In this week’s Success: The Insight Story, Aurelius Healthcare managing director & deputy chairman Datuk Amir Firdaus Abdullah (pix) shares his ‘prescription’ with SunBiz.
How has your life experience made you the leader you are today?
Growing up, my late father often spent weekends teaching us lateral thinking skills and introducing us to Stoicism philosophies – teachings that included those of Marcus Aurelius which remain with me until this day. These formative years of my life have influenced who I was, who I am, and who I will continue to be in the future.
I’ve had more than 25 years of experience at hospital administration, and prior to founding Aurelius Healthcare, I headed VPS Healthcare – a multinational healthcare group based in Abu Dhabi. It was a cosmopolitan workplace with employees of different races and nationalities, and so it was important that we had a congealing culture that enabled us to work harmoniously. That’s when I started thinking about incorporating Stoicism’s concepts in creating an intentional culture within the organisation, to help us direct our thoughts and actions in an unpredictable world.
When I came back to Malaysia, I founded Aurelius Healthcare, which is built on the same fundamental values. Our motto – To Breathe, To Think, To Care, To Love – was created based on Marcus Aurelius’ philosophies, which serve as a reminder that it is a privilege to be well and alive.
What do you want to accomplish in the next five years?
Aurelius Healthcare has ambitious plans to accelerate its growth in the next few years, and I hope to continue contributing to that.
Last year, we acquired the 20-year-old Nilai Medical Center, which we have rebranded as Aurelius Hospital Nilai. We expanded the clinical services at the hospital and the bed capacity will be increased from 100 to 150. We’re also steadily progressing with our plans to establish our presence in Kedah with the ongoing construction of Aurelius Hospital Alor Star, which is expected to begin operations in the second or third quarter of 2023.
This is only the beginning of our growth as we are actively in discussion for another four to five opportunities and will seek to expand our pipeline rapidly.
How do you think the industry you are in will evolve?
Iin Malaysia, private healthcare is in a place of steady growth, mainly due to the insurance industry’s penetration into our Malaysian population. The increasing demand for healthcare services from the “silver-haired tsunami”, the rising affluence, as well as the increasing life expectancy of Malaysians have also presented a significant growth tangent for the private healthcare sector, which is needed to complement the public sector hospitals.
For Southeast Asia and other regions, we see a similar burgeoning trend of the private healthcare market in the coming years, including a rise in specialty care hospitals. Hence, I believe that the medical tourism industry will continue to flourish in the countries that are able to provide these highly sought-after medical care and treatments.
How do you expect policies on climate change to impact businesses in the future?
While it may not impact the healthcare industry directly, we must be prepared and be adaptive to the ESG values imbibed within the organisation’s fabric. At Aurelius Healthcare, we believe that we have the responsibility to build greener hospitals for the sake of environmental sustainability. Some of our efforts include implementing efficient energy usage and renewable energy in our facilities, waste management and so forth.
What traits do you look for in your talent or how do you decide who is right for a job?
Having the core competencies to execute the job is important, but so is having the right attitude.
I believe that cultural capital is the new frontier of competitive advantage, and in healthcare, our people play an important role in delivering differentiated service quality. Hence, it’s important to build and maintain the right collective culture for teamwork, and that starts with hiring for cultural fit. From a business perspective, assessing talents in this way also brings higher sustainability to the organisation.
What advice can you offer those looking to start their own business?
The most obvious aspect is to develop the core competencies based on the market you intend to venture into. Secondly, on how the growth tangent can occur in your business. Thirdly, it is important to understand the fundamentals and drivers including regulatory frameworks within a particular industry.
Finally, your business should have a strong sense of differentiation, or a hook – something that separates your business from others, especially in a competitive landscape. By having that differentiation, you possess the ability to create a nascent presence in the market, then that is where opportunities for you to grow your market share come in.
How has mentorship made a difference in your professional life?
I had a mentor who taught me extensive knowledge about management and the qualities of a true leader. He was a retired British army officer and has been a true friend to me. Dave Hurren, whom I met while in Brunei, left an indelible presence on me, regarding knowledge and qualities a true leader must possess.
To this day, I still carry his guidance and they express themselves in my daily interactions of working with people and fostering warm environments for creating strong teamwork.
Best piece of advice you ever received on your career.
“If you tell the truth, you do not have to worry or remember what you have said.” It’s adapted from a Mark Twain quote that was said to me years ago, and I still remember it today. Honesty and integrity are important qualities that help create loyalty not just among your customers, but your teams, too.
Most-admired business leader? Why?
Richard Branson. I admire his ability to have created various brands across different industries. By having a little bit of quirkiness in his way of business, he is able to retain public interests in those brands. That’s highly attractive from a business standpoint for what he has achieved.
A must-read for every business owner/manager is ...
Blue Ocean Strategy by Renée Mauborgne and W Chan Kim – it’s a must-read for visionaries and innovators who plan on gaining uncontested market space.
It’s something that we at Aurelius Healthcare are setting out to do, too, as we are looking at building our business and expanding our presence in not just underserved markets like in Nilai and Alor Star, but also in first-tier cities like Kuala Lumpur and Penang from the perspective of carving out specialty-based care that we can provide at global healthcare standards.
What are the top three factors you would attribute your success to?
My parents, who taught me values, drive, and being happy; my family, who I can rely on always for love and support; and my team, who together with me, share my vision for Aurelius Healthcare and assist to achieve so much of it, every day. I guess I am a lucky boy!
