Forks in the Road: A podcast exploring dilemmas in everyday leadership

Professor Lisa Scharoun is Head of School—School of Design at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia. An award-winning teacher, researcher, and designer, Lisa specialises in Visual Communications, with a focus on design for health and wellbeing and cross-cultural design. She holds a Master of Arts in Design Studies from Central Saint Martins in London, and after working as a gr...

Today’s guest is Surya Bhatta, a global health leader and social entrepreneur based in Nepal. He is Co-CEO of One Heart Worldwide, a U.S.-based nonprofit, improving maternal and newborn health in remote, underserved communities. Surya holds a Public Health degree from Nepal, a Masters in Health Care Delivery and Science from Dartmouth College, and advanced training in Global Health Delivery from t...

Jude Pemell is a Psychotherapist based in Sydney, Australia. She trained in journalism and began her career in theatre and film across the UK, USA and Australia. She is an alumni of NIDA, the National Institute of Dramatic Arts, Sydney, Australia, an author of non fiction and poetry and a playwright of two stage productions. Her love, training and experience in theatre and film, paved the way for...

In this eighth review milestone, hosts Stephen Berkeley and Anne Boland look back at the collective wisdom of Episodes 44–48. Moving past isolated, individual reflection, this conversation weaves together the “red threads” connecting systems, leadership, and personal growth. Together, they look at how digging into the crossroads of others can bring clarity to our own professional paths. Key moment...

Today we are joined by Dr Paresh Dawda, a respected academic and healthcare leader based in Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Australia. With a background in general practice and public health, he has contributed extensively to research, teaching, and policy development in primary care in Australia and the UK. He has been a Regional Medical Director for a corporate provider with...

Today we’re joined by Dr Kirsten Meisinger, a primary care physician and internationally recognised healthcare leader. She is a family physician with Cambridge Health Alliance in the greater Boston area of Massachusetts, in the United States. Her career spans clinical care, leadership in healthcare system transformation, and teaching at Harvard Medical School and Tufts University. Her leadership i...

Today we’re joined by Anil Ramjiani, a business leader who has a passion for living well and leading well. Anil is currently two months into a new role and organisation, as Global Head of License Partnership with Primark, based in London. His career spans global sport, brand, and commerce, with a personal drive deeply rooted in health and wellbeing. From shaping athlete-led strategies at the highe...

Today we are joined by Tracey Johnson, a CEO whose career weaves together banking, market research, education, and business development into a powerful force for change in healthcare. Tracey’s story is one of convergence. Her early career built a foundation across multiple industries, but it was in the commercialization of medical devices and healthcare solutions that everything clicked. From ther...

Today, we are joined by Dr. Sohyb Basir. Sohyb is a clinician and digital health leader currently serving as Digital Health Lead at Mater ,a not-for-profit network of public and private hospitals and healthcare services in Queensland, Australia. Sohyb leads innovation across AI-powered clinical documentation, virtual care, and patient flow transformation. His work sits at the intersection of front...

In this seventh reflection episode, hosts Stephen Berkeley and Anne Boland look back at the wisdom shared in Episodes 38–42. Featuring guests from global healthcare, research, and military backgrounds, including Prof. Brian Dolan, Dr. Josh Hartzell, Lisa Toi, Dr. Luckson Dullie, and Dr. Cassandra Rauert. This episode synthesizes the “common language” of leadership that transcends borders and disci...

Today we are joined by Dr Cassie Rauert , a Senior Research Fellow specialising in microplastics exposure at the University of Queensland, Australia . Cassie is an Environmental Analytical Chemist who completed her Bachelor of Science (Honours) at the University of Sydney in 2007, followed by a PhD at the University of Birmingham in 2014, where she investigated human exposure to flame retardants i...

Today we’re joined by Dr. Luckson Dullie —a Global Health expert and the Global Chief Leadership Development and Engagement Officer at Partners In Health. Prior to his current role, Luckson spent nearly ten years as Executive Director of Partners In Health–Malawi , where he played a transformative role in improving care delivery and expanding community-based health services. He is also the founder...

Today we’re joined by Lisa Toi , a leading voice in New Zealand in social impact and innovation in healthcare services. As an Associate Partner with Synergia , Lisa has spent more than two decades helping organisations and communities navigate complexity, design better systems, for measurable change. Her work combines strategy, data, and human-centred thinking, and works with leaders across health...

Today we’re joined by Dr. Joshua Hartzell . Dr. Hartzell is a retired US Army Colonel who spent 25 years in military medicine. His training and practice in medicine is as an Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases Physician. He has a real passion for the role of leadership and leading well, so much so, that he has written a book about leadership in healthcare, ‘A Prescription for Caring in Healt...

In this episode of the ‘Forks in the Road’ podcast, hosts Steven Berkeley and Anne Boland engage with Professor Brian Dolan, a transformative leader in global healthcare with over 30 years of experience. Brian shares his journey from nursing to leading major healthcare transformations and discussing his social movements like ‘End PJ Paralysis’ and ‘Last 1000 Days’. He emphasizes the importance of...

In this reflective episode of Forks in the Road , hosts Stephen Berkeley and Anne Boland take a deep dive into the insights, dilemmas, and universal truths shared by the last five extraordinary guests from diverse geographical and professional backgrounds. Featuring insights from: * Eps 32 Dr. Jailyn Avil “Navigating Structure, Spontaneity, and Self-Discovery” * Eps 33 Dr. Gautam Nayak “Scaling up...

Today we’re joined by Professor Simone Alexander , Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Operating Officer at Alfred Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia . Alfred Health’s services include 3 hospital campuses, a large network of community programs and 18 statewide services. A Registered Nurse by profession, Simone has extensive experience in perioperative nursing, and clinical leadership of many area...

Today we are joined by Dr. Tsion Firew an emergency physician, a fierce advocate for global health equity, and a dedicated humanitarian whose work has taken her from the frontlines of emergency rooms in New York City to crisis zones around the world. Tsion is currently the Chair of Emergency Medicine at Africa Health Sciences University & King Faisal Hospital in Rwanda, a Senior Advisor overseeing...

Today, we’re heading to Alaska to meet April Kyle, the CEO of Southcentral Foundation, one of the nation’s leading native-owned healthcare organizations. April Kyle’s story is deeply intertwined with her Alaskan heritage and the rich tapestry of her family’s history. Born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, with ancestral roots linked to the Danina Athabascan tribe, April was heavily influenced by he...

Today we are joined by Dr. Gautam Nayak, a cardiologist focused on delivering world class cardiovascular care to North Central Washington in the US. He is also a co-founder of a healthcare technology start up. Gautam is a past president of the Washington American College of Cardiology chapter, and an Associate Clinical professor of Medicine at the University of Washington. He also served 10 years...

Today, we are joined by Dr Jailyn Avila from San Diego in Southern California. On Jailyn’s website, she describes how she was born into an immigrant military-conservative family. After leaving home and getting married, she slowly realised her true self. After completing medical school, and an emergency medicine residency, she transitioned to the transgender woman she is today and settled back into...

In the 31st episode of the Forks in the Road, hosts Stephen Berkeley and Anne Boland reflect on key conversations from episodes 26 to 30. They revisit discussions with remarkable healthcare leaders Dr. Resa E Lewis, Dr. Josephine Elzen Junker, Jarrard O'Brien, Dr. Aditi Joshi, and Dr. Minako Abe, exploring pivotal moments and common themes such as role of reflection and clarity of purpose in navig...

Today, we are joined by Dr Minako Abe, Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Tokyo Cancer Clinic, where she leads clinical operations, regenerative medicine, and advanced cancer immunotherapy. A U.S. board-certified physician in both Emergency Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine, Dr. Abe has over 15 years of clinical experience in New York and New Jersey. After returning to Japan in 2014, she...

Today we are joined by Dr. Aditi Joshi, a telehealth and digital health expert. Aditi studied and worked in The US, starting in emergency medicine and then took opportunities to research and build telehealth practices, well before telehealth was understood. She was an early adopter and leader in this field. She is now a global digital health consultant, an author, speaker and practicing emergency...

Joining us today is Jarrard (Jay) O’Brien, a leader in organisational development and culture transformation with over twenty years of experience spanning healthcare, government, and education. Jay’s career has taken him around the globe, from his role as the inaugural Chief Experience Officer at Alfred Health in Melbourne, to co‑founding South Australia’s Commission on Excellence and Innovation i...