Private equity set to invest £5billion in OMMMs following Exponent investment in Xeinadin

Feisal Nahaboo

Founder & CEO

Feisal was born to do things differently. Growing up on a council estate in Bracknell, there was never any doubt in his mind that he’d transform something, someday. “I was always looking at things in a different way to everyone else,” he says. “I could see, even then, that people tend to stick to the same way of doing things.” He smiles, “My instinct was always to turn things on their head, to creatively spin ideas in my mind and see what happens. You suddenly free up possibilities, it’s like you take the brakes off and can power forward.”

As a young man, it became very clear to Feisal and those around him that the corporate world was the right home for this unique drive. At the tender age of 27, Feisal took the leap of faith to leave employment with an intent to disrupt and innovate the accountancy sector. He began self employment by working from his 3-bedroom ex council house. Just affording a £5k deposit (and borrowing legal transaction fees from his parents), he purchased his first small home in 2002 and began industry disruption from his own bedroom. He invested just £450 on second hand goods including a desk, fax machine, printer and a very dated laptop. Within weeks, his marketing systems were working effectively and he was engaging thousands of accountants into seminars where he began a career of motivating, influencing and directing substantial change in the accountancy sector.

Nigel Payne

Non Executive

Nigel Payne is the former CEO of FTSE “101” Listed Sportingbet Plc, one of the largest Internet gambling businesses in the world. Nigel is presently the Chairman of AIM Listed Gateley plc, Chairman of LSE Premium Listed Braemar Shipping plc, Chairman of Green Man Gaming plc and a non-executive Director of Ascot Racecourse Betting and Gaming Limited and a non-executive director.

Nigel joined Sportingbet in May 2000 as Group Finance Director and was promoted to Group Chief Executive in October 2001. Nigel steered the Company through three fundraisings, its initial listing on AIM, the acquisition of five major businesses across several countries (the USA, Australia, Central America and the UK) and the transformation of Sportingbet from a company with a market capitalisation of £60m in 2001 to £2.8bn in 2006 when he stood down as the CEO.

Nigel’s hobbies include mountain climbing, cycling, Formula 1 Motor Racing, table tennis, eating the very best food and drinking fine wines. A former international table tennis player, in recent years Nigel has successfully completed his fourth successful ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro, as well as a 1,000 mile bike ride from London to Monte Carlo, a 600-mile bike ride from north to south Portugal and a descent and ascent of the Grand Canyon – raising just over £1m for charity in the process.

Nigel says, “I’m extremely excited to play my part in helping such a unique and exciting venture that is OMMG. A real paradigm shift in corporate dynamics and a privilege to be part of.”

Sukhjit Singh Gill

Head of Integration

Although pharmacy was in his blood, Sukhjit began his career as a solicitor at a highly prestigious London firm, practicing within a department consistently rated in the top five globally. Clients included leading public figures and international corporations. Often working on ground-breaking cases Sukhjit was able to enhance the reputation of the firm by setting new legal precedents and consistently delivering excellence for clients.

With an entrepreneurial spirt burning brightly Sukhjit left the legal profession and now works as a healthcare business development consultant.

Amongst other projects Sukhjit has consulted on the design and build of multi-million pound health centres, relocation of large GP surgeries into combined pharmacy/GP purpose-built buildings, and introducing efficiencies within pharmacy practice to increase net profit beyond clients’ expectations.

Charity also plays an important role in Sukhjit’s life and he was proud to be a founding member of Apnee Sehat, a charity which purports to improve the awareness of diabetes in the South Asian community. The organisation is multi-award winning and is supported by The Prince’s Trust. Sukhjit is also an active member of the South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust.

Michael Ghersie

UK Business Development Director

Boasting a thriving accountancy business, and extensive network of contacts in the South West of England, Michael will play a prominent role in engaging new entrants in this region. He will then oversee their integration into the Merios Group as it becomes a leading player in the sector.

Michael O’Mahony

Ireland Business Development Director

Another Xeinadin member, and an accountant of great standing in his industry, Michael played a key role in engaging Alitam member pharmacies. He will cover similar ground with Merios

Kirk Weatherley

UK Business Development Director

As a Xeinadin member, Kirk has direct experience of preparing for entry to an OMM and is passionate about its benefits. His remit includes communicating the operational advantages to entrants, and readying them for membership and then consolidation.

Waseem Yasin

Financial Director

Waseem is a sought-after accountant who brings his forensic accounting ability to bear on both local and national operations. He is a fervent supporter of, and investor in, the OMM model. As a Xeinadin member he has significant experience of the OMM process and, as Financial Director of Merios, Waseem will assist Merios care homes in consolidating their finances as a planned Top 10 is born.

Geoff Claughton

Chairman

Renowned accountant to the legal world, Geoff Claughton of BarTax, has today been named as the Chairman of Merios Group, the future-focused care home provider. He brings with him enormous experience of the Overnight Multiple Merger (OMM) process, having entered his own firm into Xeinadin in 2018, and is a passionate proponent of the model.

His firm BarTax services approximately a 12th of the self-employed barrister market. This substantial market share has been built on a proactive and tailored service, fixed prices, unlimited telephone support, whilst resources have been allocated outside court time to ensure Geoff can best serve those clients trading within the legal industry.

“It’s an honour to be invited to Chair this game-changing company, populated by a collection of truly exceptional talents. Feisal’s vision and commitment to the cause are astonishing, and I too trust him implicitly. We have enjoyed a long working relationship, and I have absolute faith in Feisal’s ability to make Merios a leader in the field of care homes; thereby improving the well-being of our elders and the stature of our society as a whole.”

Feisal Nahaboo

Founder

FEISAL founded Xeinadin Group in 2018. Within 2 years, he consolidated a world record 122 UK and Ireland accountancy firms in an overnight merger. Many acquisitions were made based on specialisms and expertise per office with an intent of mass internal referral, creating maximum profitability for the group.

Similarly to Xeinadin Group, FEISAL founded Alitam Group in November 2019. Within a year, he had built a world-class ‘Pharmacy of the Future’ concept and engaged over 200 UK & Ireland pharmacies to consolidate in his overnight merger model.

The business is set to become a top 5 in the pharmacy industry. He has engaged some industry leaders to be part of his executive team whilst Sir Ken Olisa OBE, the Lord Lieutenant of London and ‘right hand man of the Queen and Royal family’, acts as the group’s Chairman. He creates a mass following in both industries for his vision and the trust he creates when operating with him.

Peter Weedle

Director

Peter Weedle is a highly reputable, credible and respectable community pharmacist known to most in Ireland. His experience, connections and skills will allow Peter to be a major influence in the implementation of Alitam’s 5-year business plan.

Peter is a community pharmacist and adjunct Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at University College Cork (UCC).  He has a wide range of interests in the area of pharmacy but in particular, medicine use by the elderly, drug interactions, legal and ethical matters. He is a former Registrar of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland and was a member of the Council from 2002-2009 and was the first chairman of the Registration Committee.

Peter co-founded the School of Pharmacy at UCC with Dr. Michael Murphy and was the first Head of School.

He has acted as adviser to the Department of Health, the Health Products Regulatory Authority and the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland on many occasions. He is author of two books: Medicines and Pharmacy Law in Ireland and Medicines: A guide for everybody.

Sukhjit Singh Gill

Director

Although pharmacy was in his blood, Sukhjit began his career as a solicitor at a highly prestigious London firm, practicing within a department consistently rated in the top five globally. Clients included leading public figures and international corporations. Often working on ground-breaking cases Sukhjit was able to enhance the reputation of the firm by setting new legal precedents and consistently delivering excellence for clients.

With an entrepreneurial spirt burning brightly Sukhjit left the legal profession and now works as a healthcare business development consultant.

Amongst other projects Sukhjit has consulted on the design and build of multi-million pound health centres, relocation of large GP surgeries into combined pharmacy/GP purpose-built buildings, and introducing efficiencies within pharmacy practice to increase net profit beyond clients’ expectations.

Charity also plays an important role in Sukhjit’s life and he was proud to be a founding member of Apnee Sehat, a charity which purports to improve the awareness of diabetes in the South Asian community. The organisation is multi-award winning and is supported by The Prince’s Trust. Sukhjit is also an active member of the South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust.

David McNally

Director

David is a diligent, energetic and highly reputable community pharmacist. He is known for his forward thinking approach, including his presentations on pharmacies using drone technology for medicine deliveries which has now been tested successfully in Ireland. David is very excited to be part of the team in creating the ‘Pharmacy of the Future’.

David opened his first pharmacy at 26 years old and with organic growth has now expanded to a group of 5 pharmacies in the North East of Ireland.

David is hugely involved in supporting community pharmacy through sponsorship as well as being involved in many local community support groups which was recognised last year when David was a finalist in the ‘Community Pharmacist of the Year’ award.

In 2010 David was a co-founding shareholder of Qm Specials which is one of the leading manufacturers of unlicensed medicines in Ireland supplying to retail pharmacies, hospitals and wholesalers with a purpose built state of the art clean room where they manufacture a wide range of products and hold a manufacturer’s authorisation and wholesaler’s authorisation granted by the HPRA.

Arnold Wylie

Interim Financial Director

Described as one of the ‘kindest, most intelligent and likeable characters’ you will ever meet.

Arnold is Alitam’s Financial Director. His role focuses primarily on managing accounting and financial control functions to establish a financial strategy for the profitable long-term growth of the business.

Although born in Glasgow, Arnold moved with his family to Belfast and spent his teenage years through the violent period of the troubles in Northern Ireland. Having gained a Bachelor of Arts degree with honours in Accountancy, he joined Price Waterhouse (now PWC) where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant.

In PW he was privileged to gain valuable experience in Audit, Accounting, Small Business, Taxation and Insolvency with such a prestigious firm. Information Technology was at its very early stages at that time and he was fortunate to be in a position where he was able to teach himself computer programming in which he continues to indulge to this day.

With the expansion of his father’s accountancy practice, he joined the family firm and they practiced in partnership until his father’s retirement. Over the ensuing years, Arnold saw the practice grow to become one of the Province’s most well-respected medium-sized, sole practitioner firms. On commencing with Price Waterhouse, Arnold joined the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland’s Student Society and was elected Treasurer that same year. The following year he was elected as Chairman of the Student Society and the subsequent year, as Immediate Past Chairman, he joined the Education Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Over each of the following 20 years, Arnold served on various committees in the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland, including several terms on the main governing committee.

Mukesh Pandit, FCCA

Director

Mukesh is an external consultant partly responsible for the financial audit process across all pharmacies. Mukesh works closely with a top 6 accountancy firm which will annually be auditing all Alitam pharmacies. He is known amongst his peers for his extreme professionalism, high financial technical skills and the experience he brings to the projects he undertakes.

Mukesh is an Equity Director of Robinson Sterling, a dynamic and forward-thinking firm of Chartered Accountants based in East London. The firm has become part of the record breaking overnight merger of 122 independent professional firms known as the Xeinadin Group. Mukesh is experienced in audit services and has already made a major impact in his work with the Board of Directors.

Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Mukesh moved to the UK in the early 1970s with his family, following the overseas transfer of his father within the newly created International division of Barclays Bank.

Having trained with a six partner firm of Chartered Accountants in central London, Mukesh qualified as an ACCA in 1988 and managed a portfolio of prestigious, high net-worth clients with Littlejohn Frazer, a panel firm of auditors for Lloyds of London.

Mukesh started his own practice in 1990 and handled key family-owned building supplies and transport businesses in East London. In addition to handling his own practice clients, Mukesh also undertook specialist consultancy projects. These included business development reviews and advising other firms in the setup of their professional training and regulatory systems.

In 1994, Mukesh was recruited by Arthur Andersen and posted to Nairobi to manage the merger of a local firm into the Arthur Andersen Worldwide Organisation, dealing with key multinational clients in the East African region. In addition to the integration, Mukesh also managed the audit and reporting requirements of major financial services institutions and other key manufacturing clients in the region.

In 1996, Mukesh was recruited by the Sameer Group, one of East Africa’s largest conglomerates. Its portfolio comprised a wide variety of major brands operating in East Africa, including Firestone Tyres, Eveready Batteries, Isuzu Motor Vehicles and Sasini Tea and Coffee Limited, a plantation company quoted on the Nairobi Stock Exchange.

Mukesh headed the Group finance function at Sasini, and oversaw the Group’s audit and corporate reporting requirements for the Nairobi Stock Exchange. He also set up the Group’s private trading and export division in the port of Mombasa, and managed key relationships with companies including Kraft Heinz, Unilever and Tetley.

Having spent over 11 years in East Africa, Mukesh returned to the UK in 2005. He joined United Biscuits as an independent consultant, leading a specialist team responsible for the business insurance claim following the floods of 2005. Working closely with the forensic accountants from KPMG, and the loss adjusters, Mukesh and his team successfully negotiated a £68m settlement with the insurers, Allianz.

Mukesh returned to professional practice in October 2006 by acquiring a 50% equity share in Robinson Sterling. In his current role as Equity Director, Mukesh handles over 200 clients, including family-owned SMEs and UK based branches of overseas companies.

He has recently been involved in formulating business plans and undertaking pre-lend financial due diligence for major clients requiring business interruption loan finance.

In addition to his business development and strategic planning skills, Mukesh has a strong professional network in the City of London. He has already introduced leading corporate finance professionals to the Alitam Group as the group plans for significant growth and development.

Paul Bushell

Director

Paul has known Feisal for 17 years and is an endearing character, whose calm nature belies his stature within the industry. His approach to accountancy is unique, delivering a highly motivating service to his clients, inspiring them to go above and beyond and generate untapped profit.

He’s an expert in KPI monitoring, and is valued by clients for his deployment of live data in his business analysis. His unconventional approach is a great boost to the OMM team.

Peter Pring

Director

Peter goes the extra mile for his accountancy clients, conducting business in a highly approachable manner and speaking a language his clients understand. Not only has he experience of a 122-firm merger with Xeinadin, he also advises Alitam member pharmacists with regard to their accounts. He is thrilled to be in a position to advise aspiring entrants on the ongoing benefits of the OMM model.

David Houston

Director

David has taken a prominent role in building the Scottish contingent of Xeinadin accountancy firms. He commands great respect and is famously down-to-earth and approachable. He has a great deal of industry knowledge and is uniquely talented at inspiring people, helping drive full collaboration. He will play an important role in marketing the OMM model in Scotland.

Kalpen Patel

Director

A driving force in the Alitam Group, Kalpen has successfully built three pharmacies and a thriving wholesale business. He boasts formidable negotiating skills and brings his sharp focus on competitive advantage to the OMMG strategic board.

Waseem Yasin

Director

Waseem brings his forensic accounting ability to bear on both local and national operations. He is a fervent supporter of, and investor in, the OMM model. As a Xeinadin accountant he has significant experience of the OMM model processes. He also serves as Financial Director on the board of Merios (the Nursing Home OMMG). Waseem is delighted to offer his specialist expertise to the OMMG and looks forward to collaborating with such a talented range of board members.

Raj Patel

Director

A thriving community pharmacist, Raj understands the value of an individual business backed by enormous expertise. He is passionate about the OMM model’s ability to combine individual business strengths with the efficiencies of scale achieved within a group. He’s also passionate about the collaborative, co-operative approach the OMM model provides, with all members united by a common vision.

Patrick Corry

Director

A highly ambitious community pharmacist, Patrick boasts impressive business acumen. He is passionate about the role of technology in liberating businesses to achieve their potential. He also keeps a keen eye on the latest trends and will be a valued member of the OMMG strategic management team.

Mike Ogilvie

Director

Mike is a renowned international speaker on the business circuit, enthusing and educating attendees with his experience and insights. He’s a proactive, forward-thinking accountant, with a reputation for adding value. Mike has worked with Feisal for 17 years, and was an early advocate of the OMM model.

He particularly looks forward to contributing his significant knowledge and expertise regarding the nursing home sector.

Billy Mulhern

Director

Billy has worked together with Jim O’Donovan in preparing prospective Xeinadin members for the 122-firm overnight merger. He has since extended his duties to supporting Alitam members with their accounts, ensuring they are well-placed for integration. He has a keen interest in the nursing home sector, and is celebrated for his proactive and collaborative work practices.

Bob Stebbings

Chairman

Bob has worked with Feisal since 2004, being there at the inception of Xeinadin to help birth the very first company of its kind. He was the first named Director of Xeinadin, and undertook the restructuring of each member company. “I trust Feisal with my eyes closed,’ says Bob. “And the feeling is mutual. We work symbiotically, and I apply my forensic eye for detail to everything we do. I’ve believed in the OMM model since day one. I’m delighted to help roll the model out to its full extent and help achieve real change across many sectors.”

Melinda Atkinson

Director

A force for change within the accountancy world, Mel is celebrated for the future-focus she brings to her work. With regard to her own business, she has always integrated value-added services to ensure the business continually develops. She has a gentle, pragmatic manner, and a prized, positive mindset which will be of enormous value to the OMMG team.

Dominic Barretto

External Advisor

Dominic is founder and CEO of top Financial PR agency Yellow Jersey. He will act as a third-party adviser to the board, bringing monumental experience to the table. He’s transacted in over 100 IPOs, has a deep knowledge of all areas of the media, and boasts an enviable string of city connections.

Jim O’Donovan

Non Executive

Highly influential in Ireland, and a veteran of M&A, Jim joined Feisal in establishing Xeinadin group in Ireland. He is uniquely placed to engage future entrants, being so well connected and highly regarded throughout his native country. Says Jim, “I’ve seen first hand how Xeinadin flourished with its revitalised accountancy members and dynamic ethos. I was honoured to be a part of that, and even more honoured to bring the revolutionary nature of the OMM models to other industries, ripe for development and change.”

Ray McSharry

Head of Corporate Governance

Head of one of the largest indigenous pharmacy groups in Ireland, Ray is a prized addition to the OMMG Executive Board. He was Feisal’s number 1 target when headhunting pharmacy groups in Ireland with proven specialisms and expertise. Ray is widely known for his operational ability, and his strongly branded stores are renowned for superlative levels of service. He’s a futuristic thinker, and an inspiring role model to many inside his industry – and beyond. Says Ray, “I was always a believer in the OMM model, but now I’ve personally witnessed 200 pharmacies merge in record time, I’ve taken that belief to another level. I’m absolutely blown away by the power of this model. It’s time to bring the OMM model to the wider reaches of the professional world. I’m dedicated to making that happen.”

Jim Baker

Senior Independent Director

The trusted consultant of choice in many sectors, Jim founded his own accountancy firm in the 1990’s, which grew to 8 partners and 80 members of staff. He’s a name of repute in the field of M&A and has worked with some of the UK’s leading brands. “The time is now,” says Jim, “with so much opportunity in the post-Covid world.  The OMM model is the way to effect systemic change throughout industries and professions. I’m enthralled by its power and the vision of Feisal. It’s so exciting to be part of this incredibly talented team.”

Sanjay is a renowned build-and-buy pharmacy owner. Already, at 40 years old, he has become a key Director of a group of 47 pharmacies across the UK. Together with his partners he seeks out key sites and formulates a strategy to enhance their profitability, all within a short time frame. Sanjay is a key believer in the Alitam ‘Pharmacy of the Future’ model and works tirelessly with the executive management team to lead Alitam’s 200+ pharmacies to even greater things.

Says Sanjay, “The Alitam executive management team is exceptional. I’m proud of my own pharmacy group of course, but in awe of my fellow board directors’ achievements. The line-up is strong on paper, but the real strength is in the way we work collectively, leaving our egos at the door, and capitalising on each other’s talents. I’m honoured to be part of this innovative movement, and I’m a firm believer in the overnight merger model; a strategic model which has never been seen before.”

At the helm is Sir Kenneth Olisa, whose peerless experience and expertise is an enormous boost to the board. Known as the Queen’s ‘right hand man’, Sir Ken Olisa (OBE) acts as Alitam Group chairman outside his role as London’s Lord Lieutenant, where he manages the Royal Family’s duties. Formerly on Reuter’s FTSE100 executive board, and now a non-exec Huawei board member, Sir Ken Olisa is passionate about the group’s vision and the expanding role of pharmacy following Covid-19.

Sir Ken Olisa says “I have been involved in public markets for a long time and with AIM since its birth in 1995. The exchange’s founding concept was to provide access to capital for early-stage entrepreneurial, companies with the potential to move up to the main market at some point.

My immediate thought when I met Feisal was that his vision for Alitam hit AIM’s bullseye! As you can imagine, I receive a lot of approaches but the Feisal/Alitam combination stands out. The business plan absolutely resonates with the times – trusted professionals providing health and well-being assistance is good news for patients/customers and a company driven by 50+ proven entrepreneurs – rather than hired managers – combining their strengths for common advantage is very good news for investors.

As Alitam Chairman, I am committed to delivering the Pharmacy of the Future. I am proud to work with so many consummate businesspeople united in their determination to unleash the potential contained within the collective fruits of their many years experience. Feisal’s Alitam business model is made for AIM and AIM is made for Alitam.”

Newest appointment, CFO Simon Newton, bolsters the team with his formidable experience of founding and floating a nationwide company, extensive financial services expertise and a collaborative, delivery-focused approach. He also has a strong track record of independence of judgement. Simon will work with Arnold Wylie, non-exec board member and former FD, and a full finance team to implement revolutionary financial systems and processes.

Says Simon, “Having founded and floated a company, it was clear to me that Alitam is poised to become a leading FTSE company. They’ve already achieved so much through the integration of over 200 pharmacy stores, pooling their considerable resources and harnessing the latest technology. And, having so many great minds working towards a single, shared vision is a rare thing and incredibly impressive. The Overnight Multiple Merger Model (OMMM) is fast becoming a proven method of synergising successful businesses and skilled equity directors overnight.

The scale by which we operate is already driving life-changing innovations. I’m proud to be part of Alitam’s endeavour to enhance the role of the pharmacist, make a real difference to local communities and reduce the burden on the NHS.”

The founder and creator of the leading Irish owned online pharmacy, Oonagh O’Hagan is a senior executive on the Board of Directors, responsible for the implementation of group strategy across all Ireland pharmacies within the membership.

Oonagh is also instrumental in forming the group 5-year strategy, group mandate and ensuring all pharmacies are working towards the shared vision of ‘Pharmacy of the Future’.

She is a qualified pharmacist and the owner and Managing Director of the Meagher’s Pharmacy Group, a group of nine physical pharmacies in Dublin together with the mostsuccessful Irish owned pharmacy website.

“Alitam is already breaking new ground. As someone who is passionate about pharmacy and retail, and always on the lookout for the next trend in healthcare and beauty, I’m honoured to be part of this exceptional team, and what we’re creating collectively,” says Oonagh.

Dhruv has achieved more in the last few years than many do in a lifetime. He has previously worked at Slaughter and May, Barclays Capital and currently has business interests in community pharmacy and property investment and development, as well as being a ‘Name’ at the Lloyds of London insurance market. He is a Chartered Building Engineer and a Member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology. He was a Governor of East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) from 2014 to 2017 during a time in which they achieved an Outstanding rating from the CQC. He is currently a Member of the Clothworkers Livery Company and sits on their Property Committee (circa £300m in real estate assets). Dhruv is widely tipped to be a leading political figure in the near future.

“Alitam has an incredibly compelling business proposition. I have been inspired by Feisal’s energy and his extraordinary ability to create a merger quite literally overnight. Alitam offers a phenomenal opportunity to help all our Alitam pharmacies grow and develop. I’ve followed the Alitam movement right from the beginning, and I’m highly impressed with the membership of the board. I’m delighted to be part of this team, alongside such great minds, abilities and records.”

An industry giant, Michael is CEO and main shareholder of Medicare, a pharmacy group consisting of 53 pharmacies in Northern Ireland, making it the largest indigenous pharmacy group in Ireland. He is treasurer of the National Pharmaceutical Association, and has played an influential role within community pharmacy and in all the major pharmacy professional bodies that negotiate the future direction and role for pharmacy in Northern Ireland.

Michael is celebrated among peers for his vast knowledge, experience, expertise and operational ability.

Patrick came to Feisal’s attention as one of the most experienced heads of pharmacy in Ireland, having 10 years
experience in running the Sam McCauley Group. During Patrick’s tenure, the group became the largest pharmacy group in Ireland, with 30 stores and almost 600 staff, and a successful online trading platform. Patrick has demonstrated formidable leadership abilities, not just within the Sam McCauley group, but also within the wider retail industry, as a board member with Retail Excellence Ireland.

His remit is to improve both corporate credibility and corporate governance standards. He plays a vital role in the overall group risk management strategy in both the UK and Ireland territories.

“It’s an incredible opportunity to be involved in taking a large group of very successful pharmacies and making them even better . Alitam presents amazing opportunities which I didn’t think could be realised until now despite my extensive experience in the retail pharmacy business. I’m thrilled to be joining this multi-talented team; we’re all united in believing that this is an opportunity we couldn’t turn down.”

At just 39 years of age, Mitul is one of the youngest members of the executive board. He purchased his first pharmacy in 2012 and has made regular shrewd acquisitions. He is now a stakeholder in over 40 businesses along with his various partners. His specialism includes a build and buy strategy, specifically purchasing distressed pharmacies and then running a 40+ point plan to turn them around within just 3-6 months. Mitul has been heavily guided by his father Harshad who himself has proven to be a successful entrepreneur over the years. Mitul first worked in his father’s pharmacy stores after school and weekends at just 16 years of age.

Mitul was most attracted to Alitam from the potential of collaborative thinking between like-minded entrepreneurs. Mitul is very motivated to learn from others whilst also keen on helping others to grow their pharmacies at an exceptional rate that he himself has realised.

Mitul says, “I see Alitam as a ground-breaking movement. My fellow board members are all high-class, skilled and experienced individuals who have been very successful throughout their lives. If we bring their work ethic, integrity and ambition together, Alitam will be an unstoppable force.”

Arnold’s world class accountancy knowledge and ability have steered Alitam from day one. He was there at the genesis, helping design the financial model which showed the tremendous growth opportunity available within five years. It’s these plans, together with the overall operational strategy, which unite everyone in the belief that Alitam can become a FTSE 100 company.

Based in Northern Ireland, Arnold was the original Financial Director of Alitam and will work together with CFO Simon Newton, acting as a non-exec board member.

“Alitam is fast evolving into the ground-breaking company Feisal and I always knew it would become. And now, with such a jaw-dropping array of talent on board, we are totally convinced that our goals are well within sight. It’s an honour to continue to play my part.”

Prakash has a formidable reputation among pharmacists. He was targeted by the founder of Alitam because of his tireless activity on various industry boards; his 37 years experience of community pharmacy; and his advocacy for support for pharmacies in the face of regulatory change.

Prakash assists Alitam in reducing costs, increasing its economies of scale, and facilitating expansion across the UK.

Unsurprisingly, Prakash and his businesses have won several community pharmacy awards, including ‘Best Pharmacy Chain’ and ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ (Pharmacy Business awards) in successive years.

Says Prakash, “I’ve had a long career and won many pharmacy awards. But I am extremely proud to be embarking on this adventure, as my working life nears an end. Only Alitam offer the futuristic model which guarantees success for years to come. This is the dream for my family business, as I prepare to hand it over to my children to run in years to come.”

Joe is a highly reputable lawyer who has completed many transactions within the pharmacy industry, helping leading pharmacies to both sell, and acquire, businesses.

He steers Alitam Group’s legal affairs. And, with Alitam’s strategy of ongoing yearly acquisition, brings particular expertise to the due diligence process. Ensuring there’s a good fit between the current Alitam group and each new entrant.

Joe was the Irish panel lawyer who helped put together a miracle 122 company ‘overnight’ merger. He is a bedrock of support for the founder, the board and Alitam in general throughout the entire consolidation process. And he is masterfully supporting each of the 200 pharmacies entering the group.

“I see first hand how Feisal’s astonishing energy and vision has brought together a ‘board of all the talents.’ It’s inspiring to play a key role, and help the dream of the ‘Pharmacy of the Future’ become a reality.”

Simon Newton

Chief Financial Officer

coming soon!

Arnold Wylie

Alitam Group Non Executive

Dhruv Patel OBE

Deputy Chairman

Sir Kenneth Olisa OBE

Chairman

Alitam Group is delighted to announce Sir Kenneth Olisa as Chairman. He forms part of the management team building the ‘Pharmacy of the future’ concept.

Ken is Founder and Chairman of Restoration Partners, the boutique technology merchant bank and architects of Inogesis formerly known as The Virtual Technology Cluster model. Ken’s technology career spans over 30 years commencing with IBM from whom he won a scholarship while at Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge. In 1992, after twelve years as a senior executive at Wang Labs in the US and Europe, Ken founded Interregnum, the technology merchant bank. He was elected as a Fellow of the British Computer Society in 2006.

He is currently Chairman of Interswitch (Africa’s largest e-payments company). He is a former Director of Thomson Reuters, a former deputy Chair at the Institute of directors and Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC) where he coined the famous epigram “More Soviet than City” to describe the manner of his departure.

Ken is a Freeman of the City of London, Liveryman and Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists, Patron of Thames Reach (for which he received an OBE in 2010), and Chairman of charity Shaw Trust. He was an original member of the Postal Services Commission (PostComm) and the Independent Parliamentary Standard Authority (IPSA) and is the Founder and Chairman of the Aleto Foundation. He is a past Sunday Times Not for Profit Non-Executive Director of the year and was named Number 1 in the 2016 Powerlist’s roster of the UK’s most influential black people. In 2013 Ken and his wife, Julia, endowed the Olisa Library at his alma mater Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. In 2015, Her Majesty the Queen appointed Ken as Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for Greater London and he was knighted in the 2018 New Year’s Honours List for services to business and philanthropy.

In September 2018 Ken was appointed as the director on the board of Huawei a Chinese multinational networking, telecommunications equipment and Services Company. Sir Kenneth is President of London Youth, a member network of 450+ community youth organisations working across London, supporting tens of thousands of young Londoners each year through their sports, arts, employment and social action programmes and outdoor learning at their residential centres in East Sussex and Buckinghamshire.

Dr Ravi Ganatra

North London Operational Director

Dr Ravi Ganatra BDS (Lond) MFDS RCS (Eng) MJDF Ravi qualified as a Dental Surgeon in 2007 and achieved membership of the Royal College of Surgeons just one year later in 2008.

Ravi became a director of Ravika Ltd in 2014 and now has many years experience of the business side of community pharmacy. He also has significant experience of the operational side of dental practices so has a unique view of the role of Community Pharmacy in the wider healthcare environment which he believes is key to the Pharmacy of the Future concept.

He also has many years of regulatory experience as a member of the Fitness to Practise Panel at the General Dental Council for over 7 years, a position which gives him an insight into the regulation of healthcare professions. He is proud to have assisted many dental practitioners through regulatory proceedings with his experience of the process.

He is passionate about the Pharmacy of the Future concept that Alitam embodies and is honoured to be a part of the team responsible for seeing the vision come to fruition, for the benefit of patients, customers and pharmacy businesses.

Prashant Patel

Head of UK Operational Board

Prashant Patel graduated from Leicester School of Pharmacy with a BPharm degree in 1979 and is the Founder and Managing Director of Clockwork Pharmacy Group which he has grown from scratch, with its first branch in Victoria Park Hackney in 1985, to 11 branches currently.

He is a results-orientated leader; driven to innovation, diversification and calculated risk and at the same time to manage costs and establish strategic, mutually beneficial partnerships and relationships with users, vendors, and service providers. He is adept at creating strategic alliances to expand market share and profitability, and excels at building and retaining high performance teams by hiring, developing, and motivating skilled professionals.

Under his direction Clockwork Pharmacy Group trail blazed and set up the framework for the following innovative services which are now available in many Pharmacies in the United Kingdom:

• First Pharmacy to create and introduce GP consultations in person or by phone or internet within Pharmacy.
• First ever Pharmacy to ensure that all Pharmacists would be legally eligible to vaccinate and inject.
• First ever Pharmacy to create and provide vaccination services to include all vaccinations.
• First ever Pharmacy to create and provide Yellow Fever Vaccinations and certification
• First ever Pharmacy to offer peace of mind and legal DNA paternity and all other relationship testing.
• First ever independent pharmacy to be registered with the care quality commission.

He has also led the expansion and diversification of Clockwork Group into an award winning real estate developer and investor.
Prashant is very passionate about building the pharmacy of the future and joins a very strong and compelling team in designing the future of Pharmacy.

Sukhjit Singh Gill

Midlands Operational Director

Although pharmacy was in his blood, Sukhjit began his career as a solicitor at a highly prestigious London firm, practicing within a department consistently rated in the top five globally. Clients included leading public figures and international corporations. Often working on ground-breaking cases Sukhjit was able to enhance the reputation of the firm by setting new legal precedents and consistently delivering excellence for clients.

With an entrepreneurial spirt burning brightly Sukhjit left the legal profession and now works as a healthcare business development consultant. Drawing on his in-depth knowledge of how a pharmacy operates; gained from growing up on the shop-floor as the son of an independent pharmacist; combined with his business acumen and legal network has positioned him as a leading advisor in the Midlands.

Amongst other projects Sukhjit has consulted on the design and build of multi-million pound health centres, relocation of large GP surgeries into combined pharmacy/GP purpose-built buildings, and introducing efficiencies within pharmacy practice to increase net profit beyond clients’ expectations.

Charity also plays an important role in Sukhjit’s life and he was proud to be a founding member of Apnee Sehat, a charity which purports to improve the awareness of diabetes in the South Asian community. The organisation is multi-award winning and is supported by The Prince’s Trust. Sukhjit is also an active member of the South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust.

The Alitam project is one that excites Sukhjit greatly and synchronises with his belief that through modernisation and consolidation of independent pharmacies will emerge the ‘pharmacy of the future’.

Michael Guerin

Alitam Group Non Executive

Michael is a leader in the industry. He attends Alitam Board meetings as a key advisor and influence on ongoing policy and strategy. Michael is passionate in supporting the build of a revolutionary ‘pharmacy of the future concept’. He is known amongst his peers for his vast knowledge, experience, expertise and operational ability.

He is currently the CEO and main shareholder of Medicare, a pharmacy group consisting of 53 pharmacies in Northern Ireland.

He obtained a BSc (Hons) Pharmacy Degree from Brighton School of Pharmacy in 1986 and then registered with the Pharmaceutical Society of N.Ireland in 1987. He acquired his first pharmacy in Shatesbury Square Belfast in 1988, and is the founder of the MediCare Pharmacy Group with over 32 years of experience in the Pharmaceutical Industry, growing the group to 53 pharmacies.

He has a leading and influential role within community pharmacy and in all the major pharmacy professional bodies that negotiate the future direction and role for pharmacy in N.Ireland. He is also a member and past Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Contractors Committee in N. Ireland (now CPNI) and also past Chairman of the EHSSB Area Pharmaceutical Committee, as well as being a past member of the Professional Advisory Panel to GlaxoSmithKline PLC and member of Pharmaceutical Standards working group. Michael is also a Director on the Board of the National Pharmaceutical Association (NPA).

In his spare time, Michael also sits on the board of Governors of a local primary school and is a Trustee of a Belfast-based charity dealing with Drug and Alcohol problems.

Oonagh O’Hagan

Head of Ireland

Patrick McCormack

Senior Independent Director

Joe McVeigh

Head of Legal

Prakash Patel

Head of UK Pharmacy

Mukesh Pandit, FCCA

Group Director

Bolaji Oladuji

London Operational Director

Bolaji is an Alitam Operational Director and part of a large team responsible in areas such as process evaluation and process improvement.

Bolaji has over 25 years of experience, having overseen the development of 7 community pharmacies across south London. She has been responsible for both the planning and the execution of the strategic direction of Millennium Pharmacy. She has also taken lead of the Post Office and Human Resources divisions of the company in addition to having been a prescribing pharmacist. She is currently the PCN lead pharmacist for the Fiveways Primary Care Network.

Bolaji also has previous managerial experience at Boots and holds a BPharm (Hons).

Abdool Kureeman

Southern Counties Operational Director

Abdool was the first appointed Alitam Operational Director and part of a large team responsible for the Group in meeting its strategic targets across the UK region. The team is responsible in evaluating how Alitam can constantly improve its working practices across all its pharmacies.

Abdool qualified as a pharmacist in 1985. He was branch manager for a small multiple before purchasing his first pharmacy in Ewell. He later took over Buckley Pharmacy in Ashtead where he now has 2 branches. He has won awards such as C&D Platinum design Award and Alphega Community Pharmacist Award.

Abdool is a pre-registration tutor. He served on Surrey LPC for 10 years, including Vice Chairman. He firmly believes that community pharmacies can gain a bigger share of the over-counter trade by identifying new innovative health care products and services to better meet current customer needs.

Dinesh Ganatra

East Operational Director

Dinesh is an Alitam Operational Director and part of a large team responsible for the Group in meeting its strategic targets across the UK region. The team is responsible in evaluating how Alitam can constantly improve its working practices across all its pharmacies.

Having run multiple pharmacy groups of his own with turnover in excess of £25m, Dinesh has over 40 years experience of community pharmacy & multisite operations. His expertise includes cost control, people management, training  & business development, as well as successfully spearheading multiple acquisitions with a buy and build policy.

He holds a keen interest in global financial matters and ancient history, having been established as a financial  markets trader for over 30 years.

Mark Walker

North West Operational Directors

Nick Thorne

Wales Operational Director

Nick is an Alitam Operational Director and part of a large team responsible for the Group in meeting its strategic targets across the UK region. Nick focuses more specifically on our operation in Wales and Evaluates how we can constantly improve our working practices amongst the local pharmacies in that region.

Nick began his career in community pharmacy in 1996, working as a frontline pharmacist in both independent and chain outlets for 11 years. Nick has since built his own small chain of pharmacies in South Wales. Nick’s broad range of experience at the coalface and as a Director and superintendent at Thornes Pharmacy Ltd enables him to offer a wealth of knowledge at both a strategic and practical level.

Peter Weedle

Ireland Operational Director

James O’Callaghan

Ireland Operational Director

David McNally

Ireland Operational Director

Patrick Durkin

Ireland Operational Director

Patrick is an Alitam Operational Director for the Ireland region and is responsible for the Group in meeting its strategic targets. The team is responsible in evaluating how Alitam can constantly improve its working practices across all its pharmacies, including the use of latest technology and new product and service lines.

For over 40 years, Patrick has been active in developing the Community Pharmacy as a byword for excellence in healthcare and customer service. As GM of McSweeny group Patrick co-developed Ireland’s first pan-European community pharmacy group, successfully integrating over 40 pre-established Irish pharmacies into a corporate structure. An adamant supporter of the advantages and importance of the independent community pharmacy, Patrick specialised in restructuring businesses to maximise operational efficiency and internal organisation to ensure utmost customer satisfaction and bottom line performance. The success of this model represented the benefits of combining the commercial capability of corporate pharmacy with the personalistion of service and customer loyalty of the independent community pharmacy.

Patrick continues to push the parameters and possibilities of community pharmacy and since 2014 has been independently developing the para-pharmacy model in Ireland.

In the face of the rise of online shopping and direct-to-customer sales, Patrick strives to reduce dependence on mass-market product by product specialisation and individualised customer-focused service.

Mark Ledwidge

Operational Director

Mark is one of the founding pharmacists in the Alitam Group based in Ireland and is committed to developing pharmacy of the future with his Alitam colleagues.

He holds a PhD in pharmaceutics and has extensive experience in the healthcare industry having worked with Servier Laboratories and as Co-founder/Director of Solvotrin Therapeutics, Lifelab Therapeutics and the Heartbeat Trust. He is a former member of the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society in Ireland and previously served on the Expert Advisory Group of the Human Medicines division of the Health Protection Regulatory Authority.

Mark holds honorary positions as Research Professor in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity College, Dublin and UCD Professor in the School of Medicine in University College, Dublin. He is Co-Principal Investigator of the Genuity Science Heart Failure programme, the largest whole genome sequencing project in heart failure to date. He is also Co-Principal Investigator of the St Vincent’s Screening TO Prevent Heart Failure (STOP-HF) programme. STOP-HF won a Royal College of General Practitioners Award in 2015 and is part of the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Guidelines on heart failure since 2017.