Leadership that makes innovation real
Health innovation is hard, with leaders making decisions with imperfect evidence, holding their nerve when the politics change, earning trust, navigating governance and procurement, and keeping people aligned when everyone is stretched.
In celebration of women leading from the front in health innovation, One HealthTech London’s International Women’s Day event at Hale House, gave an unapologetic and unfiltered insight into what it takes to make innovation real and create genuine impact. It was a practical, honest conversation about the messy middle, what to do when things get stuck, how to decide what matters most, and what to protect when the pressure is on.
Hosted by Digital Health Consultant Jemima Kola-Abodunde, the discussion brought together leadership perspectives that spanned industry, care delivery and innovation in practice. Jessica Schrouff, Director of Responsible AI at GSK, grounded the conversation in the realities of responsible deployment and trust. Rachel Murphy, Founder and CEO of The Grafter, brought the founder lens on navigating pressure, ambiguity and the human side of change. And Kerrie Jones, CEO and Founder of Orri Eating Disorder Clinic, provided the valuable perspective of building and leading care models where outcomes, safety and culture are inseparable. Together, they compared honest, no-holds-barred notes on power, responsibility, systems, and what it actually takes to make change stick.
The messy middle, named out loud
Leadership, the panel argued, is not about having perfect information. It is about making a call anyway, then staying accountable to the consequences. Not because that is desirable, but because it is common; Systems push back, incentives clash, priorities change and people get tired. Leadership means keeping moving without losing sight of your values, your team, or the people you are trying to serve. In Kerrie’s words:
“Go out there, it’s going to hurt but you’ve just got to accept it.”
All of the speakers were open about the emotional reality of building anything meaningful in healthcare, and reminding that uncertainty is normal, not a personal failure. The goal is not to pretend the work is tidy, but to build the muscles to lead for when it is not.
Gender, power, and who gets heard
Gathering for International Women’s Day put gender dynamics that shape decision-making in health innovation firmly on the agenda with recounting:
“I was just the only woman in the room.” and the familiar “You’re not really listened to until a man repeats your idea.”
It was a useful reminder that “diversity” is not just who is in the room. It is whose voice carries weight, whose risks are taken seriously, and whose expertise is treated as essential rather than optional. Rachel Murphy spoke candidly about agency, ambition, and the right to build, lead and take up space without constantly seeking permission. “I’m entitled to build this company and …, I’m gonna do it.”
Holding the line on values, especially in AI
Jessica Schrouff kept returning to the idea that ‘responsible’ is not a compliance badge you add at the end, it is a cultural choice you make early and reinforce daily. In fast-moving environments, values are revealed in the small decisions like what you measure and reward, who gets listened to in the room, what corners are quietly encouraged to be cut, and what gets deprioritised when deadlines tighten. In healthcare, those choices compound quickly. If the culture treats safety, equity and trust as optional extras, the product will follow, and so will the risk.
She also spoke about why how you show up and even how you dress matters – not as performance or ‘fitting in’, but as a signal of permission. When leaders show up as themselves, it quietly gives other people the confidence to do the same. In teams where innovation depends on candour and challenge, that sense of psychological safety is not a nice-to-have, it creates the conditions that allow people to contribute fully.
On showing up and speaking up, leaders must also be honest with themselves about the environments they are enabling, and the trade-offs they are making when they stay silent. In a sector where trust is everything, culture is not the soft stuff. It is the infrastructure that decides whether innovation helps people safely, or simply moves quickly.
Innovation does not happen in isolation
A single thread that tied the whole conversation together: The leadership work behind the progress and traction is not optional, it is the work, often unseen and under appreciated, but that builds the foundation for real impact and where innovation becomes care, solutions and outcomes that actually work for people, not just products that look good in theory.
At Hale House, that is the point. To build the home of HealthTech: a thriving ecosystem where startups grow, investors find opportunity, and providers access world-leading innovation that improves care for patients everywhere. And to do it in partnership with communities like One HealthTech, who keep equity, inclusion and accessibility at the centre of what outstanding innovation means.
Healthcare innovation transformation does not happen in isolation, and neither does leadership.
A huge thank you to One HealthTech for hosting, the speakers for their honesty and insights, and the audience for continuing to push the conversation forward!
