Leading a Nation through a Global Pandemic | Sir Ashley Bloomfield (Former Director General Of Health)

Clinical Changemakers

"One of the conclusions I've drawn from COVID...in a sense, was that our communications approach was our most important public health intervention"

— Sir Ashley Bloomfield, Former Director General Of Health, New Zealand.

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In this episode, Sir Ashley Bloomfield reflects on his humble upbringing and how he approached being a generalist and took on new opportunities. He goes on to explore early experiences as a doctor, and how he picked up on leadership behaviors from others. Sir Ashley Bloomfield goes on to describe what it's like to be at the nexus of public health, public service and politics. He elaborates on the importance of the public service in being a trusted institution and how this was vital to New Zealand's COVID-19 response. Sir Ashley's enlightening insights provide a roadmap for governments around the world to navigate public health crises.In the final segment of our discussion, we zoom in on Sir Ashley's perspective on leadership and communication during a pandemic. He underscores the power of learning from global contexts and how transparency and effective communication build public trust. His emphasis on continuous learning and growth is a testament to his journey and the lessons he has gleaned from it. This enriching and enlightening conversation with Sir Ashley Bloomfield isn't just a podcast episode—it's a masterclass in leadership in the face of unprecedented challenges.

Follow Sir Ashley Bloomfield: Twitter/X, LinkedIn.

About our guest: Sir Ashley Bloomfield trained in medicine at the University of Auckland and specialised in public health medicine. He has 25 years of experience in public policy and health leadership, including at the World Health Organization in Geneva. He was Director-General of Health from June 2018 to July 2022 and led the country’s health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was appointed a Knights Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (KNZM) in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to public health and is now a Professor at the University of Auckland's School of Population Health.

Additional resources mentioned in the podcast

Developing Future Public Service Leaders for Aotearoa New Zealand

New Zealand’s COVID-19 response saved 20,000 lives - research

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Music attribution: AudioCoffee from Pixabay.

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