Board Testimonials - Alitam Group

Prakash Patel

Group Director

Prakash is a highly motivated and professional community pharmacist. He is also known for his exceptional business acumen and entrepreneurship. Not surprisingly, he and his businesses have been winners of several community pharmacy awards, including ‘Best Pharmacy Chain’, and he personally has won the accolades of ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ (Pharmacy Business awards) in successive years.

As a businessman, Prakash is a Founder Director of several pharmacies and also Property Companies which he has built over the past 37 years.

Outside his own businesses, he is highly recognised as being the PSNC representative for London. He is part of a team that acts for this pharmacy body and negotiates with the NHS. He is also vice chairman of the ProPharm Pharmacy Buying Group which involves approx. 96 pharmacies.

Naturally, Prakash has gained and developed many skills during his leadership roles, including and not limited to negotiation, business planning, innovation including robotics, sales, management & values based leadership.

Prakash has remarkably established a “Hub and Spoke” distribution for dispensing of MDU dossette boxes for his group of pharmacies. This has resulted in more efficient use of clinical staff to provide more pharmacy services.

Known as an excellent team player, Prakash has also been the event organiser of the annual ProPharm Charity Function, which has raised funds of over £150K for various charities, including Help a London Child and Wizzkids (mobility scooters for disabled children).

Prakash has a major passion for commercial properties, including specialising in Medical Centres with pharmacies. He has even taken disused pubs and land and converted these to flats, including an ongoing development of 120 flats. This also includes an extensive ground floor medical centre and pharmacy based in Harlow. He had acquired the land, obtained the planning permission and arranged the financing.

He regularly keeps up to date with the latest business and pharmacy protocols and ensures all his patients are treated with the utmost paramount care. Based on this experience, he has the confidence to lead change in all UK-based Alitam pharmacies. Prakash aims to help his pharmacy peers to improve standard operating procedures whilst integrating the latest available technology for pharmacy automation, whilst introducing new products and online services for ‘the Pharmacy of the Future’.

He is also currently the PSNC Rep for North Thames. He is a favourite amongst his peers and not surprisingly, they elected him with a large majority. He has continued to fulfill this role over the past 8 years. He has an outstanding reputation in the UK amongst community pharmacists.

He is also North East London LPC member representing Redbridge and Tower Hamlets for over 27 years and PCN lead for West Essex Harlow PCN.

Prakash possesses more than 37 years of professional experience in community pharmacy and will support Alitam in reducing its costs and increasing its economies of scale, and allow expansion of Alitam to become a successful large group of community pharmacies spread across the UK. He is committed to building the ‘Pharmacy for the Future’.

Sanjay Patel

CEO

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.”

Mukesh Pandit

Group Director

Mukesh has experience and expertise in the area of financial due diligence which is second to none. He also has a deep knowledge of the OMM model, having been involved with Xeinadin – the miracle 122 company merger – from its inception. Founder, Feisal Nahaboo, has worked with Mukesh for over 17 years, and the two have a deep and trusting relationship.

Mukesh is an external consultant, responsible in part for the financial audit process across all pharmacies. He will also play a key role regarding future acquisitions. He is renowned among peers for his extreme professionalism and high level of financial skills.

Says Mukesh, “Alitam has emerged from the vision and drive of its founder, with whom I have been associated for many years.

The Alitam movement is now emerging as a group at the crest of the pharma and healthcare sectors. It brings together community-based pharmacies, with an innovative and technically advanced thinking, emerging as a complete pharmacy and healthcare provider in the community.

With an excellent Board and an experienced management team at its helm, Alitam Group will present the market with a unique opportunity to invest in its continued growth, development and success.”

Arnold Wylie

Co-Founder & Non-Executive

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 Patel

Head of UK Pharmacy

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 McVeigh

Head of Legal

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.”

Mitul Patel

Group Director

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.”

Michael Guerin

Alitam Group Board Consultant

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 McCormack

Senior Independent Director

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.”

Dhruv Patel OBE

Deputy Chairman

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.”

Oonagh O’Hagan

Head of Ireland

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.

Simon Newton

Chief Financial Officer

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.”

Sir Kenneth Olisa OBE

Chairman

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.”

Simon Newton

Chief Financial Officer

coming soon!

Arnold Wylie

Alitam Group Non Executive

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.

Dhruv Patel OBE

Deputy Chairman

Dhruv has been described as one of the ‘youngest credible, reputable and influential’ characters in the UK. He has built a significant reputation for himself in the City of London and Alitam are very proud of his executive appointment. His career is progressing and he is tipped by many to take on a leading political role in the future.

Dhruv holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computing from Imperial College and a PG Certificate in Natural Hazards for Insurers from University College London. 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.

In 2013, he was elected as an Independent (non-party political) Councillor for the City of London (Aldgate ward). From 2013-2015 he was Deputy Chairman of Health and Social Care Scrutiny in which role he also sat on the wider Inner North East London NHS Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee with colleagues from the other relevant London Boroughs.

From 2015-2018 he was Chairman of Community and Children’s Services, which included a leadership role in the local authority areas of housing, education and children’s services, adult social care and leisure centres as well as budget responsibility for the Public Health Budget in the square mile.

He is currently Chairman of The City Bridge Trust (the grant-making arm of the City of London Corporation and London’s largest grant-maker to charities) responsible for giving away at least £20m each year to good causes in London. Since his election he has also been a Member of City of London Property Investment Board (circa £3bn in real estate assets) and served as a Director of the City of London Academies Trust from 2016-2019 and has recently been appointed as a Governor of the City of London school for Girls.

Since 2017 he has been one of the nominees of the City of London Corporation on the City & Hackney Integrated Commission Board with partners at City & Hackney NHS Clinical Commissioning Group along, with the London Borough of Hackney dealing with local integration of Health and Social Care.

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 and won contracts to massively extend their services beyond their traditional geographic boundaries into Luton and Bedfordshire.

He is a Member of the Clothworkers Livery Company and sits on their Property Committee (circa £300m in real estate assets).

An active member of the community, he is Founder & Past Chairman of the City Hindus Network and since March 2017, he has also been the Chairman of Local Governing Body of the Avanti Court Primary School Redbridge. Dhruv was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list 2018 for voluntary service to the British Hindu community and Social Cohesion.

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.

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’.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mukesh Pandit, FCCA

Group 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.

Olivier Picard

Royal Berkshire Operational Director

Olivier Picard has been a community pharmacist for over 20 years. He trained as a pharmacist in France where he obtained a PhD in pharmacy but has spent most of his working life in the UK. Olivier was also one of the first pharmacists to become a non medical independent prescriber in 2007, a post graduate certificate obtained with the University of Reading.

He was an area manager for Moss Pharmacy until 2005 and established his own business in 2006.

Olivier currently sits on the Thames Valley LPC as an independent committee member and has worked with the LPC in PSNC on rural matters for many years. He is also a board member of the National Pharmacy Association. He has developed an interest in travel medicine and has established a very successful travel clinic business in his pharmacies. He was also one of the first pharmacists to participate in Influenza immunisation In 2007/08 and his pharmacies often participate in pilots for new services (NHS and Private). Olivier is always keen to develop and implement new services in community pharmacies to further strengthen the role of pharmacists.

Olivier is media trained and is often heard on local and national radio stations and has made appearances on BBC World News Channel and on BBC television to discuss and promote the valuable work done by community pharmacists every day.

Olivier loves sport, he is an excellent skier and a keen golfer when time allows. He is very excited to be taking part in “The Pharmacy of the Future” concept.

Anil Sharma

East Anglia Operational Director

Anil has joined a very strong Alitam Operational Board and will help deliver group strategy and policy across our UK pharmacies.

Anil qualified in 1997 from John Moores University and has been a practising independent contractor for 20 years. He runs a group of pharmacies with his wife Geeta. Anil has been an LPC member since 2006 and currently sits on two LPCs as well as being the NPA East Anglia Representative. Anil has a particular interest in travel medicine, rural pharmacies, future development of the profession and promoting young pharmacists to become independent contractors. He is a keen Liverpool fan and is very excited to be part of the ‘Pharmacy Of The Future’ concept.

Sunil Lakhani

East London Operational Director

Sunil qualified in 1991 and soon worked for a independent pharmacy after leaving a large multiple group. Whilst at the independent, Sunil increased the prescription numbers from 3,500 to 6,800 per month.

Sunil gained confidence and soon purchased a share of two pharmacies in Barnet. They were run successfully. He then purchased pharmacies in Islington and then Maida Vale by himself. In 2009, he acquired a large pharmacy in East Ham and sold his interest in the two Barnet pharmacies. He also successfully sold his Islington pharmacy.

In 2013, he added two flagship stores in East London to his group, dispensing over 30,000 prescriptions per month within a one mile radius. Sunil has a life outside pharmacy too. He became a Justice of the Peace in 1998, being one of the youngest ever appointed.

He then become a presiding justice and also secretary of the Middlesex branch of the Magistrates Association. He has been on the bench for 22 years. Sunil also became a Trustee of Pharmacist Support, a benevolent charity in 2013.

Sunil is a major contributor to communities across East London and he is now very enthusiastic to be part of a major operational board working together to deliver cost efficiencies, economies of scale and enhanced systems and processes across a large number of UK pharmacies.

Chaitanyakumar. J. Patel (CJ)

South London Operational Director

CJ has been a major force in driving pharmacy development in communities across London and the Southern Counties. He is known for his kindness, generosity and willingness to contribute his support, knowledge, skills and expertise to his peers within the industry. Alitam is delighted that CJ has joined the Alitam Operational Board where he will work with his new peers to help implement board policy, including process improvement across its UK pharmacies.

CJ arrived in the UK as a refugee from Uganda in 1972. He graduated in 1981 with BPharm (Hons) from Liverpool School of Pharmacy, being the second oldest institute for pharmacy degrees after The London School of Pharmacy.

CJ has phenomenal experience in all sectors of community pharmacy

whether with independents, small or large multiples.

In the past CJ was involved in growing 1 small pharmacy group to 11 strong branches with a wholesaling warehouse. In more recent times he helped grow a pharmacy group to as large as 26 strong branches.

He currently owns his own group of pharmacies located around South London and Sussex regions.

In 1994 CJ became a member of the Croydon Local Pharmaceutical Committee (LPC). Today he is the Chairman of this influential committee group.

CJ is also a member of the Pharmacy London Group and was elected onto the West Sussex LPC in 1996. He is currently a member of the Crawley CCG Clinical Representative Group as well as a member of the Crawley Medicines Management Committee.

He is well known amongst his peers for his contribution to community pharmacy over the past 3 decades. His current ambition is to support the Alitam mandate and introduce more effective process and opportunities to all Alitam pharmacies across the UK jurisdictions.

David McNally

Ireland Operational 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.

Mark Walker

North West Operational Directors

Mark is an Alitam Operational Director responsible for improving processes across all our UK pharmacies. He differentiates himself through his passion to coach and mentor others in improving both their businesses and lifestyles. We are delighted to have Mark in our team. He can clearly enhance the mental health and well-being of pharmacists and their teams across the UK whilst turning this into a service for all our pharmacies involved in this revolutionary movement.

Pharmacy has been in Mark’s life since birth! His father bought his first shop back in 1952. Mark now has over 20 years of retail pharmacy experience as an owner, manager and superintendant pharmacist of a small chain of pharmacies in Blackpool, Lancashire.

Starting with only two shops, Mark and his brother Simon have built their pharmacy group with a turnover of approx £4.3m.

In addition, Mark has over 18 years of coaching experience as a sports performance coach and more recently as a certified health and wellbeing coach. This unique combination of skill sets makes Mark an invaluable member of the Alitam Operational board.

Mark is particularly excited by the opportunity to help develop a healthy lifestyle service offer throughout the Alitam group. Something which has become even more relevant given our new world context.

Oonagh O’Hagan

Head of Ireland

As a senior executive on the Board of Directors, Oonagh O’Hagan is 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 one shared vision.

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 and the thriving online store Meagher’s, serving customers all over the world.

Meagher’s has won countless awards within the pharmacy sector, including OTC retailer of the year and most innovative service in pharmacy at the Irish Pharmacy News awards.

Oonagh contributes the success of Meagher’s down to the people who work within the pharmacy group, and her team have picked up Superintendant Pharmacist of the Year on two separate occasions, community and young Pharmacist of the Year as, well as Technican of the Year, all at the Irish Pharmacy Awards.

Business is all about people and that’s why Oonagh is passionate about having a “People First” business strategy and was delighted to be named as one of Ireland’s ‘Great Places to Work’ this year in 2020.

Meagher’s has also been consistently recognised for its business strategy and innovation and has been named as one of Ireland’s Best Managed companies for five consecutive years and was awarded “Gold Standard” status the past two years in the Deloitte Best Managed Companies awards.

Oonagh herself is passionate about pharmacy and retail and is always on the lookout for the next new trend in both healthcare and beauty.

Oonagh is a former board member and Chairman of Retail Excellence Ireland, Ireland’s largest retail representative body.

Keen to help shape and reposition the role of the pharmacist in the Irish Healthcare system, Oonagh has held positions in the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland and also sits on the strategic board in the School of Pharmacy, Trinity College Dublin, as well as on the Finance committee at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

Oonagh is a passionate Entrepeneur and was named as Image Magazine’s Entrepeneur of the year in 2016. Oonagh is keen to promote and champion other female business entrepeneurs and as such is a Lead Entrepeneur on the Going For Growth programme which supports Irish female entrepreneurs grow and scale their businesses both in Ireland and beyond.

Oonagh credits the open and honest culture in Meagher’s, together with the proactive engagement with her customers and within their communities as the two most significant factors in the rapid growth of the Meagher’s business both in stores and online and is to have been recognised as Ireland’s winner for Customer Experience in Healthcare at the CX awards 2019.

James O’Callaghan

Ireland Operational Director

James is an Alitam Operational Director for the Ireland region and is responsible for the Group in meeting its strategic targets. The team is responsible for 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.

James has vast experience in both pharmaceutical and manufacturing.

He is a Superintendent pharmacist in community pharmacy with 20 years experience as a private investor and in investment management.

Peter Weedle

Ireland Operational 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.

Peter is delighted to be an influential part in Alitam’s movement to become the ‘Pharmacy of the Future’

Joe McVeigh

Head of Legal

Joe McVeigh is responsible for the Group’s legal matters, ranging from internal director contracts, to mergers and acquisitions.

Joe obtained a Bachelor of Arts (Economics and Politics) and a Law degree from University College Galway. Throughout his time in university, Joe played professional rugby with Connacht and learned to balance being a full-time rugby professional with a full time university degree.

Joe also represented Ireland Schools and Ireland Universities.

In 2002, Joe decided to leave rugby to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a lawyer and qualified in 2005 with a Top 10 Business Law Firm in Dublin. Having been headhunted by a rival firm and made a corporate partner by the age of 30, Joe spent the lean years of the recession building a corporate practice and advising in the areas of insolvency and restructurings.

In 2012 Joe established a full service corporate law firm – BHSM – with 3 former colleagues, all from top tier firms in Dublin.

Joe is head of and leads the Corporate Department at BHSM, and the firm has grown from the 4 founders to a team of almost 50 employees and pushing to become a leading Tier 2 Law Firm.

His areas of expertise include mergers and acquisitions, restructurings and the regulation of equity funds and investments.

Joe has advised both national and international companies across a wide range of industries with an emphasis on the pharmaceutical, healthcare, information technology and finance sectors.

Joe specialises particularly in the area of healthcare and has been involved in the sale or purchase of over 100 pharmacy transactions, to ongoing advices to GPs and Vets, with a particular focus on Life Science companies and the associated commercial contracts, advices and transactions.

Throughout his career, Joe has been involved with charities, school unions and coaching sports teams in the community and enjoys spending time with his wife and three children whenever possible.

Patrick McCormack

Senior Independent Director

Patrick is one of at least two Alitam Independent Directors who’s aim is to improve both corporate credibility and corporate governance standards. Patrick will play a vital role in the overall group risk management strategy in both the UK and Ireland territories.

Patrick is a registered pharmacist and holds a Diploma in Applied Finance. He completed a ten year term as CEO of the Sam McCauley Pharmacy Group following its sale in late 2017.

During Patrick’s tenure as CEO, the Sam McCauley group grew to be the largest indigenous pharmacy group in Ireland. At the time of the sale the group had 30 stores and almost 600 staff, along with a successful online trading platform.

Patrick’s principal responsibilities during his time as CEO included working closely with the board of the company to formulate and implement the strategic direction of the group during very challenging times in the retail pharmacy business.

Patrick also played a key role in the preparation of the company for sale. He also has significant experience of dealing with corporate finance institutions and top 5 legal firms.

Under Patrick’s tenure the Sam McCauley Group was also recognised as one of Ireland’s best managed companies following independent audit by Deloitte as part of their “Best Managed Programme” in 2009 and was awarded platinum status in 2015.

Patrick has shown a major leadership role, not just within the Sam McCauley group but also within the wider retail industry, through his involvement as a board member with Retail Excellence Ireland.

Patrick’s key skills include a strong financial acumen, he is a great negotiator, a strategic thinker and exhibits a high level of operational capability and excellent communication and team building qualities. Patrick also exhibits strong entrepreneurial characteristics.

Patrick is universally recognised by his peers in the retail industry as being a leader and not a follower, an innovator and not a copier and excellent at interpersonal relations.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

Past & Current Board Testimonials

Sir Kenneth Olisa OBE

Simon Newton

Arnold Wylie

Dhruv Patel OBE

Prakash Patel

Contact Us.

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Prakash Patel

Group Director

Sanjay Patel

CEO

Mukesh Pandit

Group Director

Arnold Wylie

Co-Founder & Non-Executive

Prakash Patel

Head of UK Pharmacy

Joe McVeigh

Head of Legal

Mitul Patel

Group Director

Michael Guerin

Alitam Group Board Consultant

Patrick McCormack

Senior Independent Director

Dhruv Patel OBE

Deputy Chairman

Oonagh O’Hagan

Head of Ireland

Simon Newton

Chief Financial Officer

Sir Kenneth Olisa OBE

Chairman

Simon Newton

Chief Financial Officer

Arnold Wylie

Alitam Group Non Executive

Dhruv Patel OBE

Deputy Chairman

Michael Guerin

Alitam Group Non Executive

Sukhjit Singh Gill

Midlands Operational Director

Prashant Patel

Head of UK Operational Board

Dr Ravi Ganatra

North London Operational Director

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.

Mark Ledwidge

Operational Director

Mukesh Pandit, FCCA

Group Director

Olivier Picard

Royal Berkshire Operational Director

Anil Sharma

East Anglia Operational Director

Sunil Lakhani

East London Operational Director

Chaitanyakumar. J. Patel (CJ)

South London Operational Director

David McNally

Ireland Operational Director

Mark Walker

North West Operational Directors

Oonagh O’Hagan

Head of Ireland

James O’Callaghan

Ireland Operational Director

Peter Weedle

Ireland Operational Director

Joe McVeigh

Head of Legal

Patrick McCormack

Senior Independent Director

Dinesh Ganatra

East Operational Director

Abdool Kureeman