The Healthcare leadership Academy

What The Healthcare leadership Academy does

The Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA) is a London-based social enterprise founded in 2016 that delivers a scholarship-based leadership development programme for early-career healthcare professionals. Its core offering is a structured curriculum delivered through multiple in-person cohorts annually, currently hosted in London, Newcastle, Bristol, Belfast, Edinburgh, Amsterdam, and Queensland, plus virtual cohorts reaching Ethiopia, Singapore, Japan, and Siberia. HLA has produced over 500 alumni globally and targets a multi-professional demographic of clinicians and allied healthcare workers, with the stated long-term ambition of operating in 50+ countries across five continents.

HLA operates on a sponsorship-funded model in which selected scholars attend the programme at no direct cost; programme delivery cost is approximately £5,000 per scholar in 2025, underwritten by commissioning partners. The principal commissioning relationships are with NHS England — separately for the North East and South West regions — and Medics.Academy, which also serves as the technology and delivery platform. Academic accreditation is provided by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), and the Medical Defence Union (MDU) operates as a supporting partner. Beyond the scholarship programme, HLA has diversified its product surface with HLA Live (an online publication and community forum), a paid Associate Membership subscription, and the HLA:IDEAS Conference, a ticketed event priced at £5 per attendee. Post-nominals (MHLA, FHLA) are conferred on scholars and fellows as a credentialing layer.

The organization is led by CEO Dr. Johann Malawana and operates with a headcount of 11–50 employees. HLA holds social enterprise certification, signalling a hybrid commercial and non-profit orientation. Direct revenue streams are limited in scale — the core scholarship programme is essentially grant- and commission-funded rather than tuition-revenue — which constrains traditional valuation multiples but aligns with the mission-led positioning of the entity and its institutional partners.

Name

The Healthcare leadership Academy

Legal name

The Healthcare Leadership Academy

Website

https://thehealthcareleadership.academy

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA) is a London-based social enterprise founded in 2016 that runs a scholarship-based leadership programme for early-career healthcare professionals, with 500+ alumni across physical and virtual cohorts funded through NHS England commissions and partner sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Leadership Training

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDABAAAK

Leadership Assessment, 360 Feedback & Development Planning

Education/Corporate Training & Professional Development/Leadership & Management Development

Keywords

• Healthcare leadership training
• Medical leadership development
• Professional education programmes
• Scholarship-based training
• Healthcare workforce development

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. HLA Scholars Programme (Scholarships): The HLA programme is free at the point of access for scholars. The programme cost is projected at £5000 in 2025 per scholar, covered through scholarships funded by partners. The organisation is commissioned by NHS England North East and NHS England South West, and supported by The MDU (Medical Defence Union) as a sponsor.
2. HLA Associate Membership: Premium subscription service providing back catalogue of HLA Live events, free annual conference ticket, access to premium HLA courses, CPD certification, and Introduction to Clinical Leadership Certificate. Students receive a 75% discount.
3. HLA:IDEAS Conference: An incubator for healthcare non-profit organisations, charging a £5 attendance confirmation fee per participant, which is transferred back to participating organisations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA) delivers a one-year, scholarship-based leadership development programme for healthcare students and professionals, covering six domains: communicator, manager, negotiator, innovator/entrepreneur, follower, and philosopher. The core HLA Scholars Programme is delivered through 8 mandatory contact days over 12 months plus weekly online content and requires a community project. The Academy also operates supplementary offerings including HLA Associate Membership, HLA Live, the HLA:IDEAS Conference, the Project Neurology Workshop Series, and a Members and Fellows Programme awarding MHLA/FHLA post-nominals.

Product overview

The Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA) offers a comprehensive suite of leadership development products and services for healthcare professionals. At its core is the HLA Scholars Programme—a prestigious one-year scholarship offering classroom instruction across six leadership domains along with mentorship and community project development. The organisation provides supplementary offerings including HLA Associate Membership for premium content access, HLA Live for thought leadership conversations, and the HLA:IDEAS Conference for non-profit incubator networking. Educational programming includes the Project Neurology Workshop Series and various community events (WiHL Cafe, Global Health Cafe, Community Weekends). The organisation also supports ongoing professional development through its Members and Fellows Programme offering post-nominal credentials (MHLA/FHLA), and maintains community engagement via the HLA Newsletter and HLA Connect collaboration platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HLA:IDEAS: An incubator for non-profit organisations in healthcare
• WiHL
• HLA.Connect
• Project Neurology
• HLA Live
• HLA:Think
• HLA:Listen

Products and services

• HLA Scholars Programme
• HLA Associate Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ alumni trained as healthcare leaders across multiple cohorts
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Social Enterprises UKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022HLA is a certified member of Social Enterprises UK, demonstrating its credentials as a social purpose organisation.
• Amsterdam UMCminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Jim Determeijer, part of the HLA International Expansion team, is a Global Health PhD candidate at Amsterdam UMC. HLA Amsterdam cohort sessions held at locations in Amsterdam.
• Health Education England North EastcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Commissioning partner providing scholarship funding for NHS healthcare professionals in the North East region. Namita Kumar, Aly Williamson and their team support the HLA programme.
• Health Education England South WestcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Commissioning partner providing scholarship funding for NHS healthcare professionals in the South West region. Jane Thurlow, Anne Elliott and their team at Health Education England, Severn Deanery support the HLA.
• Medics.AcademyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Medical technology start-up that is a key partner, facilitating the ability to offer up to 100 scholarships per year. Through Medics.Academy, the programme is accredited by the Medical School at the University of Central Lancashire. Platform provider for HLA Live and HLA Associate Membership.
• University of Central LancashirecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Through partnership with Medics.Academy, the HLA programme is accredited by the Medical School at the University of Central Lancashire. Completing scholars are eligible for post-nominals (MHLA/FHLA) and UCLan recognition.
• University College London (UCL) Academic Careers OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Supported by UCL's Academic Careers Office as part of the broader institutional network.
• The University of QueenslandminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016International university partner for cohort delivery in Queensland, Australia, part of the global expansion of the HLA programme.
• Mekelle UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016International university partner in Ethiopia for the global network of institutional partners.
• World Health OrganisationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Through Medics.Academy partnerships, the HLA works with WHO on various initiatives.
• UK House of LordsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Through Medics.Academy partnerships, HLA scholar projects have been celebrated at venues including the House of Lords.
• UK GovernmentminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Through Medics.Academy partnerships, HLA engages with UK Government on healthcare leadership initiatives.
• NHS EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Through Medics.Academy partnerships, NHS England is a key institutional partner supporting healthcare leadership development.
• Amnesty InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Through Medics.Academy partnerships, HLA scholar projects have been celebrated at venues including Amnesty International.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Royal College of Physicians: UK professional body offering leadership development opportunities and education for physicians, including awards like the RCGP Inspire Awards. Comparable as a UK institution providing leadership recognition and development to clinicians.
• Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI): Global leader in healthcare quality improvement and leadership education, offering programmes that train clinicians in improvement leadership. Comparable as a healthcare-specific leadership development institution, though focused more on quality improvement methodology than general leadership.
• The King's Fund: Established UK healthcare think tank and leadership development provider, offering programmes for senior NHS leaders and boards. Comparable as a UK healthcare leadership development institution, though operating at a more senior and policy-oriented tier than HLA.
• Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): Global leadership development provider with healthcare-focused programmes. Comparable as a leadership training methodology and credentialing peer, though serving a much broader cross-industry audience beyond healthcare.

Emerging players

• Global Health Corps: International non-profit developing healthcare leaders through fellowship programmes in global health. Comparable in mission to develop emerging healthcare leaders, particularly relevant given HLA's global expansion ambitions and virtual cohort model.
• Medics.Academy: Medical education technology company that is HLA's platform partner but also operates its own clinical training courses and accredited programmes. Comparable as a digital-first medical education provider serving the same healthcare professional audience.

Direct peers

• NHS Leadership Academy: The official NHS-affiliated leadership development body in England, offering programmes for clinicians and healthcare leaders. It is the most direct comparator to HLA in target audience, curriculum framing (NHS Leadership Framework alignment), and delivery model.
• Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management (FMLM): UK-based professional membership body focused on medical leadership, offering leadership development, credentials, and fellowship recognition for doctors. Directly comparable to HLA's MHLA/FHLA post-nominal model and clinical leadership focus.
• American Association for Physician Leadership (AAPL): US-based physician leadership organization offering certified leadership training and credentials for doctors. Directly comparable to HLA in mission, credentialing model, and target audience, though operating at significantly greater scale in the US market.

Others

• The MDU (Medical Defence Union): UK medical defence organisation and HLA's proud sponsor. Comparable as a UK medical professional membership and support organisation, illustrating the type of institutional partner HLA works with and the broader ecosystem of medical professional bodies in the UK.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hla_int
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/TheHealthcareLeadershipAcademy
• Facebookfacebook.com/HLAint
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-healthcare-leadership-academy
• Instagraminstagram.com/hla_int

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Healthcare leadership Academy