Roland Fasol
A cardiovascular surgeon with more than 30 years’ leadership experience, I have founded and developed tertiary and cardiac surgery hospitals from the ground up in a range of locations across Europe and Asia, most notably in China.
Although my principal expertise lies in complex cardiovascular surgery, I also have extensive experience in building and leading medical teams and in directing the development of hospital infrastructure, including strategic planning, equipment procurement, information technology, and the introduction of new marketing and patient information systems. In addition, I have worked extensively on establishing clinical governance standards and implementing cost and quality control mechanisms.
I obtained my medical degree from the Medical University of Vienna and my Habilitation from the University of Freiburg in Germany, where I also qualified as a cardiac surgeon. My training took place at institutions including the Universities of Vienna, Hong Kong, Cape Town, and Freiburg.
Early in my career, I served as a war surgeon in a Red Cross field hospital during the Cambodian guerrilla conflict in the jungle along the Thai–Cambodian border.
I served as Deputy Head at Europe’s largest heart centre, the Rhön Clinic in Bad Neustadt, which at the time was recognised as one of Europe’s best-managed and most financially successful centres. This role enabled me to gain first-hand experience of modern medical management and healthcare cost control, while further refining my practice as a cardiac surgeon in a high-volume centre.
My leadership appointments have included launching and leading the Heart Centre in Ingolstadt, Germany; acting as entrepreneur and Chief Executive in the development of a private Austrian Heart Centre in collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic in the United States and the InterContinental Hotels Group; and establishing hospitals in Tirana, Albania, Changchun, China, the Maldives, and Papua New Guinea.
I also served as Director of Health on St Helena, where I analysed the island’s healthcare system and made recommendations for its cost-effective restructuring.
As Vice-President of Medical Affairs at Medpoint Asia, I also served as Chief Medical Officer of R&F Hospital in Guangzhou, China, in association with UCLA Health, where I played a leading role in facilitating the opening of this international hospital.
Since 2023 to 2026, I have been appointed by Medical University of Vienna International as Chief Medical Officer for the launch of the private ASA Hospital in Sarajevo, Bosnia. In the six months following its opening, the hospital achieved a monthly increase in both patient numbers and revenue of approximately 30–40%.
In 2026, in collaboration with Medical University of Vienna International, I was seconded to the Paediatric Oncology Hospital in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where I delivered daily lectures and training on hospital management, quality assurance, policy development, and the core principles of JCI.
Alongside my clinical work, I maintained an active programme of medical research. I established basic research laboratories in Vienna, Cape Town and Freiburg, pioneering clinical studies in tissue engineering and gene technology. I have also served as a medical adviser to a number of American medical companies and start-ups, and have received 24 international awards and research grants. My academic contributions include nearly 300 publications, of which around 100 are original articles and abstracts.
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- legally entitled to practice medicine as specialist in surgery in Austria (Austrian Medical Chamber)
- Licensed General and Cardiac Surgeon (Austrian Doctors Association & Chamber of Physicians - Bavaria, Germany)
- “Approbation“ - Permanent License to Practice as Physician (Ministry of Health Bavaria, Germany)
- UK GMC Specialist Registry No 6095355 (General & Cardiothoracic Surgery)
- Chinese temporary Physician License No 2012006
- Maldives Medical & Dental Council Practicing License No PL01743 - TMR 3814 (Basic Medical, General & Cardiac Surgery)
- “Habilitation“ - Venia Legendi (University Lecturer) - for Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University of Freiburg, Germany
- since 2023 - 'Professor' Medical University of Vienna
email: roland@fasol.us
Although my principal expertise lies in complex cardiovascular surgery, I also have extensive experience in building and leading medical teams and in directing the development of hospital infrastructure, including strategic planning, equipment procurement, information technology, and the introduction of new marketing and patient information systems. In addition, I have worked extensively on establishing clinical governance standards and implementing cost and quality control mechanisms.
I obtained my medical degree from the Medical University of Vienna and my Habilitation from the University of Freiburg in Germany, where I also qualified as a cardiac surgeon. My training took place at institutions including the Universities of Vienna, Hong Kong, Cape Town, and Freiburg.
Early in my career, I served as a war surgeon in a Red Cross field hospital during the Cambodian guerrilla conflict in the jungle along the Thai–Cambodian border.
I served as Deputy Head at Europe’s largest heart centre, the Rhön Clinic in Bad Neustadt, which at the time was recognised as one of Europe’s best-managed and most financially successful centres. This role enabled me to gain first-hand experience of modern medical management and healthcare cost control, while further refining my practice as a cardiac surgeon in a high-volume centre.
My leadership appointments have included launching and leading the Heart Centre in Ingolstadt, Germany; acting as entrepreneur and Chief Executive in the development of a private Austrian Heart Centre in collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic in the United States and the InterContinental Hotels Group; and establishing hospitals in Tirana, Albania, Changchun, China, the Maldives, and Papua New Guinea.
I also served as Director of Health on St Helena, where I analysed the island’s healthcare system and made recommendations for its cost-effective restructuring.
As Vice-President of Medical Affairs at Medpoint Asia, I also served as Chief Medical Officer of R&F Hospital in Guangzhou, China, in association with UCLA Health, where I played a leading role in facilitating the opening of this international hospital.
Since 2023 to 2026, I have been appointed by Medical University of Vienna International as Chief Medical Officer for the launch of the private ASA Hospital in Sarajevo, Bosnia. In the six months following its opening, the hospital achieved a monthly increase in both patient numbers and revenue of approximately 30–40%.
In 2026, in collaboration with Medical University of Vienna International, I was seconded to the Paediatric Oncology Hospital in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where I delivered daily lectures and training on hospital management, quality assurance, policy development, and the core principles of JCI.
Alongside my clinical work, I maintained an active programme of medical research. I established basic research laboratories in Vienna, Cape Town and Freiburg, pioneering clinical studies in tissue engineering and gene technology. I have also served as a medical adviser to a number of American medical companies and start-ups, and have received 24 international awards and research grants. My academic contributions include nearly 300 publications, of which around 100 are original articles and abstracts.
- - -
- legally entitled to practice medicine as specialist in surgery in Austria (Austrian Medical Chamber)
- Licensed General and Cardiac Surgeon (Austrian Doctors Association & Chamber of Physicians - Bavaria, Germany)
- “Approbation“ - Permanent License to Practice as Physician (Ministry of Health Bavaria, Germany)
- UK GMC Specialist Registry No 6095355 (General & Cardiothoracic Surgery)
- Chinese temporary Physician License No 2012006
- Maldives Medical & Dental Council Practicing License No PL01743 - TMR 3814 (Basic Medical, General & Cardiac Surgery)
- “Habilitation“ - Venia Legendi (University Lecturer) - for Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University of Freiburg, Germany
- since 2023 - 'Professor' Medical University of Vienna
email: roland@fasol.us
