ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Today we are joined by Dr. Yacine Hadjiat, Head of Innovations at Dubai Health. His career has crossed clinical practice, medical research, and senior leadership in the pharmaceutical and digital-health sectors. He earned medical degrees through Paris Medical University and McGill University, specializing in pain management and supportive care, and holds an MBA in Health Management. Along the way, he worked in roles spanning medical affairs and leadership across Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America, including positions at Sanofi, Grünenthal, and Mundipharma, before leading digital-health work at Biogen.
His career to date raises questions at the heart of this podcast: What prompts someone to move between medicine, industry, and innovation? Which choices open new possibilities, and what do the difficult turns teach us?
Let’s dive in.
Key moments in the podcast:
00:00 – Teaser clip: Dr. Yacine on forgetting business school tuition fees and securing pharma sponsorship
00:54 – Podcast intro by hosts Stephen Berkeley and Anne Boland
01:14 – Guest introduction: Dr. Yacine Hadjiat’s background in medicine, neuroscience, and innovation
02:01 – Welcome & Dr. Yacine opens with his current role in Dubai and career summary
03:02 – Yacine’s multicultural upbringing in Algeria and France
04:12 – Curiosity as a lifelong driver for making “irrational, good decisions”
05:15 – How Fatherhood Reshapes Decision-Making
07:44 – The Energy and Boldness of the Middle East
11:24 – Early studies and career choices
11:58 – Training as an MD specializing in pain management and neuroscience
12:50 – Realizing at age 25 that a predictable 40-year clinic routine wasn’t enough
14:02 – The Fork in Clinical Medicine: Heading to Business School
15:35 – Opening the door to a 15-year career across global life sciences while keeping academic ties
17:42 – Childhood roots of curiosity and Respectful rebellion
22:42 – The Leap to Asia: “We Haven’t Unpacked Yet!”
27:14 – A Lesson in “Sincere Arrogance”
31:47 – The Rise of HealthTech & Making the Dubai Decision
36:44 – Separating Signal from Noise in Healthcare Innovation
39:46 - Building Teams from Zero: Vision vs. Execution
45:00 – Reflecting on cause vs. consequence and trusting the path
46:17 Golden Nuggets: Three Takeaways for Navigating Forks in the Road
49:38 –Episode Wrap-Up & Outro
Here is what stays with us from this conversation:
The World Is an Open Playground When Driven by Curiosity
* Embracing Unconventional Choices: Allowing an innate sense of wonder to guide career moves and life decisions beyond traditional, linear pathways.
* Reframing Irrationality as Opportunity: Recognizing that non-traditional choices can lead to richer growth than safe, purely logical trajectories.
* Living Without Boundaries: Viewing new environments, cultures, and global shifts as invitations to learn rather than obstacles.
True Growth Begins Where Arrogance Ends and Humility Takes Over
* Overcoming ‘Sincere Arrogance’: Unlearning the assumption that centralized expertise applies universally, opening space for true collaboration.
* The Power of Listening First: Entering new global markets and cultural settings with active listening rather than immediate instruction.
* Building Genuine Cultural Agility: Adapting to local nuances and respecting diverse methods of problem-solving across borders.
Clarity Emerges by Separating Signal from Noise amid Rapid Transformation
* Cutting Through Market Hype: Staying grounded in evidence, core values, and tangible outcomes amidst rapid industry and technological shifts.
* Thriving in High-Energy Ecosystems: Seeking out forward-thinking environments that celebrate bold execution and welcome a “why not?” attitude.
* Mastering Complex Transformations: Navigating intricate organizational shifts from zero to one by focusing on meaningful, long-term impact.
Courage Means Following Intuition and Moving Forward with No Regrets
* Trusting the Inner Compass: Relying on deep-seated intuition as a true North Star when facing complex decision points.
* Building Complementary Teams: Surrounding oneself with diverse, brilliant collaborators rather than relying on familiar safety nets.
* Evolving Through Shared Growth: Balancing personal ambition with family alignment, recognizing that personal growth evolves alongside loved ones.
Connect with Yacine Hadjiat
This is an original podcast by Flyntrok. We help organisations, communities and individuals change and adapt to a new world. You will find Flyntrok on LinkedIn, Instagram and X.
Listen to this podcast on Substack, Spotify or Apple. We would love it if you would leave us a comment, screenshot the episode and tag us on social, and share this episode with your community so that they can better navigate their forks in the road.
Hosted by Stephen Berkeley and Anne Boland
Produced by Rajeev Nedumaran of Studior.
Music by Damian Smith of Bespoke Music.
Art work by Ben Tibbin of Mozmo Creative and
Social Media Creations by Alana Rauert of Muse Communications.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this episode were those of the hosts and the guest, not of any entity they work for or with.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit flyntrok.substack.com
