CEO Insights Magazine

South Africa has been home to many remarkable leaders who have made substantial contributions to their respective fields. Among these outstanding individuals, Dr.(Professor) Ramneek Ahluwalia stands as a distinguished figure. He is a qualified physician, Health, Social and Education Systems, Policy Development and Management Specialist. He possesses qualifications of MBBS (MBChB) with post graduate training in Internal Medicine (DNB). To augment his management experience, he has an MBA (Gold medal) from University of Cape Town. His extensive career spans diverse countries, including South Africa, Germany, India, and Mauritius.

Furthermore, he also has a PhD (Public Health) that assisted him in building a large number of significant diverse health programmes in both developing and developed world with absolute Scientific, Data systems and management experience. Dr. (Professor) Ahluwalia's extensive knowledge and numerous awards emphasize his status as a dynamic leader in the domains of health and education. Yet, his true mark of success lies in the tangible impact he has on communities through his work.

In an in-depth conversation with CEO Insights Asia Magazine, Dr. (Professor) Ramneek shares with us his professional milestones, success mantra and much more. Let’s hear it from him.

Can you share the key milestones and experiences that have shaped your successful career over the past two decades?
My journey has been a tapestry woven with significant milestones and meaningful experiences. At its core, I began as a medical doctor, a role that not only bestowed upon me the knowledge of healing but also instilled a profound sense of humility and a human-centric approach in my leadership style. Writing the inaugural chapter for the BRICS academic forum, launched by former President Zuma, marked a pivotal moment, opening doors to cross-border collaboration and my involvement in ministerial task teams in South Africa. My close association with esteemed United Nations (UN) agencies like World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNESCO allowed me to champion transformative girl education and gender equality, speaking at global forums such as the Global Citizen Forum and the UN CSW.

In your perspective, how would you describe Higher Health as a company, and where does it currently stand within its market?
Higher Health is a national agency of the Department of Higher Education and Training. Its primary mission is to inspire success in 2.5 million students across 26 universities, 50 public TVET colleges, and CET colleges. Higher Health has established the Civic Education Soft Skills programme at NQF Level5 with support from QCTO and HWSETA. The accredited programme offers the Top 10 soft skills of the work space while building resilience amongst our young people at early stages of development. As a bridging or exit course across our sector it aims towards building soft skills for better employability and complementing every hard skills offered by Universities and Colleges that will help better economic productivity. This unique first of its kind NQF Level5 programme is built in all South African major languages including now the sign language.

Besides 10 soft skills - civic education, good citizenship, mental health, Gender studies, climate change, Substance abuse and disability forms part of the modules in learning. Soft skills are needed in bridging our skills gap an attempt to build a nation that has gone through a lot.

How have evolving tech trends influenced and transformed your organization's strategies and achievements?
Evolving technology trends have been a driving force in our organization's journey, with innovation at its core as we became the first in Africa to launch an AI - run Civic Education program, that will develop good citizenship values to six million South Africans (mainly youth) via their cell phones and revolutionizing traditional methods.

What is the long-term vision and strategic direction you see your organization moving towards in the future?
In the coming five years, my organization's vision is deeply rooted in harnessing the power of technology, particularly AI, to reach and serve a significantly larger population. Our goal is to expand our client base and, continuously invest in innovation and technology to maximize our impact.

What advice would you, as an established leader in the industry, offer to emerging leaders who are looking to make their mark and succeed in their respective fields?
The advice I'd like to impart to emerging leaders is to embody humility, embrace patience and be perpetual learners. Remember, as a leader, your role is to uplift and empower those around you, and to truly understand them, you must learn from them and be the people you aim to lead.

Dr. (Professor)Ramneek Ahluwalia, CEO, Higher Health
In his current job as a CEO of HIGHER HEALTH, Higher Health looks in to Health, Civic, Social, Wellness and Development needs of all public Universities, Technical and Community Colleges, Private Higher Education institutions, Work and Skill based learning institutions across SA. Dr. (Professor) Ramneek Ahluwalia, is part of National/ Ministerial Task teams on COVID, Mental Health, HIV,TB, GBV, Disability, Drugs Addiction, NHI (National Health Insurance) and Social work streams. His experience includes strong partnership with all United Nation Agencies, has addressed UN Assembly, Global Citizen forum and serving on several boards nationally and internationally. He has also addressed as a speaker at International recognised Conferences across the world. Dr. (Professor) Ahluwalia's presence on televised news channels, where he provides expert advice on health issues, further solidifies his reputation as a trusted authority.

•Favorite Hobbies: Playing Tennis, Travelling, Gathering experiences from different communities, Spending time with family.
•Favorite Cuisine:Indian (Tandoori Chicken) and Thai food
•Favorite Book:Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
•Favorite Travel Destination: Florence in Italy