Maurice Goodman

Maurice Goodman

Current title
Chief Medical Officer, Discovery Health

Course at Wits Business School
Master of Business Administration, 1987

A defining moment in my career
Looking back, two defining moments stand out for me. The first was enrolling for a Wits MBA as a result of the encouragement from my late dad. At the time it was very unusual for a medical doctor to do an MBA and I am indebted to the then dean, Prof Andy Andrews, for putting his faith in me and accepting me onto the course. 

Interestingly, my dad, Sam Goodman, a Wits Council member for many years, played a seminal role in the founding of Wits Business School. He and Prof Andrews demonstrated great foresight in predicting the increasing need for professional leadership in the healthcare industry.

The second, a number of years later, occurred when I was approached by an old school friend, Adrian Gore, who had recently launched a fledgeling health insurance company and was looking for someone to oversee the medical aspects of the organisation.

His infectious, inspirational leadership style and passion for innovation convinced me to make the move. Over 20 years later, I am privileged still to be living the Discovery dream, as the organisation has grown to be a proudly South African, global leader in the insurance industry.

Intriguingly, as the Acting President of Convocation, I was delighted to ‘hood’ Adrian last year when he received his Honorary Doctorate in Commerce from Wits.