Naji Gehchan, Pharma Leader, eHealth Co-Founder, Podcast Host
Naji Gehchan, MD is Global Development Leader Oncology at Eli Lilly leading the development of an oncology asset from early to late phase. Prior to this role, he led Northeast USA sales teams in diabetes bringing life-changing medicines to Healthcare Providers helping patients with diabetes.
Podcast
Overview
With the pandemic going on for more than two years now, we realize the importance of correct health information. We have also come to respect the work of the healthcare workers more.
They came together in the hour of need to give it their all to save people from the deadly virus.
This takes us to the multiple times in our lives when the healthcare professionals step forward to save human lives. The point of immense respect is the role they play during times of crisis, tensions, conflicts, and wars.
They go through multiple thoughts and are often placed in life and death situations. In trying times like these, they decide to step forward to help us.
Today, we have Naji Gehchan, a seasoned healthcare professional who takes us through some of his life situations as he served his time in Lebanon during the war.
About Naji Gehchan
Naji Gehchan is a global development leader. He is the co-founder of eHealth startup, “Sohati” in the Middle East North Africa region. He also hosts a podcast, titled “spreadloveio.com”.
This pharma leader has grown to become a compassionate leader on a mission to improve human lives. His inspiration comes from his experiences as a kid in war country and, later, as a member of the Red Cross during the Lebanon war.
DISCUSSION
Naji talks about his work in navigating the pandemic. He recalls his experiences from the time he served in the Red Cross during the Lebanon war. He feels his reflections boil down to two points:
- Knowing the “why”: sense of purpose.
- Doing what you know to do better.
He says, “In a moment of tension, there is so much noise and uncertainty that having a clear purpose, knowing why you are doing, what you are doing.”
To deliver his current role in the corporate world today, he recalls certain events that inspire him. He narrates an incident where he and his team had to go to a bombing site and had to decide to step forward to help people within fractions of seconds. He calls that moment to be critical for the leadership and trust of his team.
Naji relates it to current corporate world scenarios, where, in moments of tension, people resort to blaming games instead of trust in the team.
Qualities of a Leader
In situations of stress, humans are faced with two responses: fight or flight. Naji elaborates on it as he shares how few people couldn’t step forward in the terrorist blast scene, and he had to accept it. He says, “As a leader, it is important to accept the vulnerability.”
He also considers the attributes of accepting change and being resilient as important factors to be a good leader. Naji’s acceptance of change and resilience comes from his childhood experiences, as he witnessed his parents losing everything in war.
He also shares about the urgency of action, especially in the healthcare sector, where each second is critical.
Startup and Podcast
Naji sheds light on his startup in the Middle East. His organization strives to bring better information and medical care for patients in the Middle East. Naji says, “It is frightening to see in 2022 that the biggest pandemic was the pandemic of mistrust and misinformation in the healthcare system.”
He also shares his thoughts on combating the challenges in different countries of the Middle East. Their content is in Arabic so that everyone can read it easily. However, different regulations of telehealth and online pharmaceutical products pose a challenge for them.
Naji also talks about his podcast, “Spread Love In Organisations”. He calls it an attempt to bring incredible leaders who are practitioners to engage in meaningful conversation for a larger, meaningful impact.
Profile
Naji Gehchan, MD is Global Development Leader Oncology at Eli Lilly leading the development of an oncology asset from early to late phase. Prior to this role, he led Northeast USA sales teams in diabetes bringing life-changing medicines to Healthcare Providers helping patients with diabetes.
During his years at medical school, Naji volunteered in the Lebanese Red Cross as a rescuer first responder and team leader in moments of tension and unrest in the country.
Those experiences shaped his career choices and inspired him to dedicate his life to serving patients and leading teams toward the noble purpose of making life better.
After his business school degree at ESCP Europe, he joined the pharmaceutical industry with a constant vision to make an impact in healthcare by improving people’s lives.
