When Sarah packed her bags after university, she never imagined her year-long adventure would turn into a fifteen-year stint in London and a pioneering career in healthcare technology. 

“I’ve always worked in different organisations, but there’s always been this golden thread around healthcare and wellbeing,” says Sarah, reflecting on her career path. “Once you find your thing, it’s difficult to pivot away from it.” 

After completing her Health Sciences degree at Deakin University, Sarah wasn’t quite ready to enter the workforce. 

“I think I’d burned out a little bit. I’d studied from Prep through to the end of my first degree,” she recalls. 

Taking a year off including a few months travelling gave her perspective – she wasn’t done with study yet. She returned to Australia to complete a Master of Public Health, before heading overseas again for a 12-month round-the-world experience. 

That trip changed everything. What began as an adventure became the foundation of her career when she landed her first London job in health communications. 

“It was a real eye-opener about the value of words and how you translate complex information into simple messaging.” 

Her career evolved organically – from pharmaceutical communications to running employee wellbeing programs at American Express, then as Head of Global Clinical Resourcing and Engagement at Bupa. Along the way, she met her Australian husband during a brief return home, and they built their life together abroad. 

The Covid pandemic presented both challenge and opportunity. Sarah saw the extraordinary potential of health technology, including virtual care and wanted in. She joined Koa Health in London as part of their executive team and was responsible for rolling out digital mental health solutions globally.  

Now back in Australia with three children, Sarah remains passionate about healthcare’s future. She is currently advising health technology start ups on international expansion opportunities and acting as General Manager for Koa Health to deliver employee and student mental health solutions throughout Australia.     

“The thing I find really exciting is prevention and early detection,” she says. “Imagine paramedics arriving at your door saying, ‘You’re about to have a heart attack.’ It sounds extreme, but that’s where we’re heading with wearables and predictive analytics.” 

Between mentoring young professionals and some tennis in her spare time, Sarah finds inspiration in her children who are learning to code and regularly come up with innovative tech ideas.  

When asked her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, Sarah says; 

“The most successful startups find solutions to everyday problems. Find the problem first, then create the solution.”