Tara Makarem

Tara Makarem has more than 15 years of experience in healthcare strategy, planning and transformation. Tara has worked extensively with governments, payors and providers across the Middle East, with a focus on system reform, population health and sustainable financing. She brings deep expertise in supporting national health programs, large-scale reform initiatives and implementation of models of care.

Tara advises senior stakeholders on healthcare transformation strategy and implementation at a national and organizational level. Her expertise spans national health reforms, national policies and regulatory frameworks, care models and pathway designs, demand and capacity planning and accountable care development. She also specializes in setting up the right functions and enablers to drive health transformation, including setting up health economics and assessment functions, developing population health strategies and supporting implementation through governance, operating model design and capability building.

Prior to joining FTI Consulting, Tara held leadership positions at Roland Berger and PwC, where she developed and executed growth strategies across the Middle East, advising on healthcare reform and transformation programs in the region. Her combined public and private sector experience enables her to align policy objectives with operational delivery requirements.

Tara holds a B.S. in Foreign Service, with a Certificate in Arab Regional Studies, from Georgetown University, and an Executive M.P.A. from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She also completed the INSEAD executive program “Strategy in the Age of Global Disruption.”

Relevant Experience:

• National and system strategy (“KSA”): shaped key national strategies under the Health Sector Transformation Program, including corporatization, primary care, integration and Model of Care (with Oxford); led migration, capacity and workforce strategies for the Health Holding Company and Vision Realization Office
• Cluster and provider transformation: drove Model of Care implementation for Riyadh clusters and designed accountable care and corporatization strategies for regional hubs and security organizations in the Middle East
• Planning and capacity building: delivered demand projections, scenario and resource planning and capacity frameworks (NEOM, Qatar and Hamad Medical Corp); built a co-learning unit and capability programs with international partners for the Health Holding Company
• Public health and regulatory: developed strategies for mass gatherings, post-COVID services and national hospital service configurations, facilities master plans and workforce planning in Qatar
• Implementation and partnerships: managed build-operate-transfer projects for Health Holding Company hubs, set up international staff exchanges and partner networks and delivered operating models and transformation management for sustainable change