Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub is an inspirational role model widely regarded as personifying the best of cardiac surgery. A pre-eminent cardiac surgeon-scientist, his contributions include pioneering advances in heart and heart-lung transplantation, congenital heart surgery, and aortic valve-sparing surgery; translational research including heart valve biology, myocardial recovery, and tissue engineering; and providing cardiac surgery to the underserved throughout his career. He founded the charity Chain of Hope which has been responsible for hundreds of missions and thousands of operations across the world, as well as the Aswan Heart Center which provides free medical care to those in need. His many recognitions include a Knighthood, the Order of Merit, the Lister Medal from the Royal College of Surgeons, membership of the Royal Society, and in 2017 the AATS Scientific Achievement Award. Born in Egypt, he completed most of his training and career in the United Kingdom at Harefield and the Royal Brompton Hospitals in London, where he trained and mentored several future AATS presidents, and inspired a generation of academic cardiac surgeons.