Mehak Padiyath: Empowering Women from the Healthcare Industry in Africa

The presence of women entrepreneurs in Africa's corporate landscape has grown significantly over the past decade, attracting global attention. With both local and international business houses investing in the continent, the Indian corporate sector stands out as a major contributor, maintaining a strong presence across all 57 African nations. Within this evolving ecosystem, women leaders are making a remarkable impact, especially in sectors like healthcare, by combining financial expertise with grassroots engagement. Their resilience, integrity, and inclusive approach drive sustainable development in underserved regions. One such trailblazer is Mehak Padiyath, Group Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of Padiyath Healthcare Group, an Indian-origin multinational based in Dubai. Under her leadership, the group is transforming Africa’s healthcare landscape through a vision rooted in purpose and progress.

Today, the Padiyath Group is one of Africa’s fastest-growing conglomerates, with a dynamic presence in healthcare, defense manufacturing, information technology, steel, and health insurance.

The journey in Africa began with the Padiyath Medicity–Hopital Du Cinquantenaire, a landmark Public-Private Partnership that created one of Africa’s largest hospitals with 1,200 beds. It stands today as the continent’s most successful PPP healthcare project. At the helm is Mehak Padiyath, CFO of the hospital and a distinguished Chartered Accountant, who secured an All-India Rank 45 in her CA Intermediate exams and completed CA in 2005. With a BCom degree and strong traditional roots, she developed a natural flair for finance. Mehak excels in financial management, investment planning, and strategic leadership, driving growth with integrity and vision.

Below is an excerpt of Mehak Padiyath’s exclusive interaction with The Global Women Leader magazine.

What defining moments and key influences shaped your professional journey and leadership approach?

My journey has spanned across stockbroking, real estate, manufacturing, trading, and the healthcare industry, each phase adding depth. A defining moment is steering a realistic project in a tier-II city alongside the Emaar group, the Middle East’s largest. That is where leadership truly unfolded, at the intersection of finance and decision-making. As for key influences, it was not a single event but a natural curve, an evolving realization. With every step, I discovered my capacity to lead people, manage complexity, and deliver outcomes. The graph only rose.

Mehak Padiyath believes true leadership lies in blending financial insight with purpose, integrity, and on-ground impact

Can you introduce Padiyath Medicity and share your VC & CFO role and leadership focus areas?

Padiyath Medicity marked our first and most ambitious investment in Africa, establishing one of the continent’s largest healthcare facilities. It serves as a cornerstone of our African healthcare venture under the broader Padiyath Healthcare umbrella. While our roots are strong in India through the Sunrise Group of Hospitals in Kerala, Mumbai, and Delhi, our African expansion was driven by a vision to deliver quality healthcare to underserved regions. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, we operate three hospitals, namely our flagship 1,200-bed tertiary care center in Kinshasa, a 150-bed facility in Masina, and Nouvo Hospital in Lubumbashi, an innovative mother-and-child hospital concept. In Nigeria, we run two hospitals in Abuja, namely the 340-bed Padiyath Mayfield and the upcoming Cancare, a specialized cancer treatment center. We are also developing new projects in Kano, Kenya, Tanzania, Senegal, and Mali.

As Chief Financial Officer, my role goes beyond finance. I also lead marketing and oversee daily operations. Collaborating closely with our Chairman, Dr Hazeeb Rahman Padiyath, a renowned Head & Neck Surgeon, we are building a healthcare network rooted in quality, accessibility, and a strong commitment to community well-being.

What core principles shape your leadership style, and how do you drive success at Padiyath Medicity?

Leadership in this part of the world demands a different rhythm, shaped not by abundance but by absence. 13 years ago, when Padiyath Medicity Kinshasa took root, infrastructure was scarce, and trained manpower was still scarcer. As one of the first corporate healthcare ventures here, we faced challenges with both local and international talent. The two main problems we faced were lack of healthcare delivery systems, and getting human resources who had the vision of establishing such systems. With Africa rarely topping the list of destinations for Indian professionals, leadership could not be directive, it had to be inclusive and coaching-driven. We did not find excellence, we nurtured it. Talent was shaped, not sourced. Over time, awareness grew, and with it, a stronger human resource foundation. Yet, the essence of leadership here has not shifted, it is still about being on the ground, building trust, transferring skills, and growing together, not from above, but alongside. That, for us, defines success at Padiyath Medicity.

What major business challenges do you face at Padiyath Medicity, and how do you overcome them?

Managing a hospital at Padiyath Medicity comes with major business challenges unique to this part of the world. Unlike India or developed countries, we do not have the same level of support for machinery, services, or medicines. For example, servicing an MRI machine is difficult due to the global monopoly of a few manufacturers. Human resources is another big challenge. Technical expertise is not readily

available here, and acceptance was initially slow as we came from India. This being one of the largest public-private partnerships in the country added to the complexity. Challenges with logistics, equipment, service, and HR were constant. We navigated through all this by upskilling the available manpower, providing continuous guidance, and gradually building a strong, capable team from within.

How will Padiyath Healthcare’s $100 million investment transform access to advanced, affordable healthcare in Nigeria?

With our $100 million commitment to Nigeria’s healthcare sector, Padiyath Healthcare isn’t merely building hospitals, we are redefining what accessible, high-quality care looks like across West Africa. We foray into Nigeria with the country’s largest private sector healthcare facility ever built. The 340-bed Padiyath Mayfields Hospital in Suncity Estates, Abuja, is more than just infrastructure, it’s a vision materializing into reality. This world-class facility will introduce technologies like the 3T MRI and the 256 Slice CT, firsts for the region, alongside 28 super-specialty centers of excellence, an emergency OT, and a dedicated ICU that meets international standards.

But we are not stopping there. Padiyath Cancare Hospital, our second flagship in Abuja, will emerge as a full-spectrum cancer institute equipped with advanced tools like PET Scan, Gamma Knife, and Linear Accelerator, bringing cutting-edge oncology care to Nigerian soil.

This investment carries a deeper intent, which is to bridge the gap between affordability and world-class care. By embedding operational excellence with compassionate service, we are addressing infrastructure shortfalls and reshaping trust in private healthcare. These are not standalone projects, they are part of a long-term vision to make Nigeria a healthcare hub and strengthen the Nigeria–India partnership through meaningful, lasting social impact.

Reflecting on your career, which milestones stand out as most significant, and what guiding principles shaped your success?

Reflecting on my career, if I had to highlight the most important principle that shaped my success, it would be Vision, Passion, Planning, and Hard Work. There is no substitute for it. Even after achieving something, there’s no room to sit back. Work is a continuous process, new challenges arise every day, and we must find new solutions daily. Another guiding value in my journey has been integrity. What we promise, we deliver, never the other way around. That integrity has earned us immense trust, especially in this part of the world. A key milestone was my decision to leave a well-settled life in Dubai and India, where I worked with Emaar and one of the top real estate companies in the Middle East, to move to Africa. 13 years ago, I had limited knowledge of the continent. But this leap gave me unparalleled fulfillment, allowing me to build what is considered standard in developed countries, here in Africa. That leap of faith truly changed everything.

Mehak Padiyath, Chief Financial Officer, Padiyath Medicity

Mehak Padiyath, Chief Financial Officer of Padiyath Medicity, brings over a decade of expertise in financial management, strategic planning, and operational leadership. Her professional journey spans diverse sectors, where she has consistently driven profitability, optimized investments, and led large-scale healthcare projects across Africa, blending finance with impactful organizational development.

Awards & Recognitions:

• Secured an All-India Rank of 45 in the CA Intermediate exams and completed CA in 2005, a prestigious recognition from the Indian Institute of Chartered Accountants.
• Cleared CA Foundation and Intermediate in the first attempt, earning distinction and professional credibility early in her career.

Advice to Upcoming Women Leaders in Africa:

• Stay dedicated. Success does not come easy, but with hard work and unwavering commitment, it is achievable.
• Integrity is key. In the long run, it builds trust, respect, and a legacy of leadership.