Innovation is the lifeblood of success in today’s fast-paced business environment. Visionary leaders possess the rare combination of creativity, determination, and strategic insights that transform their industries and shape the world. They push the boundaries of various possibilities, challenge the status quo to drive forward the engines of impactful change, and fuel the global economy.
Henry Kalule Lukenge (CEO and President of Nexim Healthcare Consultants) possesses extensive expertise in finance, taxation, and business management, accumulated over a successful career of more than 25 years. In 2009, he sought greater personal fulfillment and aimed to make a broader societal impact, prompting his departure from the professional tax and accounting services sector. He embarked on a journey of success to travel and explore different business concepts, one of which culminated in the establishment of Nexim Healthcare Consultants.
Evolution from Construction to Healthcare
Born in a family of entrepreneurs, Henry Lukenge witnessed or interned at his father’s construction business in Uganda during the mid-70s. After moving to England in the late 80s, he pursued mathematical statistics and later transitioned to professional services with a focus on chartered accounting & tax planning . Rising through the ranks, he became a junior tax partner at a Big 4 firm before joining a major Trust Fund in Canada. Disillusioned with his career, Henry Lukenge left to start his own business. Inspired by his mother during one of his many travels in to Uganda East Africa, he founded Nexim Healthcare Consultants in Toronto in 2009, focusing on healthcare & social care staffing solutions.
From Adversity to Success
Nexim Healthcare Consultants provides staffing for hospitals, Correctional facilities, community living, and home care, including a program for seniors retiring at home called NEXIM Retire@home. Additional services include call assurance, home modifications for home retiring home seniors, and Accessible transportation. Furthermore, it is a countrywide provider of contingent, planned, and unplanned health and social care staff to hospitals, community living organizations, families with individuals who have developmental delays, and homecare through its Retire@home program. Nexim Healthcare Consultants faced ongoing challenges, including the high cost of working capital, a diminishing human capital base, and uncertainties arising from unforeseen changes to manpower laws or industry regulations. For instance, the recent shelving of the requirement for a registry of healthcare agencies poses risks, with no similar demands imposed on IT, accounting, or general labor agencies.
Nexim Healthcare Consultants was established with a dual purpose: to innovate the healthcare staffing sector and to contribute to advance access education, wildlife conservation, and climate change mitigation efforts in developing countries. Henry Lukenge’s journey from Uganda to South Africa, overcoming apartheid and refugee camps to achieve success as a CA, inspired the mission of the company. The company offers internships to inner-city youth and allocates a portion of its profits to providing education access to hundreds of students in East and Southern Africa.
Empowerment is fostered by sharing the vision, goals, and objectives with each team member, along with their respective roles. According to Henry Lukenge, humility and sincerity are key in making the vision and strategic plan tangible and motivating. The environment promotes positive competition, community engagement, and career growth opportunities. His leadership approach involves sharing overall goals and direction, demonstrating how individual aspirations align with corporate objectives, and providing tools and guidance for personal and professional fulfillment. Henry Lukenge’s inclusive aptitude towards his employees empowers them to navigate their paths toward success. He adds, “Sometimes it is better to lose the fight but focus on winning the game.”
Developing Trust to execute Tasks
Henry Lukenge’s hiring approach has shifted towards evidence-based methods, mentoring, and onboarding over the past eight years. While no longer directly involved in frontline hiring, he focuses on recruiting senior management based on attributes beyond qualifications. He conducts month-long auditions to assess alignment with company values. His mentoring sessions aim to develop trust in candidates’ ability to execute tasks independently according to SOPs. Technology serves as a pivotal component in the SOPs of Nexim Healthcare Consultants, encompassing digitized timecards, invoices, and records to reduce paper usage. A suite of customized scheduling systems, online interfaces for drivers and staff, and integrated staff intake and candidate records management systems ensure seamless operations. This guarantees punctual staff attendance, up-to-date credentials, meticulous maintenance of client and staff records, and accurate invoicing aligned with pre-approved digital time cards.
Journey to Operational Excellence
Most innovations stem from the industry’s and clients’ subtle guidance and often follow predictable patterns, allowing for risk management during growth. For instance, amidst COVID restrictions on travel, the company rented houses near clients, minimizing community spread while maintaining service provision. Even after COVID-19 containment, retaining staff in these houses enhances competitive advantage and improves frontline workers’ quality of life.
Nexim Healthcare Consultants transitioned significantly by consolidating three separate systems into one comprehensive platform for intake, record management, and scheduling. This move, prompted by client and staff feedback regarding errors and inconsistencies, was a year-long process but ultimately enhanced operational efficiency. Additionally, faced with challenges accessing stable training partners, particularly during the pandemic, Nexim established its healthcare training institute over four years. This strategic decision allows the company to control training and placement processes, positioning it ahead of competitors in talent turnover speed.
Impactful Programs for Youth Integration
Nexim Healthcare Consultants prides itself on its unique values and standard operating procedures tailored for field staff, whether in homecare, registered, or unregistered roles. The company prioritizes the well-being and career aspirations of its staff, offering continuous professional development, financial literacy training, and free retraining opportunities. Additionally, it provides affordable short-term housing and transportation options, along with internships through its foundation to support youth integration into the workforce. Active and returning staff are given priority access to these programs, recognizing that the company’s success hinges on the health and flexibility of its staff database.
For clients, Nexim Healthcare Consultants stands out as a consistently reliable partner in third-party staffing services, offering support across various sectors and geographical locations. Through auxiliary services such as transportation, accommodation, training, and 24/7 office support, the company ensures seamless service delivery. Moreover, the company actively contributes to government and organizational efforts to integrate healthcare workers into the Canadian labor force, embedding these services into the costs to provide cost savings to clients and maintain a competitive edge.
Nexim’s Path to Sustainability
Nexim Healthcare Consultant is scheduled to open Hamilton Back end operations HUB- a $3M state-of-the-art operations and business development unit. The company successfully negotiated a $4M operating line of credit to get out high-cost factoring as a tool for working capital plans.
By having the plans of the company reviewed by the board and exercising caution and deliberation after considering all factors, it is believed that every endeavor involves risks. However, once an opportunity is thoroughly evaluated and a decision is made, Nexim Healthcare Consultants believes in taking action. The risk of not moving forward often outweighs the risk of failure. The company recognizes that progress cannot be made without taking the initial step. Nexim Healthcare Consultants recognizes that a dynamic, skilled, and inclusive workforce yields greater productivity. It upholds accountability to customers, shareholders, partners, and employees by fulfilling commitments, delivering results, and pursuing excellence. The company’s sustainability hinges on the quality and profitability of the care they deliver.
Life beyond Cabin
Outside of his professional pursuits, Henry Lukenge has a wide array of interests. He enjoys delving into books, particularly those focused on history, social and economic justice, and issues of race and economic exclusion. Henry Lukenge also finds pleasure in sports, particularly soccer and tennis, and maintains an active regimen of weight training. Additionally, he is passionate about traveling and is deeply concerned about environmental and climate change issues, actively engaging in wildlife conservation efforts. As a licensed wildlife guide and wildlife cameraman, Henry Lukenge actively contributes to these causes.
