Alum of the Month for May is Edward. After graduating from LSE he went travelling, fell in love with healthcare and social impact, worked in consulting and then briefly the NHS, before moving to Singapore to found a social enterprise!
What’s your current job?
I am currently the Founder and CEO of Allied World Healthcare.
Tell us about the work that Allied World Healthcare does and the impact it’s having.
Allied World Healthcare connects underserved communities in the Philippines and Cambodia to essential healthcare support and services. We use a range of offline-first Android apps to enable members of the community to become 'navigators' of local services and support; connecting people to primary care in areas where traditional health infrastructure doesn’t reach.
Firstly we collect data to understand the needs of the communities, and then based on our insight we run events and outreach programmes, including door-to-door screening, rural clinics and digital campaigns. We then integrate discounted private sector products, creating an affordable marketplace of products and services for the world’s poorest communities, filling the gaps that exist in current public sector health delivery (and giving us a sustainable revenue stream). We also have apps for health worker education and strengthening local systems, as well as an app for last-mile product delivery.
What inspired you to found Allied World Healthcare?
I really wanted to do something that was going to challenge me and make me feel like I was having an impact in society. I believe in creating a fairer world and find myself becoming increasingly more liberal in my world views. The idea that traditional healthcare service delivery models will not work for 50% of the people on our planet is something that particularly struck and motivated me to move to Singapore and found Allied World Healthcare in 2016.
When I worked in consulting in the UK, I saw a healthcare sustainability trap where health systems were becoming inpatient focused, bureaucratic and focusing on ‘sick care’ rather than prevention. All developed health systems seem to suffer from this now. My job was to retrofit a low-cost, digital, community-based model of care to avoid spiralling healthcare costs.
However, this reactive cycle is not sustainable in the long term and seems to set a trap for developing health systems, as they can’t afford the billions needed to rebuild such systems in 50 years’ time. Allied World Healthcare’s entire model is about building low-cost, community-owned, digital/data driven, public-private partnership models of care now, as the health system develops.
Where have you worked previously?
I worked for Capgemini in their healthcare consulting practice and within the UK National Health Service (NHS). Before this I also undertook various internships in the pharmaceutical, finance and education sectors.
What was the main thing you learned from studying at LSE’s Department of Management?
A well-rounded set of skills in everything from psychology, to law, to accounting. I learnt how to get work done and create strong, structured essays, how to meet deadlines, and work with a mega-hangover and still get the job done!
What one piece of advice would you give to a current student or recent graduate?
I’m sure everyone says this, but make the most of LSE when you are there. Attend public lectures and learn as much as you can from the people and opportunities around you. Party like hell and rush essays last minute (this is what you have to do in the workplace, so it’s a good life skill!), and build a great network. When I look back on my time at LSE, I realise just how much of an awesome experience it was – but I certainly wish I had capitalised more on the opportunities available!