You’re going to encounter bumps in the road, but I think it’s important to try and not be too reactive to either the successes or failures

Nadine Hachach-Haram

Feb 17, 2025

Hannah Watton and Yuki Agarwala

2 contributors

You’re going to encounter bumps in the road, but I think it’s important to try and not be too reactive to either the successes or failures

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Surgery, Innovation and Technology: Nadine Hachach-Haram

Having celebrated International Day of Women and Girls in Science last Tuesday, we recognise the words of Dr Nadine Hachach-Haram, the surgeon who founded Proximie. In a previous Scholar Spotlight, Yuki Agarwala, a Laidlaw Scholar at Imperial College London, expressed her admiration for Dr Hachach-Haram, as she applied her passion for surgery, innovation, and technology to make healthcare more accessible for patients in developing countries. Hachach-Haram's quote emphasises that while leaders often experience deviations from their goals, it's best to take these in our stride instead of reacting positively or negatively to every one of these bumps:

Dr Nadine Hachach-Haram: "You’re going to encounter bumps in the road, but I think it’s important to try and not be too reactive to either the successes or failures."

A Trailblazer in Accessible Healthcare

Nadine Hachach-Haram is a consultant plastic surgeon and the clinical lead for innovation at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. Her passion for surgery and innovation led her to found Proximie. This technology enabled surgeons in low-resourced backgrounds to be guided in real-time by their colleagues in well-resourced backgrounds. The technology also involves a platform where surgeons can communicate and point to places within the patient's anatomy. Yuki notes that technologies like this are the key to breaking barriers to healthcare access, and revolutionising healthcare.

In her quote, Dr Hachach-Haram highlights the difficulties of running a MedTech startup. However, her lessons are applicable to any leadership position: we will encounter bumps, hardships and unexpected failures, but it's important to keep a level head and return back to your mission and the reason you are embarking on a particular journey.

Leadership Driven by Temperance

Dr Hachach-Haram's words outline the importance of taking a step back, pausing and keeping composure in the face of challenges and bumps along the road. During the early days of her Proximie journey, she received doubt from onlookers. She recalls often being highly defensive and reactive to these negative opinions. Despite these bumps, Proximie is now highly successful and is now in breakthrough conversations to solve global connectivity problems in healthcare through the use of 5G and Space Technology. Dr Hachach-Haram's quote reminds us that these bumps, which can cause anxiety at the moment, are natural in any upward trajectory, and it's important to stay grounded in one's mission.

Hachach-Haram's approach emphasises the Laidlaw value of being #Determined and the Oxford Character Project Leadership Virtue of #Temperance. Determined means acknowledging bumps in the road as natural, and something to be overcome, rather than an impenetrable wall. Temperance means being patient, calm and self-controlled in these situations, rather than reactive and defensive.

A Call to Reflect

As we celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we invite you to reflect on Nadine Hachach-Haram's powerful leadership insights. Share your thoughts in the comments: What’s one strategy you use to stay calm and focused when facing challenges?