Tour de force Melinda Atkinson rises to the Executive Board

Oonagh O’Hagan

Head of Ireland, Alitam Group

Also imparting her wisdom will be Oonagh O-Hagan, one of Ireland’s most decorated entrepreneurs. Oonagh singlehandedly built her Dublin pharmacy chain, Meaghers, into the thriving 9-store business it is today, creating one of the leading online stores in Ireland. Oonagh is renowned for bringing retail flair and innovation to the pharmacy business, and her many awards reflect this achievement. Meaghers has been named Deloitte Best Managed Irish Company for the past five years, and awarded Gold Status in the past two years. Meaghers have also been named as a ‘Great Place to Work’ in Ireland in 2020, and also won the coveted ‘Customer experience in the Healthcare sector’ accolade at the Cx awards earlier this year. Oonagh herself has picked up many business awards and was named as Image Magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 2016. She currently serves as Executive Director on the Alitam board, where she is helping to drive ‘the pharmacy of the future’.

Mike Ogilvie

Regional Hub Director of Xeinadin

Mike Ogilvie, a renowned international speaker and doyen of the accountancy world. Mike is Regional Hub Director of Xeinadin, the world’s first overnight merger of 122 accountancy firms, and sits on the board of the OMMG (Overnight Multiple Merger Group) which is spearheading further such mergers.

Nigel Payne

Former CEO of Sportingbet PLC

Nigel Payne who, from 2000 to 2006, was the CEO of AIM Listed Sportingbet PLC, one of the largest internet gambling businesses in the world. He led the business at its peak to a market value of £2bn. Nigel was a finalist at the Sunday Times Non-Executive Director of the Year Awards in April 2016 and was an adviser to President Clinton’s Foundation (2006 to 2008). Nigel is currently non-executive director of Sportingbet, where he focuses on regulatory and legal issues.

Sir Kenneth Olisa OBE

Lord Lieutenant of London

Sir Kenneth Olisa OBE, Lord Lieutenant of London, (the Queen’s representative in the capital), and a shining light of business brilliance and philanthropy in the UK for which he was knighted in 2018. As Director of Reuters, he was the first British-born black man to serve as a Director of a FTSE100 company and in 2016 he was named Number 1 in the Powerlist’s roster of the UK’s most influential black people. Ken’s portfolio currently includes Chairman of Nigeria’s largest Fintech – Interswitch; Chairman of welfare-to-work charity, Shaw Trust; Founder and Chairman of social mobility charity, Aleto Foundation; a non-exec board member of Huawei (UK) and Chairman of Pharmacy roll-up, Alitam.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Peter is delighted to play an influential role in the OMMG’s movement to revitalise the business landscape and that of associated industries.

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.”

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.”

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.

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.

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.

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.”

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.”

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Tour de force Melinda Atkinson rises to the Executive Board

The OMMG (Overnight Multiple Merger Group) today announced the promotion of Mel Atkinson, Director of the Lucentum Group and current Strategic Board director, to the Executive Board.

QUICK LINKS

LATEST EVENTS

Oonagh O’Hagan

Head of Ireland, Alitam Group

Mike Ogilvie

Regional Hub Director of Xeinadin

Nigel Payne

Former CEO of Sportingbet PLC

Sir Kenneth Olisa OBE

Lord Lieutenant of London

Nigel Payne

Non Executive

Paul Bushell

Director

David McNally

Director

Peter Pring

Director

David Houston

Director

Kalpen Patel

Director

Waseem Yasin

Director

Raj Patel

Director

Patrick Corry

Director

Sukhjit Singh Gill

Director

Mike Ogilvie

Director

Mukesh Pandit, FCCA

Director

Billy Mulhern

Director

Melinda Atkinson

Director

Peter Weedle

Director

Dominic Barretto

External Advisor

Jim O’Donovan

Non Executive

Ray McSharry

Head of Corporate Governance

Jim Baker

Senior Independent Director

Bob Stebbings

Chairman

Arnold Wylie

Interim Financial Director

Feisal Nahaboo

Founder

Sukhjit Singh Gill

Head of Integration

Michael Ghersie

UK Business Development Director

Michael O’Mahony

Ireland Business Development Director

Kirk Weatherley

UK Business Development Director

Waseem Yasin

Financial Director

Geoff Claughton

Chairman

Arnold Wylie

Co-Founder & Non-Executive

Mukesh Pandit

Group Director

Prakash Patel

Head of UK Pharmacy

Joe McVeigh

Head of Legal

Mitul Patel

Group Director

Michael Guerin

Alitam Group Board Consultant