Read the Conversation
Conversation highlights:
- Strategic move to Convatec: After nearly 30 years across distributors and multinationals, Younis joined Convatec to scale its strong brand and unlock growth potential across the Middle East and Africa through clearer structure, strategy, and execution.
- Focus on execution and access: 2026 priorities center on executing the FISBE strategy, improving patient access, strengthening education with healthcare professionals, and standardizing clinical practices to improve outcomes.
- Managing regional complexity: The MEA region’s vast economic and healthcare disparities require deep local market understanding, targeted prioritization, and tailored approaches rather than a one-size-fits-all strategy.
- Disciplined distributor model: Distributor selection is now highly structured, emphasizing financial strength, compliance, dedicated teams, conflict-free portfolios, and clear business plans aligned with Convatec’s values.
- Data and talent as enablers: While medical device data remains fragmented, governments are increasingly focused on AI and data governance; success will depend on strong local talent in clinical evidence, training, compliance, and commercial excellence.
EF: What attracted you to this Convatec, and what mission did you set for yourself when you joined?
MY: I’ve been in the healthcare industry for close to 30 years, and during that time, I’ve seen the sector from many different angles. I’ve worked on the distributor side in this region and have spent many years at multinational companies. I started at Medtronic, spent time at GE, and Molnlycke before returning to Medtronic.
That journey gave me exposure to very different market dynamics and organizational structures, from large global players like Medtronic and GE to more mid-sized organizations. It also helped me understand the healthcare ecosystem across the value chain, including distributors, suppliers, healthcare professionals, and healthcare institutions.
What really attracted me to Convatec was the combination of its strong brand and the significant potential I see in the Middle East and Africa, particularly in the Gulf. This is a region with real growth opportunities for companies and for individuals who want to add value and make a difference.
Convatec was, and still is, at a stage where there is room to grow, capture additional market share, and improve patient access to its products across the region. There is also a clear opportunity to work more closely with healthcare professionals to improve clinical practices and patient outcomes.
I was looking for a role that would allow me to expand my responsibilities beyond what I was doing at Medtronic, both geographically and across the product portfolio. I also wanted the opportunity to build on Convatec’s strengths by establishing the right structure and strategy across the different portfolios and countries, and by assembling the right team to execute that strategy. At this stage of my career, that challenge was particularly appealing.
EF: What are the key priorities, challenges, and opportunities on your agenda this year?
MY: At Convatec, everything we do is anchored in the concept of Forever Caring. Recently, with the appointment of our new CEO, we’ve entered a new phase that builds on this foundation, with a stronger emphasis on Accelerating Forever Caring.
This theme is not just a slogan; it closely aligns with our overall strategy, which we call the FISBE strategy. That stands for focus, innovation, simplification, capability building, and execution excellence. Everything we do revolves around these pillars.
In the region I’m responsible for, the Middle East and Africa, this strategy can be demonstrated. This region offers significant growth potential and demonstrates how Accelerating Forever Caring can translate into real impact.
Our priorities are quite clear. First and foremost, we want to improve patient access to our products. That is critical. Second, we want to strengthen our presence in the region through education and partnerships with hospitals and healthcare professionals to standardize and unify clinical protocols, with the goal of improving patient outcomes.
When it comes to our two main portfolios, Advanced Wound Care and Ostomy Care, over the past year, we have developed a very clear strategy, defining what we want to do, in which countries, and by when. For me, the top priority in 2026 is execution, delivering on the strategy we’ve built over the last 12 months across the region and across our portfolios.
EF: You oversee a very large and diverse region. How do you balance this complexity and identify where you can make the biggest difference?
MY: With experience, managing this kind of diversity becomes more intuitive. When you work for many years in a multinational environment, interacting daily with colleagues, partners, and healthcare professionals from diverse backgrounds, you develop a certain level of adaptability.
Healthcare systems across the region are extremely diverse. You have markets like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, South Africa, and Turkey, and you also have countries facing much more difficult circumstances, such as Yemen, Sudan, or Libya. The needs, resources, and realities differ significantly.
The key is understanding each market deeply. You need to understand the local needs, the market dynamics, and where your products and solutions can truly add value. Once you understand that, you can customize your approach accordingly.
At the same time, you need to be realistic and set priorities. We focus more heavily on larger markets where we can have a meaningful impact, while also dedicating attention to smaller markets through tailored solutions that improve access to and acceptance of our products. That balance is how we manage such a large and diverse region.
EF: In the Gulf, distributors play a central role. Given your experience on both sides of the equation, how do you select and manage distributor partnerships today?
MY: The distributor landscape has evolved significantly over the years. In the past, there were fewer professional distributors, and expectations from both companies and healthcare professionals were very different.
Today, distributors are far more sophisticated. They understand regulations, compliance requirements, and the importance of operating responsibly in this region. At the same time, healthcare professionals are increasingly exposed to global standards, and their expectations of both manufacturers and distributors have risen accordingly.
As a result, we now follow a highly structured, process-driven approach to selecting distributors. We assess multiple parameters, starting with financial stability, historical performance, and compliance with local regulations and codes of conduct.
Beyond that, we look closely at their organizational structure: the teams they will dedicate to Convatec, how they will represent our brand, and how they will promote our products. Training, team capabilities, and alignment with our values are essential.
We also require distributors to present detailed business cases outlining how they intend to manage and grow Convatec’s business in their country. These proposals are evaluated internally across multiple dimensions, including financial, commercial, compliance-related, and distributors are selected based on a clear scorecard. Typically, we assess at least three candidates for any new partnership or change.
Another critical factor is conflict of interest. We will not work with distributors that represent competing products, whether directly or indirectly. This is essential not only to protect Convatec’s interests but also to avoid market distortions such as cannibalization or monopolistic behavior. Today, distributor selection is a highly structured and strategic process.
EF: Could you outline Convatec’s portfolio in the region and how it is currently balanced?
MY: Globally, Convatec operates across four portfolios. In the Middle East and Africa, the infusion care business is strictly business-to-business. It does not involve direct in-country commercial sales; it operates through partnerships with companies such as insulin pump manufacturers.
The three commercially active portfolios in our region are ostomy care, advanced wound care, and continence care. Ostomy and wound care together account for approximately 90% of our regional revenue, with a roughly 50/50 split between the two. Continence care accounts for a smaller share of the business.
This mix is specific to our region and does not necessarily reflect the global portfolio balance, but it accurately represents the needs and dynamics of the Middle East and Africa.
EF: Data has become a central topic in healthcare, particularly in medical devices. How do you assess the current use of data in the region, and what needs to evolve to better support patient outcomes?
MY: Data is absolutely critical. Governments in the Gulf, in particular, are very focused on AI and how data can be used to improve healthcare systems and patient outcomes. Every discussion with healthcare stakeholders today touches on data and AI.
That said, in the medical device sector, we are still at an early stage in terms of reliable, structured data. Compared to pharmaceuticals, where data systems are more established, medical devices are still catching up. In some markets, such as Saudi Arabia and South Africa, third-party data is more reliable, but across the region, it remains fragmented.
This makes it challenging to fully understand disease prevalence, treatment pathways, and product utilization. As a result, companies often rely on data collected through distributors and direct interactions with healthcare professionals.
Another major issue is data privacy, transfer, and processing. Each country has its own regulations, and governments are still working to strike the right balance between enabling innovation and protecting local data. Many countries require that data be stored locally and not transferred abroad, even when anonymized.
The positive sign is that governments, particularly in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, are actively engaging with multinational companies to shape these policies. There is genuine interest in enabling the use of data and AI, while ensuring security and compliance. This is still an evolving area, but there is no doubt about the importance of data for the future of healthcare.
EF: Finally, turning to talent: as healthcare becomes more digital, data-driven, and complex, what kind of people does Convatec need in the region?
MY: People are our most important resource. The Middle East and Africa are incredibly rich in talent, and we are fortunate to have access to a wide pool of capable, motivated professionals who understand both local markets and multinational ways of working.
For medical device companies in particular, core talent areas include commercial marketing, clinical evidence, and training and education. Expectations from healthcare professionals and distributors have increased significantly, and meeting those expectations requires deep expertise.
Clinical evidence is increasingly important, as is the ability to deliver high-quality training locally. In many cases, the region is among the first to adopt new technologies, which means you need skilled teams on the ground; you cannot rely solely on support from abroad.
In addition to these core areas, functions such as regulatory affairs, compliance, finance, and HR are becoming more complex and more critical as regulation increases across the region. Our focus is not only on hiring the right people, but also on continuously training and developing the teams we already have, so they can support the growth we are targeting.
