. Alexandrakis has a combined managerial, research, public policy, and strategy analysis background, with a special focus in the health sector. He has served executive positions in the pharmaceutical sector and as a high-level government official in Greece and the EU.
Today, he is a consultant and Global Strategist for the Health Economy at the WifOR Institute, a German independent Economic Research Organization, with global activity. He is also Adjunct Professor at the MBA International Program of the Athens University of Economics and Business for Health Sector Strategy and Member of the Business Advisory Council (BAC) of the Program. In parallel he is a Senior Research Fellow at the Management Science Laboratory of the same University. He has recently served as an Executive Member of the BoD of the Hellenic Archaeological Proceeds Fund and is also a Research Associate of the University of Piraeus Laboratory of Health Economics and Management. Dr. Alexandrakis is a member of Advisory Committees and Boards (ie. G20 Health & Development Partnership, Greek Insurance Association Committee of Prevention and Insurance Fraud) and has also served internationally as an expert on the Expert Review Board of the WHO - European Office for Investment for Health and Development for Health Economy, to the Government of Kazakhstan etc.
Before joining the Pharmaceutical Company MSD in 2012 (known as Merck & Co., Inc. in the USA and Canada) to lead the Policy, Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities in Greece and Cyprus, he had served as a Senior Advisor at the Hellenic Parliament, with a key responsibility on the Economic Adjustment Program of Greece and issues related to fiscal policies and legislation. Before that, for several years, he served at high-level government positions and Committees in Greece and the EU (Special State Secretary of the Hellenic Ministry of Tourism, Managing Director for Administration of the National Theatre of Greece, CEO of the Greek State Healthcare Organization for Seamen, Coordinator of PPP and Investment Committees, and has actively participated in several Committees that relate to Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Pharmaceutical Industry, the Health sector, Tourism, the Insurance sector, and served as a Scientific Advisor at the Economic and Social Council of Greece.
Chuah Chai
Visiting Research Fellow
Mr. Chai Chuah’s career in healthcare spans over 28 years. The pinnacle of his career was his appointment to the most senior role in the New Zealand health system, the Director General of Health, and Chief Executive of the Ministry of Health. Before this appointment, he held senior leadership roles at national, regional, and local levels across wide-ranging disciplines, namely:
- developing and implementing strategies, policies, and plans.
- health system and clinical services restructuring,
- hospital operations,
- quality & safety
- workforce development,
- facilities development
- information technology development,
- funding and financial management, and
- supply chain, procurement, and logistics
The challenges faced in First World countries' health systems and the opportunities, potential, and possibilities that lie ahead are Mr. Chuah’s kay interests. Meeting these challenges and seizing opportunities will require a positive and open mindset, disruptive innovations, teamwork, courage to have a difficult conversation, and making hard decisions. Equally important are clarity and coherence of purpose, vision, strategy, plans, and operating model. Last, but not least, Mr. Chuah has the right leadership talent, with a bias to implement health service changes, capable of positive and sustainable impact on those in need.
Mr. Chuah’s current advisory and research portfolio focuses on three priorities, namely:
- Future health system
- Developing leaders
- Better ways to care for our seniors
The first priority focuses on what the future looks like and how we transition to get there. The second priority focuses on developing the right leadership talent, capacity, and capability. The third priority recognizes the challenges of an aging population in many countries.
Layland Adam
Research Affiliate
Adam's career commenced when he joined Staffordshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust in 2005, working as a volunteer in the community and as a GP out of hours call taker in 2006. He obtained his Paramedic qualification through Sheffield Hallam University and East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust in 2008 before commencing as a Paramedic with West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust. Adam was promoted to an Advanced Paramedic and Community Paramedic Officer before being seconded to support the Executive Management Team. During the secondment Adam was a Staff Officer to the Chief Executive Officer and Director of Service Delivery.
He has also held roles in other NHS Ambulance Services; in the London Ambulance Service he was a Mentor Paramedic (Practice Placement Educator), training newly qualified Paramedics to the high standards required by the Health and Care Professions Council. For Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust he was an Operational Support Manager in the Gloucestershire Area responsible for the delivery of the 999 service before becoming the Senior Operations and Performance Manager for the Patient Transport Service across Great Western Region. Adam re-joined West Midlands Ambulance Service in 2012 as a Senior Operations Manager partaking in duties across all sectors of the organisation. He held roles as the Head of Transformation, Acting General Manager, and Head of Operations for the region and was a member of many sub-board groups, including being a Tactical Commander for the organisation.
He is a Member of the Institute for Healthcare Management, Member of the Chartered Management Institute, Member of the British Academy of Management, Fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Member of the College of Paramedics, where he was also the Parliamentary Lead.
Adam completed a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Leadership with the NHS Leadership Academy, University of Manchester and the University of Birmingham in 2016. He was honoured with a Senior Award in Healthcare Leadership by the NHS Leadership Academy and was runner-up for the NHS Inspirational Leader of the Year 2014 and nominated for NHS Leadership Award in Leading Service Improvement and Innovation for 2016.
He is passionate about the improvement of patient care, and staff development through excellent leadership and management. He joined Coventry University in 2017 as an Assistant Professor in Leadership and Management and in April 2019, Adam become the Associate Dean for Enterprise and Innovation in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences where he was responsible for a portfolio across the Faculty consisting of: Continuing Professional Development, Consultancy, Commercial Research, Apprenticeships, Intellectual Property and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships. In addition to this Adam was a member of the Faculty Leadership Team and represented Health and Wellbeing on the City of Culture 2021 Steering Group for the University. Adam also was the Deputy Executive Lead for the Midlands Engine Mental Health and Productivity Pilot, an £8.1m government funded project across the Midlands region.
In February 2020, Adam completed a review of the Paramedic Acute Visiting Service for the Coventry and Rugby GP Alliance and following this was appointed to a nominal role as Consultant Paramedic for the Alliance.
In April 2020, Adam was appointed to the newly created role of National Head of Commissioning for Health Education England. He is leading the development of a national commissioning policy for all healthcare education in England, and a new integrated investment and planning process which supports an annual budget of £4.3 billon.
He is an Editorial Board member and reviewer for the British Journal of Healthcare Management, and the Indonesian Journal for Health Administration. Adam has also been appointed as a Board Member for the International Network on Health Workforce Education, where he was previously Co-Chair of Leadership and Management Working Group. He is the UK Chair of the BSI Committee on Healthcare Organization Management, Convenor internationally for the ISO Working Group on Healthcare Quality, leading an international standard for Healthcare Quality Management Systems. He is also a Trustee for Community Transport, a National Charity, previously serving as a Director. In September 2020, Adam was conferred as a Visiting Professor in Healthcare Leadership and Management with York St John University. Between 2018 and 2021 Adam served as a Governor of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, one of the largest NHS organisations in England.
Marinopoulou Anastasia
Research Affiliate
International Change Management professional with lean projects in her portfolio, Visiting Lecturer, Coach and Entrepreneur with expertise in strategic marketing and sales planning, business and operational development towards creating synergies recognizing environmental, organizational, cultural and team dynamics.
Anastasia has successfully integrated lean tools, techniques and practices with marketing, sales and HRD development methods to assess and re-model companies’ positioning and business development plans.
Results include lower operational costs, more committed workforce, more flexible and customer centric services and administration, waste free - efficient operations as well as faster R&D.
Ms Marinopoulou has participated in many change management, marketing and HR initiatives for major Retail groups and Pharmaceutical companies (La Prairie Group, Motor oil, Fourlis, TFL, the NHS (via LSBU collaboration), Eurobank, Novartis, Phizer, Elpen, Skanska UK, Galliford Try, Morgan Sindall, etc) and is supporting Greek companies with regards to Sub-Saharan international business development.
Education and Professional Training
Ms Marinopoulou holds an MBA with Distinction in strategic planning (LSBU - UK) following in the same university her bachelor’s degree in marketing. She is also Belbin® and MBTI® accredited (Personal and Team Development methodologies) and uses her skills in team development and communications to empower managers and executives worldwide.
Her deep knowledge and experience in business development and change management initiatives reflect a careful analysis, innovative thinking and mentoring attitude.
Visiting Lecturer
Anastasia has designed (F2F and Online formats), taught and led modules on business management and operations (including MSc and MBA programs) for the University of Law (London) and London South Bank University.
Representations and Ethical Responsibility
Anastasia is the representative for the renowned Leadership and teamwork Belbin® methodology in Greece and Cyprus.
She often interviews CEOs and managers on practices and values that have introduced a different perspective in business, and she supports very small SMEs for free as part of her CSR responsibility.
Peristeris Platon
Senior Researcher
Platon Peristeris holds a PhD in Biochemistry and a BSc in Human Biology from the University Claude Bernard – LYON I, Lyon - France. He has spent more than 10 years on research work in several laboratories working on various subjects such as acute inflammation, angiogenesis, cancer and cytogenetics.
He then entered in the pharmaceutical industry where he acquired more than 19 years of experience in key positions of increasing responsibility and leading teams in areas such as Medical Affairs, Regulatory, Quality Control, Public Affairs and Pricing & Reimbursement for the markets of Greece, Cyprus and Malta.
Since 2014, he works as an independent Consultant in Pharmaceuticals providing services to several Greek and multinational pharmaceutical companies in areas of his expertise.
He is the author of more than 30 publications, posters and oral communications.
Westwood Anjali Raj
Research Affiliate
Dr Anjali Raj Westwood is an academic, entrepreneur, mentor and speaker. She has an interdisciplinary focus spanning business and healthcare. She works towards delivering impact through her various lines of work. In her academic roles, she has been teaching a range of subjects like basics of healthcare management, promoting quality and safety in healthcare, global perspectives on healthcare policy, international business strategy, and entrepreneurship. She is the lead for Venture Creation Lab for UBI Business School in Brussels. She has worked with over 7 universities in the UK and EU. Her research interests span healthcare service delivery, organisational culture and maternity, breastfeeding, and telemedicine. In her entrepreneurial role, she co-founded a maternity healthcare startup based in India providing a range of omnichannel services during pregnancy and postpartum. Maternia Care (formerly Ilove9months) has raised various levels of funding and received appreciation from state and national bodies. Anjali is a startup mentor with Founder Institute in both the UK and Nordic countries, coaches TEDx speakers and provides consultancy services. Lastly, she is currently working on a book draft titled “Breastfeeding for working mothers”, and a book chapter on “m-health for maternity in India” for the META project, an interdisciplinary research funded by German Ministry of Research and Education.
