Khaqan Sikander

CEO of HealthX Pakistan

Compiled from 1 recorded interview. Every statement below is drawn from the passage cited beside it.

Khaqan Sikander is the CEO of Healthx Pakistan and the author of the book That Which Flows. His career has included a United Nations volunteer post in Lebanon, about four years at the Aman Foundation and a first CEO role at a corporate insurance business.

Early life and background

Khaqan Sikander has said he was born in 1985. He attended a convent school taught by nuns and sisters. He has said his father could pay for about one year of university fees, and that he did not come from a family of PhDs or academics. He has said he left Pakistan around 2003 or 2004. [1]

Education

Sikander was a computer engineering major for about two months. He has said he knew computer engineering was not for him. He has said he did not declare a major for two years and sat in a range of classes. [1]

Sikander studied Arabic, then French, then Spanish over four years at university. He has said he made a degree out of his language courses and added a double major in economics. He studied at a large US university which, by his account, has about 200 majors. He got a job in a library, and has said he developed a habit and a love of reading. [1]

Sikander took a master's degree in Paris. The master's covered diplomacy and strategic negotiations. It was fully funded and drew students from 60 to 70 countries. His French improved a lot during the programme. [1]

United Nations and international work

Sikander has said he started writing letters to people in the UN around the world. In 2006 he took a UN volunteer post in Lebanon, with a United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees in Beirut. When the war started, he was in a Palestinian refugee camp where he was working. He has said he got out of the war zone in a UN convoy, a journey he estimates took 10 to 12 days. [1]

Sikander has said he wanted to see what communism was. In 2007 he went to Latin America with UNESCO and spent a summer in Costa Rica. He was also in Dakar, Senegal, with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. He has said he knew by 2008 that he did not want to live in America. [1]

Return to Pakistan

Sikander returned to Pakistan in 2009 and has said he moved back to Lahore. He supported his father's rice trading business after returning. He spent two to three years setting up a distribution transformer manufacturing unit in Lahore. He has said he and his colleagues built the company from the ground up, built the unit, sold it and moved on. [1]

Aman Foundation

Sikander joined the Aman Foundation around 2015 or 2016, which led him into healthcare. He spent about four years there. He was a senior public spokesperson for the foundation and handled its communications and operations. [1]

The Aman Foundation ran a private ambulance network, which Sikander described as the only real ambulance network. It also ran a vocational training institute in Korangi, Karachi. [1]

Corporate insurance and first CEO role

Sikander was asked to join an organisation as its CEO. The business offered life and health insurance for the corporate sector and had a social element. He spent about two years at that firm, his first CEO role. [1]

HealthX Pakistan

Sikander is the CEO of Healthx Pakistan. HealthX is part of an international group headquartered in Dubai. He has said HealthX operates in over 10 countries and has about 23 million customers across 7,000 corporates. He has also said it has operated for at least 15 years in its current form. [1]

Sikander has said HealthX uses a subscription model in which members pay a monthly fee. Members get unlimited access to full-time GPs, psychologists, nutritionists and nurses. He has said HealthX is paid from cost savings, so it is not paid if it saves no money. He has said it runs data analytics on past health claims data to find disease burden, and that it is available 24/7 through an app or a helpline. [1]

HealthX can cover consultation, medicine, labs, specialist referrals and hospitalization for members. Sikander has said it has an integrated network of more than 300 facilities across Pakistan. It has three verticals of care: physical, mental and nutritional health. HealthX Pakistan also sells packages to individual consumers through its app and social media. Sikander has said HealthX is biggest in Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt and the UAE. [1]

Sikander has said HealthX runs on a profit and loss model, with incentives aligned to the customer. He has said a human care coordinator is always the first point of contact. He has said his objective is to prove that a human-driven healthcare model, correctly aligned with customers, can work. [1]

That Which Flows

Sikander is the author of the book That Which Flows. The hard copy of the book was launched in India, with plans for the UK, US and Pakistan. He has said writing the book took him 16 years. He has said he aspired to be a writer, not only a CEO, and that his words will outlast him. [1]

Views

Sikander has said people swim in a sea of mediocrity, surrounded by islands of excellence. He has said Pakistan has width of talent but not depth. He describes the top of the corporate world as a lonely spot. [1]

On healthcare, Sikander has said research shows 80% of healthcare costs fall on 20% of people. He has said 70 to 80 percent of problems can be managed at the primary care level. He has said digital health on its own probably is not a successful model. He has said retail took about 25 years to digitise and healthcare is predicted to take about 10. [1]

Sikander has said the right direction matters more than speed. He has said top decisions come from exposure more than experience, and that learning a language opens culture and history to a person. He has said youth is an asset, not a liability, and that he thinks citizens in general will mature over the next 27 years. [1]

Sikander has said technology will democratise opportunity and empower a large part of the population. He has advised people to try to become problem solvers. He has said life is a balance between money and meaning, and that everyone is capable of living multiple lives in one lifetime. [1]

Personal life

Sikander has said he had also gotten married. He has said he is a saltwater fish who needs to belong in the open sea. [1]

Timeline

1985
Born, according to Sikander.[1]
2006
Took a UN volunteer post in Lebanon.[1]
2007
Went to Latin America with UNESCO and spent a summer in Costa Rica.[1]
2009
Returned to Pakistan.[1]
2015 or 2016
Joined the Aman Foundation, which led him into healthcare.[1]

Appearances

DateTitleWhere
2023-03-22 The CEO who got caught in a war before his career started Thought Behind Things

Frequently asked questions

Who is Khaqan Sikander?

Khaqan Sikander is the CEO of Healthx Pakistan and the author of the book That Which Flows. His career has included a United Nations volunteer post in Lebanon and about four years at the Aman Foundation.[1]

What does Khaqan Sikander do?

Khaqan Sikander is the CEO of Healthx Pakistan. HealthX is part of an international group headquartered in Dubai. He is also the author of the book That Which Flows.[1]

Where did Khaqan Sikander study?

Khaqan Sikander studied at a large US university which, by his account, has about 200 majors. He has said he made a degree out of his language courses and added a double major in economics. He also took a master's degree in Paris covering diplomacy and strategic negotiations.[1]

What is HealthX Pakistan?

HealthX Pakistan is a healthcare business led by CEO Khaqan Sikander. Sikander has said HealthX uses a subscription model in which members pay a monthly fee and get unlimited access to full-time GPs, psychologists, nutritionists and nurses. It has three verticals of care: physical, mental and nutritional health.[1]

What book did Khaqan Sikander write?

Khaqan Sikander is the author of the book That Which Flows. He has said writing the book took him 16 years. The hard copy was launched in India, with plans for the UK, US and Pakistan.[1]

What did Khaqan Sikander do at the Aman Foundation?

Khaqan Sikander joined the Aman Foundation around 2015 or 2016, which led him into healthcare. He spent about four years there as a senior public spokesperson and handled its communications and operations.[1]

What has Khaqan Sikander said about digital health?

Khaqan Sikander has said digital health on its own probably is not a successful model. He has said retail took about 25 years to digitise and healthcare is predicted to take about 10.[1]

References

  1. The CEO who got caught in a war before his career started . Thought Behind Things , 2023-03-22.
Show the source passages (80 statements)
  1. Khaqan Sikander has said he was born in 1985. I was born 85, so this is you know late 80s.
  2. Khaqan Sikander attended a convent school taught by nuns and sisters. I went to a convent school and it was taught by nuns and sisters at that time.
  3. Khaqan Sikander has said he left Pakistan around 2003 or 2004. I left Pakistan around 2003-4.
  4. Khaqan Sikander has said his father could pay for about one year of university fees. I think my father had like one year's university fee.
  5. Khaqan Sikander has said he did not come from a family of PhDs or academics. I did not come from a family which was you know ke PhDs or you know is tarah ki family se nahi tha
  6. Khaqan Sikander was a computer engineering major for about two months. I was a computer engineering major um um for the not so long duration of two months.
  7. Khaqan Sikander has said he knew computer engineering was not for him. I knew that this wasn't for me.
  8. Khaqan Sikander has said he did not declare a major for two years and sat in a range of classes. maine do saal basically koi major declare nahi kiya. I used to sit in any and whatever class that I you know
  9. Khaqan Sikander studied Arabic, then French, then Spanish over four years at university. in the four years that I was there I ended up studying Arabic, then French, then Spanish.
  10. Khaqan Sikander has said he made a degree out of his language courses and added a double major in economics. I made a degree out of those languages and then I did a you know double major in in economics.
  11. He studied at a large US university which, by his account, has about 200 majors. one of the largest universities in the US, it wore 200 majors.
  12. Khaqan Sikander got a job in a library. But I got lucky I got a job in the library, remember?
  13. Khaqan Sikander has said he developed a habit and a love of reading. And because of this exposure I developed a you know a habit for reading, a love for reading.
  14. Khaqan Sikander has said he started writing letters to people in the UN around the world. So I started writing letters to people all over the world um in the UN, right?
  15. In 2006, Khaqan Sikander took a UN volunteer post in Lebanon. UN volunteer opportunity which was this time um in Lebanon, Beirut. Is ab main 2006 ki baat kar raha hoon.
  16. The post was with a United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees in Beirut. United Nations Refugee Works Agency for the Palestinians in Beirut.
  17. When the war started, Khaqan Sikander was in a Palestinian refugee camp where he was working. So basically when the war started I was in that refugee camp with that guy with the Palestinians because I was working with them.
  18. Khaqan Sikander has said he got out of the war zone in a UN convoy, a journey he estimates took 10 to 12 days. phir main UN ki convoy ke zariye takreeban mujhe lagta hai main agar yaad karoon uh toh takreeban 10-12 din lage honge
  19. Khaqan Sikander has said he wanted to see what communism was. I wanted to see ki communism bala kya hai aakhir.
  20. In 2007 Khaqan Sikander went to Latin America with UNESCO and spent a summer in Costa Rica. I went to UNESCO in Latin America 2007, spent a summer in Costa Rica, you know, Cuba.
  21. Khaqan Sikander took a master's degree in Paris. aur woh masters ki thi mere, you know, see of France, Paris ke andar.
  22. His Paris master's covered diplomacy and strategic negotiations. The masters was diplomacy and strategic negotiations, which was very interesting.
  23. The Paris master's was fully funded and drew students from 60 to 70 countries. People from 60, 70 countries in Paris and it was a full ride.
  24. His French improved a lot during the Paris master's. my French Right. drastically improved by way of being there.
  25. Khaqan Sikander was in Dakar, Senegal, with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. This is the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. People probably have heard about Dakar. Dakar rally ka humne suna hota hai. So I was in Dakar, Senegal.
  26. He returned to Pakistan in 2009. And that's when after that I went came back to Pakistan. Right, 2009.
  27. Khaqan Sikander has said he moved back to Lahore after returning to Pakistan. So I moved back to Lahore, right?
  28. Khaqan Sikander supported his father's rice trading business after returning to Pakistan. obviously I supported him in in the business. He was into rice trading at that point.
  29. Khaqan Sikander has said he had also gotten married. Um and then I had gotten married as well, right?
  30. Khaqan Sikander spent two to three years setting up a distribution transformer manufacturing unit in Lahore. spent the next two, three years setting up a manufacturing unit, distribution transformers, you know, out there in Lahore, right?
  31. Khaqan Sikander has said he and his colleagues built the company from the ground up, built the unit, sold it and moved on. we essentially built the company from ground up, built the unit, sold it, moved on.
  32. Khaqan Sikander joined the Aman Foundation around 2015 or 2016, which led him into healthcare. And now this is 2015-16. Right. And that's where I really got into what I currently am doing, right? Which is I I'm in the world of healthcare, right? Right. But this was then I joined this organization called the Aman Foundation.
  33. The Aman Foundation ran a private ambulance network, which Khaqan Sikander described as the only real ambulance network. it was running a private ambulance network, the only real ambulance network before even one rescue 1122
  34. The Aman Foundation ran a vocational training institute in Korangi, Karachi. vocational training ka bahut hi state of the art vocational training institute that you know, with the likes of you know, any foreign institute, right? In Karachi, in Korangi, you know.
  35. Khaqan Sikander has said people swim in a sea of mediocrity, surrounded by islands of excellence. we swim in a sea of mediocrity, surrounded by islands of excellence.
  36. Khaqan Sikander has said Pakistan has width of talent but not depth. Main kehta hoon talent toh hai, Pakistan mein width hai, depth nahi hai.
  37. Khaqan Sikander spent about four years at the Aman Foundation. I spent about four, I think four, five years with them.
  38. Khaqan Sikander was a senior public spokesperson for the Aman Foundation and handled its communications and operations. I was at a very senior level and and the public spokesperson, so I was handling their communications, operations
  39. Khaqan Sikander was asked to join an organisation as its CEO. yaar yeh we we want you to come and join us as the CEO.
  40. The business offered life and health insurance for the corporate sector and had a social element. this is now corporate insurance, life health insurance for the corporate sector that had a social element.
  41. Khaqan Sikander spent about two years at that firm, his first CEO role. I spent about two years with them after that. Very good experience in the sense of I this was my first CEO role, right?
  42. Khaqan Sikander describes the top of the corporate world as a lonely spot. it's a very lonely, that's why I say it's a lonely spot.
  43. HealthX is part of an international group headquartered in Dubai. it's part of the TrueDoc International Group, which is Dubai based, headquartered.
  44. Khaqan Sikander has said HealthX operates in over 10 countries. It's in over 10 countries.
  45. Khaqan Sikander has said HealthX has about 23 million customers across 7,000 corporates. customer base of almost ecosystem of about 23 million customers, across 7,000 corporates
  46. Khaqan Sikander has said HealthX has operated for at least 15 years in its current form. been around in the business for about last at least 15 years in its current form
  47. Khaqan Sikander has said HealthX uses a subscription model in which members pay a monthly fee. this is a subscription based model in which what happens is that let's say a customer pays a small subscription fee per month to us.
  48. Members get unlimited access to full-time GPs, psychologists, nutritionists and nurses. They get unlimited access to general practitioners, doctors jo hote hain, uh psychologist, nutritionists, nurses, etc., who are all full-time employed and hired.
  49. Khaqan Sikander has said HealthX is paid from cost savings, so it is not paid if it saves no money. Let's say if I save you X percent, you will pay me Y. If I don't save you X, you don't pay me Y, right?
  50. Khaqan Sikander has said HealthX runs data analytics on past health claims data to find disease burden. we come in, we analyze, run data analytics on past years health claims data
  51. Khaqan Sikander has said research shows 80% of healthcare costs fall on 20% of people. research tell us that 80% of all healthcare costs happen in 20% of the people.
  52. Khaqan Sikander has said 70 to 80 percent of problems can be managed at the primary care level. Ki 70 se 80 fisad jo masail hote hain woh manage ho jaate hain, isi level ke upar.
  53. Khaqan Sikander has said HealthX is available 24/7 through an app or a helpline. Jaise customer ke liye 24/7 hai, aap ek application ke zariye bhi humse baat kar sakte hain aur ek phone number ya simple helpline ke zariye bhi.
  54. HealthX can cover consultation, medicine, labs, specialist referrals and hospitalization for members. So hum log from consultation to medicine to lab to referral specialist to hospitalization, sab capability rakhte hain
  55. Khaqan Sikander has said HealthX has an integrated network of more than 300 facilities across Pakistan. hamara network, integrated network hai pure Pakistan mein, 300 plus facilities ka.
  56. HealthX has three verticals of care: physical, mental and nutritional health. teen verticals, basically physical health, you know, to general physicians, doctors, mental health, you know, mental health counselors, aur nutritional health
  57. Khaqan Sikander has said digital health on its own probably is not a successful model. I think that digital health on its own probably is not a successful model.
  58. Khaqan Sikander has said retail took about 25 years to digitise and healthcare is predicted to take about 10. what took retail and e-commerce 25 years, it's predicted to take healthcare about 10 years to do that, to make that shift.
  59. Khaqan Sikander has said HealthX runs on a profit and loss model, with incentives aligned to the customer. It has to be a PNL play and it has to be our incentive has to be aligned with the customer's incentive.
  60. Khaqan Sikander has said HealthX is biggest in Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt and the UAE. countries we are biggest in you know Nigeria, uh Kenya, Egypt, UAE
  61. HealthX Pakistan also sells packages to individual consumers through its app and social media. consumer line humne kholi hui hai B2C jisme abhi uh koi bhi consumer jaake HealthX Pakistan you know hamare social media handles ke upar ya App Store ke upar application download karke packages le sakta hai.
  62. Khaqan Sikander has said his objective is to prove that a human-driven healthcare model, correctly aligned with customers, can work. my objective is to prove that there is a model in healthcare that is human-driven and is aligned correctly
  63. Khaqan Sikander has said a human care coordinator is always the first point of contact at HealthX. your first interaction whether you are a corporate or a consumer, B2C is with a human being, a care coordinator at the first line
  64. Khaqan Sikander has said the right direction matters more than speed. agar aapki simt theek hai aur raftar kam hai toh aap sahi jagah pahunchenge, theek pahunchenge
  65. Khaqan Sikander has said top decisions come from exposure more than experience. the best decision making at the highest of levels does not happen by the way from experience only. It happens from exposure.
  66. Khaqan Sikander has said learning a language opens culture and history to a person. So their entire culture, history, you know, a world opens up to you. Language is just a medium, right?
  67. Khaqan Sikander has said he is a saltwater fish who needs to belong in the open sea. I recognize through that experience and very early in my life that I'm a saltwater fish and I need to belong in the open sea.
  68. Khaqan Sikander has said he knew by 2008 that he did not want to live in America. mujhe 2008 mein yeh pata tha ki maine America nahi rehna
  69. Khaqan Sikander has said youth is an asset, not a liability. most people confuse youth as a liability. I think it's an asset.
  70. Khaqan Sikander has said he thinks citizens in general will mature over the next 27 years. I think that in 27 years our citizen in general will mature, right?
  71. Khaqan Sikander has said technology will democratise opportunity and empower a large part of the population. there will be democratization of technology which will empower and liberate a large segment of the population.
  72. Khaqan Sikander has advised people to try to become problem solvers. try to become problem solvers.
  73. Khaqan Sikander has said life is a balance between money and meaning. life is is a balance between money and meaning.
  74. Khaqan Sikander has said he aspired to be a writer, not only a CEO. I aspired to, you know, let's say become a writer, not just a CEO, but a writer.
  75. Khaqan Sikander has said his words will outlast him. people perish, words survive. Long after I'm gone, this will survive
  76. Khaqan Sikander has said writing the book took him 16 years. it took me 16 years to write this book.
  77. Khaqan Sikander is the author of the book That Which Flows. Khaqan Sikander is the CEO of Healthx Pakistan & the author of the book “That Which Flows.”
  78. Khaqan Sikander is the CEO of Healthx Pakistan. Khaqan Sikander is the CEO of Healthx Pakistan
  79. The hard copy of the book was launched in India, with plans for the UK, US and Pakistan. The hard copy is is is been launched from India, but it's going to UK, US, and inshallah Pakistan soon as well.
  80. Khaqan Sikander has said everyone is capable of living multiple lives in one lifetime. all of us are capable of living multiple lives in a single lifetime