LEADERSHIP ASCENDANCY PROGRAMME (LEAP)
Programme Overview
The Leadership Ascendancy Programme (LEAP) is a 6–7 month executive leadership journey built for senior healthcare leaders.
Designed with Melbourne Business School (University of Melbourne) and Singapore Management University (SMU), LEAP combines online learning, in-person workshops, and a 5-day immersive module in Melbourne, Australia, including hospital visits to apply leadership in real healthcare environments.
Through case studies, simulations, coaching, and team-based Strategic Application Projects, participants strengthen capabilities in people empowerment, strategic decision-making, healthtech innovation, crisis readiness, performance leadership, and organisational change.
By the end of LEAP, leaders emerge more empathetic, strategic, innovation-driven, crisis-ready, and equipped to lead transformation, align teams, and elevate patient/customer-centred outcomes across their organisations.
Who Should Attend
LEAP is tailored for experienced healthcare executives who want to take their leadership to the next level. Ideal participants include:
- C-suite and senior executives (e.g. CEOs, Chief Medical Officers, Directors) of healthcare organizations
- Hospital administrators and general managers across corporate and clinical functions
- Government health officers and senior public health leaders
- High-potential leaders in private healthcare groups seeking broader strategic impact
If you lead at an enterprise or hospital level and seek a powerful network alongside new leadership capabilities, LEAP is built for you.

Learning outcome
01
Shift from a directive leadership style to an empowering, trust-based approach
02
Think strategically by linking patient experience, culture, finance, and technology as interconnected drivers of decision-making
03
Leverage health technology and customer-focused strategies to innovate care models and manage crises confidently using practical simulation tools
04
Drive organizational change by applying proven change-management frameworks
05
Embrace a transformative leadership mindset that shifts from control to empowerment, reactivity to reflection, and hierarchy to collaboration
06
By the end of the programme, participants will join a strong leadership network, adopt a shared leadership language, and be ready to shape KPJ’s future together.
Programme Highlights
• Immersive hospital visits for real operational insights.
• Past participants found hospital tours “inspiring with practical takeaways”.
• Example faculty: Prof. Yalcin Akcay (Operations, MBS), Prof. Lauren Ayton (University of Melbourne).
• Guest speakers include Janine Loader (CEO, St Vincent’s), Prof. Shelley Dolan (CEO, Royal Melbourne Hospital), Kirsten Davies (Peter Mac), and Samantha Plumb (Royal Melbourne).
• Guided by faculty mentorship and executive coaching.
• Deliver data-driven solutions and pitch recommendations to senior leadership.
Faculty and Guest Speakers
Potential pool of world-class faculty and facilitators bring deep healthcare and leadership expertise:
Site Immersions
LEAP features immersive site visits to world-class healthcare facilities. During the Melbourne module, you will tour hospitals like St. Vincent’s, Royal Melbourne, Peter Mac and others, meeting local executives and witnessing patient-centered innovations firsthand. These visits are threaded into the curriculum – linking theory to practice – so that lessons from the classroom immediately resonate in the real world. Participants say the hospital tours consistently rank among the most valuable parts of the programme.



Strategic Application Projects
- Each team tackles a Strategic Application Project (SAP) that addresses a critical organisational challenge.
- Past SAPs have ranged from establishing a group-wide clinical standard for knee replacement (orthopaedics) to transforming patient experience with digital tools.
- Teams conduct data-driven analysis, consult stakeholders, and develop practical roadmaps. In our closing sessions (often in Melbourne), teams present recommendations and solution
- This capstone project ensures your learning delivers measurable impact back at work.










