Africa’s health sector is beset by a multitude of challenges. Though there has been some incremental change, decades of investment in human and material resources from both local and international sources have achieved modest success. At the current pace of human development, Africa cannot sustain the economic growth achieved over the past decade if populations remain vulnerable and health systems fragile. A step change is absolutely critical in laying the foundations for more resilient health systems – a key component of this is having the right complement of motivated and skilled healthcare workers and leaders who have the capabilities to manage large complex systems and institutions.This change cannot be incremental. The Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA) recognises these challenges and was established to respond to them. Our mission is to be the foremost institution in Africa for building the leadership capabilities of both public and private health sector workers. Our vision is to transform healthcare in Africa by developing a generation of healthcare leaders who excel in governance and provision of quality services. Our programmes provide the time, expertise and context specific content to enable healthcare leaders and policymakers expand into their roles, transform organisational cultures and create an enduring impact on health sector strengthening. The Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA) is guided by the governing philosophy that bold, innovative approaches are required to tackle fundamental health system issues. As an academic institution, we are committed to empowering current and future generations of healthcare professionals with the requisite skills, tools and capabilities to address context specific health system challenges.