FT Start-Up Stories The Aspen busters
Sep 4, 2017
Glenn Keys and Andrew Walker, former army pals and co-founders of a global healthcare firm, share their inspiring journey from military service to innovative healthcare solutions. They discuss transforming NHS waiting lists and securing critical contracts in conflict zones like the Solomons. Expert Bernd Vogel weighs in on their patient-centered leadership, while the duo reveals how they prioritized staff safety during operations, particularly during their Ebola response. Their story highlights the impact of resilience, trust, and a commitment to people over profit.
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From Dining Table To NHS Project
- Glenn Keys and Andrew Walker started with a dining-room office and two staff but won an NHS consulting project to cut orthopaedic waiting lists drastically.
- They then had to deliver results quickly and built a credentialed workforce by cold-calling clinicians across Australia to staff UK surgical hubs.
Treat Spare Capacity As Opportunity
- They realised hospitals had spare capacity and that changing working patterns could deliver outcomes without building new facilities.
- Shifting focus from inputs (more doctors/hospitals) to patient-centred outcomes enabled faster, cheaper improvements.
Mortgaged Homes To Deliver In Eight Weeks
- Aspen Medical won and stood up a complete outsourced health solution in the Solomon Islands under extreme time pressure and government demands.
- They mortgaged homes, emptied bank accounts and used personal credit to secure equipment and meet an eight-week deadline.