My Story
A Word From Our Founder
My roots trace back to Sudan, a culture where resilience, community, and education are deeply intertwined. I was raised in a family where medicine was not just a profession but a philosophy of service. Both of my parents were physicians, and from them I inherited a fascination with healing and a deep respect for discipline, empathy, and purpose. From an early age, I was drawn not only to how doctors treated patients but also to why systems succeed or fail in delivering care. That curiosity became my lifelong pursuit: to become a researcher and thought leader capable of turning science into strategy and transforming insight into impact.
After more than seven years of pediatric practice, I dedicated myself to advancing patient outcomes and clinical performance. Working across several hospitals in Saudi Arabia, I learned the rhythm of high-stakes care, the importance of teamwork, and the standards required to sustain excellence. Alongside clinical practice, I published and reviewed research, served on editorial boards, and supported scientific inquiry—believing that every contribution to knowledge strengthens our collective ability to serve better.
When I transitioned to the United States, I continued serving as a medical interpreter for one of Virginia’s largest healthcare language networks, helping bridge the gap between patients and providers from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. That experience reinforced a truth I had long known: equitable healthcare requires more than access; it requires understanding, communication, and leadership that unites science with empathy.
Over time, my vision of impact expanded beyond the clinical field. I became increasingly fascinated by the structure of healthcare systems and how policies, incentives, and data intersect to shape outcomes. To explore this, I immersed myself in the health insurance field—first as an agent and later as an independent broker. This experience revealed how design and management decisions directly affect care delivery, motivating me to think beyond medicine and toward systems transformation.
That realization became a turning point. I began advising healthcare professionals and organizations on aligning research with strategy, evidence with leadership, and people with purpose. What started as individual consultations evolved into a larger ecosystem of collaboration, knowledge, and strategic design, forming the foundation for Dr. Suliman Advisory Group LLC.
Built at the intersection of boutique strategy and scientific research, the Advisory Group LLC exists to help healthcare leaders and institutions grow intelligently, guided by data, integrity, and human insight. Today, I lead a multidisciplinary collective of physician-researchers who merge clinical experience with academic rigor. Together, we translate data into decision frameworks and research into leadership models that strengthen healthcare systems from within.
Through initiatives such as The Advisory Pulse Newsletter, we share those insights with healthcare executives and global leaders. These platforms extend our mission—connecting science, leadership, and innovation through frameworks like the Growth Equation and Adaptation Equation, designed to help organizations evolve with clarity, reinvest with intelligence, and lead with authenticity.
Though my path has spanned multiple countries, one constant remains: the influence of my roots, the values of humility, perseverance, and intellectual curiosity that continue to guide how I learn, lead, and serve. What began as a fascination with medicine has evolved into a lifelong commitment to impact, connecting research, leadership, and innovation across borders.
My journey continues—from clinician to researcher, from researcher to entrepreneur, and now as a thought leader guiding healthcare executives toward evidence-anchored growth. Yet the essence remains unchanged: to move healthcare forward with intelligence, integrity, and impact.
Dr. Suliman E. Ahmed, M.D.
Founder & CEO, Dr. Suliman Advisory Group LLC
‘Living away from home is stressful’: Sudanese diaspora looks beyond the war
Speaking to Ismail Akwei on Global South Conversations, Dr Ahmed shared his personal journey from Sudan to the United States and reflected on the conflict that has reshaped the lives of millions in his home country.
Sudan has been in deep crisis since April 2023, when fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced more than 12 million people, including 8.6 million within Sudan. Many more are seeking safety in neighbouring countries like Chad, Egypt, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Ethiopia.
However, millions of Sudanese professionals are fighting against this conflict in their own way, miles away from their home country.
One of them is Dr Suliman Ahmed, who has worked as a paediatrician in Saudi Arabia, a medical interpreter in the U.S., where he is based, a health insurance broker and now the founder and CEO of Dr Suliman Advisory Group.
Speaking to Ismail Akwei on Global South Conversations, Dr Ahmed shared his personal journey from Sudan to the United States and reflected on the conflict that has reshaped the lives of millions in his home country.
He recalled his childhood years in Sudan despite being born in Yemen to Sudanese parents who were both physicians. He returned to Khartoum for medical school, and although he grew up mostly in Saudi Arabia, he said Sudan shaped his earliest memories.
“I spent the first two years or the first few years of my life in Sudan communicating with my aunties, uncles, a lot of friends. And I even went to the first grade school and the preschool. So I spent a good time in there and I have a lot of memories. I carry a lot of love to my grandma who passed in 1998 or 1999. And I had actually a very colourful, prosperous memory. Sudan was doing good. Sudan really was doing good,” he said.
For Sudan to feel like home again, Dr Ahmed said three things must happen: “Maintain national unity and prevent further fragmentation, exclude perpetrators of civilian atrocities from future political processes, and hold those responsible for destruction accountable and mobilise funds for reconstruction.”
He believed Sudan has the intellectual capacity to rebuild, but not the resources. “Sudanese people are capable of making the country stand again,” he said. “All we need is funding to actualise our ideas.”
He shared the hope of one day retiring in Sudan, once peace returns. “Living among your people… is a blessing. I see myself retiring in Sudan,” he said.
He acknowledged the works of community groups such as the Sudanese American Physicians Association (SAPA), which has been providing medical support to hospitals inside Sudan. “They had a tangible impact… raising funds for medical centres, helping trauma patients move to Egypt, Germany, the US, and the UK,” he said.
“All of them feel the tragedy… everyone is trying to donate, to help, to alleviate the misery… We are generous by default. If we utilise this momentum and turn it into practical plans, we can make a great impact,” he added.
To those still living through the war, he offered encouragement: “Stay your ground, don’t lose hope… we will go through this all together.”
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
#Sudan #Sudanese conflict #Ismail Akwei #Global South Conversations
Meet Dr. Suliman Ahmed: Pioneering Pediatric and Healthcare Leadership
After more than seven years’ practice as a committed pediatrician it was my vocation to have the interest of my patients as a priority. Employed for a number of hospitals in Saudi Arabia, I have gained vast experience of both the pace and the demands of the hospital environment, administrative stability and improvement in the health of critically ill children and teams.
Throughout my journey, I relished the opportunity to contribute to the enhancement of pediatric care through research, publication and as a peer reviewer and an editorial board member. But as I advanced in my career I found out that there are other ways that I could help others apart from treating patients. This motivated me to empower patients or families facing numerous challenges in the complicated healthcare systems to receive the appropriate help they require.
In parallel to my clinical practice, I continued to serve in the capacity of a Medical Interpreter employed by one of the largest Language Services in the state of Virginia, helping provide equal access to care removing all cultural barriers that might hinder anyone from receiving the necessary treatment.
While my professional path has evolved, my core values of excellence, compassion and a relentless pursuit of improving patient outcomes have remained constant. I keep on expanding my experiences in the healthcare field, including a year’s deep dive in the health insurance industry through two separate roles, as an agent and an independent broker, measuring its impact and effectiveness on patients. My goal now is to advocate for patients, assist other clinical professionals and actively participate in the larger community of health care.
Looking ahead, I am energized by the chance to make a broader impact in healthcare recruitment and clinical settings. I continue to hold the vital interest of patients and physicians with patients’ right to quality and compassionate care across the population.
