As a child Manoj Patel spent several months in hospital. This exposure to healthcare ultimately led him to becoming a doctor. But Manoj was not content with treating one patient at a time his mind was fascinated about system changes that would impact upon multiple patients at once. “I have never been content with what is ‘normal’ and ‘status quo’ my mind plays in the arena of how things could be better.”

Manoj studied medicine at The University of Auckland and was awarded a Fulbright Platinum Triangle Scholarship in Entrepreneurship to study for an MBA at Harvard Business School. Both of these experiences gave Manoj a unique set of skills which allow him to be effective in designing and implementing new healthcare solutions. While studying at the University of Auckland Manoj was also heavily involved with Velocity. His Velocity experience helped him gain confidence to pursue an unconventional career path of a doctor operating in the business domain of healthcare.

Manoj is currently the Director of Clinical Innovation for Healthcare Holdings Ltd, the parent company for MercyAscot Hospitals and Mercy Radiology. This role allows him to combine his experiences as a doctor together with the business skills from a Harvard MBA to re-imagine healthcare services. “The health industry is a playground for those with an innovative outlook. There is an interesting tension between clinicians delivering care and administrators managing services. Being able to straddle both camps gives me a unique perspective on how to do things better.”

Manoj Patel graduated from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery