Joel Finlayson

Worth knowing

He knows how healthcare actually gets bought in the Gulf, having helped structure Saudi Arabia's first healthcare public-private partnership and run a healthcare incubator funded by a family office in Riyadh and Dubai. On the Canadian side he has backed and sat with digital health founders through venture rounds, a public listing and an acquisition.

Story

Joel studied politics and economics at Dalhousie, then went to Monitor Group, working in Canada and the US before moving to the Middle East as an Associate Partner and General Manager. He stayed in the region for years, leading PwC's Middle East healthcare strategy practice with the Saudi Ministry of Health, then co-founding WellNovation, an incubator building diagnostic imaging, primary care and medical education businesses out of Riyadh and Dubai. Back in Toronto, he spent seven years investing in healthcare at iGan Partners, including a secondment into Think Research that turned into a corporate development and international growth role through the company's TSX Venture listing. He joined Accenture Canada in 2021 to build a healthcare consulting practice, initiating the GEVITY acquisition that launched its private sector healthcare arm.

In Joel's words

Grew up in Canada, studied, lived & worked in: the UK, Australia, Saudi Arabia, UAE and back to Canada again. I have a 20+ year career in Healthcare Consulting across multiple markets and now lead International Growth, for a Series D stage Health Tech company.

Highlights

• SVP, International Growth, League (Series D health tech), 2023-present
• Partner then Venture Partner, iGan Partners, 2017-2024
• Board member, FirstHx and Curv Health; board observer, Okadoc (Riyadh)
• Board Director, Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada (International)
• MBA, University of Cambridge; BA Politics & Economics, Dalhousie