Leading with people in mind: Human-centred solutions for workforce and system challenges

Ms Margaret Lee

Margaret is a healthcare leader with three decades of experience, from critical care nurse to CEO of Alexandra Hospital (AH). She leads the hospital’s transformation, blending heritage with innovation whilst advancing compassionate care, workforce wellbeing, and system-wide change across AH and the National University Health System (NUHS).

As AH’s founding Chief Culture Officer, Margaret established the hospital’s identity as a learning, innovative organisation by embedding the WE CARE outward‑mindset culture, strengthening values of psychological safety, empathy, and shared purpose. A certified Outward Mindset facilitator, she has cultivated collaborative leadership and relational trust across NUHS.

As AH’s founding Chief Nurse, she pioneered the Future of Alex Nursing strategy, expanding nursing practice across settings to integrate care seamlessly, while building sustainable capabilities through education, mentorship, and shared governance. She spearheaded AH’s Manpower Optimisation strategy, introducing flexible workforce models and agile practices to enhance resilience.

Deeply committed to patient partnership, Margaret served on the NUHS Patient Advocacy Steering Committee and currently contributes to the PROVE Steering Committee on patient‑reported outcomes. A Harvard Business School Advanced Management Programme alumna and Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality, she has been honoured with the President’s Award for Nurses and multiple Public Administration Medals.

Dr Ram Narain

Dr. Ram Kumar Narain, Chief Administrative Officer at SSMC, combines extensive medical expertise with deep experience in healthcare leadership, strategic planning, and administrative operations. He is responsible for overseeing operational and clinical services while guiding the development and execution of the organization’s annual operating plan in alignment with SSMC’s long term strategy. His medical training includes cardiac surgery at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, United Kingdom, and Toronto General Hospital at the University of Toronto, Canada. To strengthen his leadership capabilities, he also completed management education at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and Singapore Management University.

After eight years abroad, Dr. Narain returned to India in 1999 to serve as CEO and Medical Director of a 110 bed heart institute. In 2006, he joined the Reliance Group and led efforts to establish Kokilaben Hospital, an 875 bed quaternary care facility in Mumbai. As Executive Director for fourteen years, he contributed significantly to hospital design, planning, commissioning, project management, operations, clinical governance, and strategic growth. From 2019 to 2023, he served as Chief Operating Officer of Emirates Hospitals Group in Dubai, managing a broad healthcare network across the UAE before joining SSMC.

Asst Prof. Erik Thunström

Erik Thunström believes that people learn, innovate, and perform best when they are trusted with responsibility and given room to grow. This philosophy guides his work as Head of Cardiology at Sahlgrenska University Hospital Ostra, where he strives to create an environment in which research, clinical care, and leadership evolve together, and where contribution matters more than hierarchy.

His work spans clinical cardiology, medical education, and national quality improvement. In medical education, he advocates preparing future physicians not only to master today’s knowledge, but also to continuously acquire new knowledge, navigate complexity, and solve problems that have not yet been defined.

Whether developing future physicians, improving the implementation of evidence-based cardiovascular care, or supporting teams to test new ideas, his focus remains the same: creating conditions where people can do their best work and where innovation becomes part of daily practice.