20 CEOs Shaping Health Systems Around the World

Last updated: 10 August 2026.

Health systems are shaped by thousands of decisions, but senior leaders still set the conditions in which those decisions happen. The people in this list work across hospitals, clinics, research, education, technology and community health. They are included for the shape of their roles and the systems around them, not as a ranking.

Why health system CEOs matter.

A health system CEO has to hold several views at once. Patients need safe, humane care. Clinicians need the right conditions to do good work. Boards need stewardship. Communities need trust. Researchers and educators need space to build what comes next.

The executives below show how varied that brief can be. Some lead province-wide public systems. Some work in academic medicine, cancer care, paediatrics or private hospital groups. Some bring a clinical background into enterprise leadership. Together, they make the title more useful because they show the work behind it.

1. Athana Mentzelopoulos.

President and CEO, Alberta Health Services.

Athana Mentzelopoulos is President and CEO at Alberta Health Services. The work joins clinical responsibility, stewardship and choices about care. In a health system, it is visible in strategy and small decisions that help teams coordinate across hospitals, clinics, research and communities.

Her remit sits across a province-wide health system and its continuing work to improve access, quality and patient experience. It gives the title texture. For other leaders, the useful question is simple: what do people need, and what capability is the organisation building? That is where health system leadership becomes practical.

2. Ashutosh Raghuvanshi.

Managing Director and CEO, Fortis Healthcare.

Ashutosh Raghuvanshi is Managing Director and CEO at Fortis Healthcare. The work joins clinical responsibility, stewardship and choices about care. In a health system, it is visible in strategy and small decisions that help teams coordinate across hospitals, clinics, research and communities.

He brought experience from Narayana Health into a role that spans a large private hospital network and its clinical operating model. It gives the title texture. For other leaders, the useful question is simple: what do people need, and what capability is the organisation building? That is where health system leadership becomes practical.

3. David Entwistle.

President and CEO, Stanford Health Care.

David Entwistle is President and CEO at Stanford Health Care. The work joins clinical responsibility, stewardship and choices about care. In a health system, it is visible in strategy and small decisions that help teams coordinate across hospitals, clinics, research and communities.

His leadership profile points to the Catalyst innovation programme and the opening of Stanford Hospital as examples of building capability around care. It gives the title texture. For other leaders, the useful question is simple: what do people need, and what capability is the organisation building? That is where health system leadership becomes practical.

4. Erik G. Wexler.

President and CEO, Providence.

Erik Wexler is President and CEO at Providence. The work joins clinical responsibility, stewardship and choices about care. In a health system, it is visible in strategy and small decisions that help teams coordinate across hospitals, clinics, research and communities.

His role connects a large Catholic health system with hospitals, clinics and a broad caregiver workforce across several states. It gives the title texture. For other leaders, the useful question is simple: what do people need, and what capability is the organisation building? That is where health system leadership becomes practical.

5. Eugene A. Woods.

Chief Executive Officer, Advocate Health.

Eugene Woods is Chief Executive Officer at Advocate Health. The work joins clinical responsibility, stewardship and choices about care. In a health system, it is visible in strategy and small decisions that help teams coordinate across hospitals, clinics, research and communities.

His leadership includes a stated investment in Chicago's South Side and the opening of The Pearl, linking system scale with place-based health work. It gives the title texture. For other leaders, the useful question is simple: what do people need, and what capability is the organisation building? That is where health system leadership becomes practical.

6. Gianrico Farrugia.

President and CEO, Mayo Clinic.

Gianrico Farrugia is President and CEO at Mayo Clinic. The work joins clinical responsibility, stewardship and choices about care. In a health system, it is visible in strategy and small decisions that help teams coordinate across hospitals, clinics, research and communities.

His tenure is associated with a major organisational transition and with Mayo Clinic's work to connect clinical care, research, education and digital tools. It gives the title texture. For other leaders, the useful question is simple: what do people need, and what capability is the organisation building? That is where health system leadership becomes practical.

7. John D. Couris.

President and CEO, Tampa General Hospital.

John Couris is President and CEO at Tampa General Hospital. The work joins clinical responsibility, stewardship and choices about care. In a health system, it is visible in strategy and small decisions that help teams coordinate across hospitals, clinics, research and communities.

His profile includes TGH at Home, an example of a hospital system extending care beyond the traditional campus. It gives the title texture. For other leaders, the useful question is simple: what do people need, and what capability is the organisation building? That is where health system leadership becomes practical.

8. Kevin B. Churchwell.

President and CEO, Boston Children's Hospital.

Kevin Churchwell is President and CEO at Boston Children's Hospital. The work joins clinical responsibility, stewardship and choices about care. In a health system, it is visible in strategy and small decisions that help teams coordinate across hospitals, clinics, research and communities.

His role sits at the intersection of paediatric care, academic medicine and community health, with the hospital continuing to publish work on local health needs. It gives the title texture. For other leaders, the useful question is simple: what do people need, and what capability is the organisation building? That is where health system leadership becomes practical.

9. Kevin Smith.

President and CEO, University Health Network.

Kevin Smith is President and CEO at University Health Network. The work joins clinical responsibility, stewardship and choices about care. In a health system, it is visible in strategy and small decisions that help teams coordinate across hospitals, clinics, research and communities.

He leads an academic health sciences centre where care, education and research are treated as connected parts of the same system. It gives the title texture. For other leaders, the useful question is simple: what do people need, and what capability is the organisation building? That is where health system leadership becomes practical.

10. Marc D. Miller.

President and CEO, Universal Health Services.

Marc Miller is President and CEO at Universal Health Services. The work joins clinical responsibility, stewardship and choices about care. In a health system, it is visible in strategy and small decisions that help teams coordinate across hospitals, clinics, research and communities.

His path into the role includes a long period as President before becoming CEO, a useful reminder that health system leadership is often built over time. It gives the title texture. For other leaders, the useful question is simple: what do people need, and what capability is the organisation building? That is where health system leadership becomes practical.

11. Michael J. Dowling.

President and CEO, Northwell Health.

Michael Dowling is President and CEO at Northwell Health. The work joins clinical responsibility, stewardship and choices about care. In a health system, it is visible in strategy and small decisions that help teams coordinate across hospitals, clinics, research and communities.

His role is a long-running example of health system leadership shaped around a broad regional network and a strong public voice for care. It gives the title texture. For other leaders, the useful question is simple: what do people need, and what capability is the organisation building? That is where health system leadership becomes practical.

12. Natalie Davis.

Group CEO and Managing Director, Ramsay Health Care.

Natalie Davis is Group CEO and Managing Director at Ramsay Health Care. The work joins clinical responsibility, stewardship and choices about care. In a health system, it is visible in strategy and small decisions that help teams coordinate across hospitals, clinics, research and communities.

Her portfolio spans a multinational private hospital group, with leadership responsibilities across different health markets and operating contexts. It gives the title texture. For other leaders, the useful question is simple: what do people need, and what capability is the organisation building? That is where health system leadership becomes practical.

13. Ng Wai Hoe.

Group Chief Executive Officer, SingHealth.

Ng Wai Hoe is Group Chief Executive Officer at SingHealth. The work joins clinical responsibility, stewardship and choices about care. In a health system, it is visible in strategy and small decisions that help teams coordinate across hospitals, clinics, research and communities.

He combines system leadership with a clinical background in neurosurgery, and his profile includes recognition for people-focused leadership. It gives the title texture. For other leaders, the useful question is simple: what do people need, and what capability is the organisation building? That is where health system leadership becomes practical.

14. Paulo Junqueira Moll.

Chief Executive Officer, Rede D’Or.

Paulo Junqueira Moll is Chief Executive Officer at Rede D’Or. The work joins clinical responsibility, stewardship and choices about care. In a health system, it is visible in strategy and small decisions that help teams coordinate across hospitals, clinics, research and communities.

His leadership is part of a Brazilian hospital group that has developed across multiple care settings and regions. It gives the title texture. For other leaders, the useful question is simple: what do people need, and what capability is the organisation building? That is where health system leadership becomes practical.

15. Peter Wharton-Hood.

Chief Executive, Life Healthcare.

Peter Wharton-Hood is Chief Executive at Life Healthcare. The work joins clinical responsibility, stewardship and choices about care. In a health system, it is visible in strategy and small decisions that help teams coordinate across hospitals, clinics, research and communities.

His remit includes a South African healthcare group that reports on hospitals, mental health, rehabilitation and complementary services. It gives the title texture. For other leaders, the useful question is simple: what do people need, and what capability is the organisation building? That is where health system leadership becomes practical.

16. Sam Hazen.

Chief Executive Officer, HCA Healthcare.

Sam Hazen is Chief Executive Officer at HCA Healthcare. The work joins clinical responsibility, stewardship and choices about care. In a health system, it is visible in strategy and small decisions that help teams coordinate across hospitals, clinics, research and communities.

He moved into the CEO role after serving as President and Chief Operating Officer, bringing operating experience into enterprise leadership. It gives the title texture. For other leaders, the useful question is simple: what do people need, and what capability is the organisation building? That is where health system leadership becomes practical.

17. Saum Sutaria.

Chairman and CEO, Tenet Healthcare.

Saum Sutaria is Chairman and CEO at Tenet Healthcare. The work joins clinical responsibility, stewardship and choices about care. In a health system, it is visible in strategy and small decisions that help teams coordinate across hospitals, clinics, research and communities.

His background includes medical training and consulting, a combination that helps explain the mix of clinical and operating language in his leadership profile. It gives the title texture. For other leaders, the useful question is simple: what do people need, and what capability is the organisation building? That is where health system leadership becomes practical.

18. Selwyn M. Vickers.

President and CEO, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Selwyn Vickers is President and CEO at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The work joins clinical responsibility, stewardship and choices about care. In a health system, it is visible in strategy and small decisions that help teams coordinate across hospitals, clinics, research and communities.

He is a pancreatic cancer surgeon and researcher, so his executive profile remains closely connected to the clinical and scientific work of the organisation. It gives the title texture. For other leaders, the useful question is simple: what do people need, and what capability is the organisation building? That is where health system leadership becomes practical.

19. Tomislav Mihaljevic.

CEO and President, Cleveland Clinic.

Tomislav Mihaljevic is CEO and President at Cleveland Clinic. The work joins clinical responsibility, stewardship and choices about care. In a health system, it is visible in strategy and small decisions that help teams coordinate across hospitals, clinics, research and communities.

Before leading the wider system, he served as CEO of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and oversaw the opening of that hospital. It gives the title texture. For other leaders, the useful question is simple: what do people need, and what capability is the organisation building? That is where health system leadership becomes practical.

20. Wright L. Lassiter III.

President and CEO, CommonSpirit Health.

Wright Lassiter is President and CEO at CommonSpirit Health. The work joins clinical responsibility, stewardship and choices about care. In a health system, it is visible in strategy and small decisions that help teams coordinate across hospitals, clinics, research and communities.

His role spans a large multi-state health system and includes attention to patient safety, technology and the practical work of integrating care. It gives the title texture. For other leaders, the useful question is simple: what do people need, and what capability is the organisation building? That is where health system leadership becomes practical.

Patterns worth noticing.

The first pattern is range. The job title may be similar, but the system context changes the work. A provincial service, a specialist cancer centre, an academic network and a private hospital group each ask leaders to make different trade-offs.

The second pattern is connection. The people in this list are not only managing buildings or budgets. Their profiles sit alongside research, education, digital tools, patient experience, community health and workforce questions. Leadership becomes clearer when those pieces are treated as one system rather than separate projects.

The third pattern is time. Several profiles show leaders who moved through operating, clinical or service roles before taking on the whole system. That matters for anyone developing future leaders. Give people real responsibility, let them learn the work close to patients, and then help them connect that experience to a wider brief.

How to use this list.

Use the list as a starting point for better conversations. Ask what the organisation is trying to make possible, which capability will matter most, and what teams need from their leaders this month. Then turn the answer into one small change that people can see and use.

If you are building a leadership programme, the names can also help you compare contexts. Look for the common work beneath different titles: making good decisions, building trust, improving coordination and helping people do work that matters.

Frequently asked questions.

Is this a ranking?

No. The list is organised alphabetically by first name so it is easy to scan. It is a selection of leaders whose roles provide useful examples of health system leadership across different countries and types of organisation.

Why include different kinds of health organisations?

Health systems are connected to more than hospitals. Specialist centres, academic networks, community services and private groups all shape how people experience care. Seeing the range helps leaders notice what can transfer between settings and what needs local judgement.

What should a leadership team discuss after reading it?

Start with one question: what do our people need from senior leadership right now? Then ask which part of the system is making that harder, and what one practical change would make the next month clearer for staff and patients.

How can leaders turn this into action?

Choose one theme, such as patient experience, workforce, research or digital care. Describe the behaviour you want to see, name who can support it, and set a short review point. Small visible actions are easier for teams to trust than broad promises.

Related reading.

For a practical introduction to leadership language, read Working Genius for leaders. It is a useful companion when a senior team needs to talk about how work gets done.

For team habits, read ways to lead a team with the same Working Geniuses. It helps connect system-level questions with the everyday experience of a team.

For next actions, read steps after Working Genius. It gives leaders a simple bridge from insight to practice.

A practical invitation.

The best leadership ideas are the ones people can use on Monday morning. If your organisation is working through growth, change or a demanding season, choose one behaviour that would make work clearer for people and start there.

To enquire about a keynote, workshop or facilitated leadership session, email jonno@consultclarity.org.

About the author.

Jonno White is a Brisbane-based leadership consultant, keynote speaker and Certified Working Genius Facilitator, and the author of Step Up or Step Out. He works with schools, corporates and nonprofits around the world. To enquire about a keynote, workshop or facilitated leadership session, email jonno@consultclarity.org.