The Leadership Team

Rakesh Suri, MD., DPhil, Chief Executive Officer, Chief of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery

Rakesh M. Suri, MD, is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. In his role, Dr. Suri oversees the hospital’s overall strategy and effective operation as the first-ever US multispecialty hospital to be replicated outside of North America. In his previous role as Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Chief of Staff, Dr. Suri spearheaded the recruitment of more than 400 physicians, and led the medical staff to deliver a suite of complex and innovative services with safety and quality outcomes that are competitive among leading academic medical centers globally.

In his secondary role, Dr. Suri recruited and led the Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgical team, and was involved in the creation of robotic and transcatheter cardiac programs at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. He holds extensive clinical expertise in robotic and minimally invasive cardiac surgery, mitral valve repair and transcatheter valve therapies. He has completed more than 6,000 surgical procedures in his career and helped to make Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi home to the most sophisticated group of robotic cardiac surgeons in the world.

Jorge A. Guzman, MD, Chief of Staff

Jorge A. Guzman, MD, MBA, is the Chief of Staff, and a consultant Staff physician in the Critical Care Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Guzman was Cleveland Clinic’s VP of Regional Hospital Medical Operations. Dr. Guzman is a fellow of the American College of Critical Care and led ICU Operations and the development of the ICU telemedicine program (eHospital) at Cleveland Clinic. He was appointed to Cleveland Clinic’s medical staff in 2007.

Dr. Guzman received his medical degree in 1988 from the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, in Córdoba, Argentina. After completing his residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in critical care medicine at Hospital Privado de Comunidad, Mar del Plata, Argentina, he completed an additional fellowship in Critical Care Medicine at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Additionally, he completed a Healthcare MBA at Ballwin Wallace University in Ohio. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic, he served as Chief of Medicine at Harper Hospital, the flagship hospital of the Detroit Medical Center in Michigan. Dr. Guzman has served in many leadership positions at Cleveland Clinic and nationally in the US. He has authored or co-authored more than 50 scientific papers in peered-reviewed medical journals, book chapters, and holds two patents registered with the US Patent and Trademark Office.

Fahed AlMarzooqi, MD, Chief Administrative Officer

Dr. Fahed AlMarzooqi is the Chief Administrative Officer at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. As an integral member of the hospital’s executive team, Dr. Fahed oversees the hospital’s master work plan, as well as several key departments, including Business Intelligence, Continuous Improvement, Office of Facilitated Access, and the Strategic Programs and Integration Office. Dr. Fahed is also responsible for directing and aligning the hospital’s strategy, innovation programs, as well as key drivers to maximize revenue and reduce costs while maintaining quality of care.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Fahed was the managing director of his family group of establishments, where he was responsible for oversight of all business operations and management duties. He joined Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in June 2017 as the UAE Administrative Fellow, in which he was involved in multiple high-impact strategic programs ranging from the integration of new facilities as well as future expansion of key service lines. A trained physician, Dr. Fahed earned both his undergraduate degree in Mathematics and his Doctor of Medicine degree from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada. He then completed a five-year residency program in anesthesiology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. His medical career spans more than 13 years. Dr. Fahed’s passion for healthcare, business management and, most importantly, his desire to make a lasting impact as a citizen of the UAE, has driven him to learn and contribute maximally at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Madhu Sasidhar, MD, Chief Medical Officer

Madhu Sasidhar, MD, is the Chief Medical Officer and a consultant pulmonologist and intensivist in the Respiratory Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. As Chief Medical Officer, he is responsible for inpatient, outpatient and surgical operations. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Sasidhar was Section Head of Respiratory Care in the Respiratory Institute at Cleveland Clinic in the United States, which he joined in 2008.

Dr. Sasidhar received his Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degree in 1992 from the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research. After completing his residency in Internal Medicine at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center, Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, in New York, he completed a fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.

Sue Behrens, Chief Nursing Officer

Sue Behrens is the Chief Nursing Officer at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, overseeing nursing services and patient care.

Sue has been working in a variety of leadership roles at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi since 2014, most recently serving as Interim Chief Nursing Officer.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Sue spent more than 25 years working at OSF St Francis Medical Center, an academic medical center in the US, ultimately overseeing Emergency Medicine and Advanced Practice.

Sue is a Fellow of the Executive Fellowship in Innovation Health Leadership, and holds a clinical Doctor of Nursing Practice. Sue maintains her APN license and board certification in adult health, as well as board certification as an Advanced Nurse Executive.

Michael Makarem, General Counsel

Michael Makarem is the General Counsel at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, where he oversees the hospital’s legal, regulatory and governance matters.He is also the General Counsel at Mubadala Healthcare.

Since joining Mubadala in 2010, he has held various roles, including at Yahsat and as General Counsel of MDC Business Management Services. He is a California-licensed attorney with 13 years of experience in complex transactions, litigation and corporate governance.

Before joining Mubadala, Michael was the Legal Counsel for OSN in Bahrain and, prior to that, was an attorney with AlvaradoSmith APC in the US. Michael holds a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Diego School of Law. He is admitted to practice in the State and Federal District Courts in California.

E. Murat Tuzcu, MD, Chief Academic Officer and Chair of the Heart and Vascular Institute

E. Murat Tuzcu, MD, is Chief Academic Officer and Chair of the Heart and Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. In this role, Dr. Tuzcu focuses on the development and implementation of an innovative, creative and state-of-the art research and education strategic plan, and on fostering proactive and collaborative relationships with local, regional, and international stakeholders.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Tuzcu served as Vice Chairman of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine and as Staff Physician in Interventional Cardiology in the Heart & Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic in the United States.

With nearly 40 years of clinical experience, Dr. Tuzcu has held several academic appointments. He has co-authored more than 400 peer-reviewed publications and serves on the editorial board of a number of leading cardiovascular scientific journals. In 2015, Dr. Tuzcu was named by Thomson Reuters as one of the most highly-cited researchers (Top 1%) in the world for the last decade.

Dr. Tuzcu is a committed educator, devoting a substantial portion of his time to intramural and extramural education activities. He has organized many courses, conferences and lectured all around the world.

Dr. Tuzcu received his medical degree from Istanbul Medical Faculty in Istanbul, Turkey, where he also completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine. In addition, Dr. Tuzcu also completed his fellowships at Cleveland Clinic in the United States in Cardiovascular Disease and Interventional Cardiology. He also completed a special fellowship for valvular interventions at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Glenn Zirbser, Chief Financial Officer

Glenn Zirbser is the Chief Financial Officer at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. In this role, he is responsible for the commercial oversight of the institution, ensuring its efficiency and growth through robust resource management principles and sound corporate governance policies.

Glenn brings more than 27 years of expertise to his role at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, having held a range of senior positions in operations, consulting, and management. He has a demonstrated track record in growing clinical service lines through strategic investment and enhanced patient access.

Previously, Glenn served as Senior Vice President and Regional Chief Financial Officer at Jefferson Health, a regional academic health system composed of 11 hospitals and multi-specialty physician enterprises. He has also held similar roles at Princeton HealthCare System and Inova Health System.

Nizar Luqman, Chief Human Capital Officer

Nizar Luqman is the Chief Human Capital Officer at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, where he leads the development and execution of the organization’s human capital strategy and initiatives in-line with the hospital’s overall “Patients First” mission and strategic direction.

In his role, Nizar focuses on attracting, developing and retaining top talent at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi by providing educational and training opportunities to empower caregivers to make a continual impact on the healthcare sector. As part of the hospital’s commitment to fostering UAE National talent, Nizar leads Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s efforts to enhance existing development programs and promote career growth for Emirati nationals. Additionally, Nizar is working to further develop the existing human capital infrastructure at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, as well as extend the learning environment beyond the workplace.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Nizar was the Head of Emiratization, Human Capital, at Mubadala Investment Company, with oversight of the company’s Emiratization strategy and implementation criteria. In this role, he was responsible for aligning the company and its assets with the government’s strategic vision for Emiratization.

Previously, Nizar was the Executive Director of the Abu Dhabi Vocational Education and Training Institute. Nizar has held different positions in the oil & gas industry and taught chemical engineering at the Higher Colleges of Technology in Abu Dhabi.

Nizar holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville USA.

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