George Barakat is a long-time believer in empowering customers, patients, and associates.
The Founder and CEO of MedWorks™ Inc. excels at working with business leaders in different organizations to facilitate change and acceptance of new approaches.
Today, he possesses a comprehensive knowledge and understanding for retail healthcare, supply chain and manufacturing, with a clear vision on how to implement related business strategies. He has traveled extensively nationally and internationally building and sustaining important global relationships and partnerships.
Barakat maximizes business growth by creating effective operational strategies, while delivering an unparalleled customer experience.
Barakat was born in Toronto, was raised in Brampton and today lives in Halton Hills.
His background in education is finance, accounting and marketing.
He always knew that he wanted to be in business.
When he was in high school, Barakat and a friend started a musical consignment business.
“My father would take us over to the flea market on a Sunday and we would have a booth set up with drums, guitars, ukuleles and literally sell musical instruments at the flea market which was great and on the Monday we would go back and pay the vendor and get some more instruments and away we went,” said Barakat.
“I knew I kind of loved being in business when I had to negotiate the sale of 32 ukuleles to a competing vendor at the market and it was a very interesting negotiation. But I always loved being in business. I always loved providing services and efficiencies and product to citizens and consumers. I’ve always said, even back then as a kid, you’ve got to have the best service the best product. Your handshake is your bond and what you provide to people has to be of quality.
“You’ve got to be able to deliver in this world. That’s the key,” he said.
MedWorks is an App that empowers people to make health and wellness more accessible by bringing together services already out there and available today, in one convenient place. MedWorks brings healthcare and wellness to your door – or to your device.
Prior to MedWorks, Barakat was founder of Jack Nathan Health and served as the CEO of Jack Nathan Health® for 15 years. He is also Past President and CEO of Laila’s Inc. (art publishing and manufacturing).
For about four decades, he has cultivated and managed partnerships with some of the largest global retailers at the highest levels.
Barakat has a simple response when asked what it was about the healthcare industry that attracted him.
“Taking care of people. It was looking at the largest portion of the population and being able to make a difference. I believe that when you look at a problem or a problem like healthcare and access to healthcare, you’ve got to address these issues at the largest possible point,” he said about Jack Nathan Health in Walmart locations.
“My mindset and my passion and my heart has always stayed in that same thought process. Now with MedWorks we took the learnings of during COVID and post COVID of how the restaurant industry and grocery industry revolutionized the ability to order and have goods delivered right to your door and broadened the selection and the availability. And when we created MedWorks we thought why shouldn’t your healthcare work this way too?”
Barakat said it’s important to be able to think out of the box.
“You always have to look at when you’re communicating with any organizations small or large you have to have their customer in mind first and you have to get it right. In every organization I’ve ever done business with the first and foremost item or thing they look at and they have to address is how is this going to benefit our customer,” he said.
“And if the organization isn’t thinking that they’re probably not thinking correctly. If you get that right and you can provide honest and earnest efficiencies and products and services that are going to benefit their consumer base then what you’re doing is you’re taking care of the one thing the most important thing because every retailer, every business out there, if they’re not looking after their customer, then they’re failing.
“If you get that right, then you have to do is make sure that the program you put together with the retailer or with the individual or the corporation is mutually beneficial for you and them. And if you get those two points right you’re building out a strategy and a relationship that will span a lifetime.
“How I approach it with my team is the same thought process. I don’t believe in anybody drinking the kool-aid. I believe in making the kool-aid together. But you can’t do that if everybody isn’t focused on the consumer first, what that is going to be, how do you service that, how do you provide the best and most efficient product and service for your citizens.”
In developing a corporate culture, he said, the most important thing is to have the consumer in mind.
“It has to be,” said Barakat.
He currently serves as a board member on the Convenient Care Association of America, a non-profit organization, comprised of the largest retailers and health organizations in North America.
