Mourad Kholti, CEO and Founder, Andaman Medical
The freedom of the soul combined with the creativity of the mind could be the deadly weapon necessary to bring about meaningful changes. Freedom enables us to break free from the fetters of traditionalism and creativity drives us to plant the seeds of imagination deep in the soil of possibilities. Mourad Kholti, the CEO and founder of Andaman Medical is the one such entrepreneur who epitomizes the idea of pursuing freedom while gratifying his passion for business.
While in service, in 2011, Mr. Kholti had to relocate to Malaysia to supervise the QA activities of a newly built manufacturing plant. This was the transformational phase of his career. For the first time, he got the opportunity to discover the Asian culture and lifestyle, which filled him with much admiration and appreciation for the land. This put the wind in his sails and gave him the confidence to carve his path and create his own ‘free’ future. Mr Kholti found Malaysia to be an ideal market for importing new medical devices, so the Moroccan born immediately hatched the plan of setting up his organization in that region, which could provide a comprehensive solution to manufacturers of medical devices across the world and Andaman Medical came into shape in 2013.
Overcoming hurdles and running the extra mile
It’s very easy for anyone to set high goals, but it’s very difficult for anyone to crystallize their dream into reality. The road to success is often paved with obstacles and littered with failures. True leaders are never defeatedby hiccups in their business nor are they deterred by any adversity. Mourad Kholti is an entrepreneur par excellence who could never be held back by challenges. With an abiding faith in his mission and with an unyielding attitude, the passionate leader handled every challenge with much deft and perseverance.
Kholti’s long association with a renowned European Certification body as an auditor and his professional network across the continent helped him to arrange the funds necessary for his start-up; conquering the first obstacle Andaman Medical had to face. It becomes imperative for a businessman to engage the right people at the right place. It took a lot of time and patience for the rising entrepreneur to find a partner and colleague who is motivated to think and act like him. A competent and dedicated team of like-minded people, who are inspired to learn and evolve along with their leader, helps to build up the right culture for any organization. Identifying people’s potential was another challenge for Mr. Kholti. In the words of the entrepreneur, “I spent a lot of time interviewing candidates myself as I wanted to make sure I hire those who can help me to build the right company culture from the beginning.”
Competencies leveraging growth
As an independent license holder in the whole of ASEAN region, Mr. Kholti controls a lion’s share of the local import of clinical devices. Andaman Medical’s mission is to enable medical device & IVD manufacturers and distributors to concentrate on their core business of developing and bringing medical devices & IVDs to market that improve the health and quality of life for millions. They can do this safe in the knowledge that they can rely on a dedicated Southeast Asia medical device consulting team to register, represent and import their products. Being a prudent business person, Mr. Kholti always thinks differently and much ahead of time, and this set them apart from the others in the queue. Unlike other independent license holders, , Mr. Kholti never hires freelancers for Andaman Medical and he always works from his own office in Singapore where he maintains a strong network of people who are skilled and well-trained in the field of Medical Devices & IVD Regulatory in the whole of Southeast Asia.
The ethos that binds all
The in-house culture of Andaman Medical begins with ‘R’ and ends with ‘E’. RICE is the single word that encapsulates the values of the organization by ensuring growth and opportunity for all. ‘R’ for responsibility, the company is committed to taking ownership of both their deeds and misdeeds in business; ‘I’ stands for integrity that correlates with the idea of being upright, morally, and ethically. ‘C’ talks about the spirit of collaboration, i.e. working together as a team in harnessing resources and energy required for the successful execution of plans. Finally, ‘E’ radiates energy and enthusiasm that motivate one to put in their best efforts.
Style of Leadership
Maturity is not always defined by age, it’s an attitude built by experience. Young in spirit, yet rich in knowledge and experience, Mr. Mourad Kholti is a leader to the core, who believes that a leader not only grows himself, he also helps his team to evolve; he not only eats but feeds the millions. So for this compassionate soul, leadership is to “Develop my people so that they can leave, treat them well so that they stay, that is a motto I strongly believe in”. He affirms “As an entrepreneur…I am trying to be accountable and supportive towards those people who are making our business a successful one.”
The blooming future of Andaman Medical
With Mourad Kholti, at the helm of the organization, Andaman Medical emerges as the number one market access partner for Medical devices and IVDs in the whole of Southeast Asia. As a true leader, Mr. Kholti aspires to see his people grow in terms of experience, knowledge, and skills, which would eventually catalyze the growth of his company, in the coming years. Under his ingenious leadership, Andaman Medical bets on its performance in terms of regulatory compliance expertise, which has set a new benchmark at the international level.
The CEO announces to felicitate his company’s long and eventful journey with great pomp and grandeur on the eve of its 10th anniversary to be held on June 2023. On this grand occasion, which he names ‘ANDAMAN week’, Mr. Kholti wishes to unite “ALL” his people in a joyous celebration of their success.