Altaf Stationwala stepped into his role as President and CEO of Unity Health Toronto on July 2, 2025. As he approaches his one year mark with the organization, we sat down with him to discuss what he’s learned, how his approach to leadership has changed and whether he still enjoys cherry Nibs licorice.

What surprised you most in your first year?

The breadth of the work that happens across Unity Health. When you look at our profile, you see three very complex hospitals. We have a strong academic and research mandate, and our integration is still relatively new. What I didn’t fully appreciate until I arrived was the sheer range of services, programs, partnerships and expertise that exist across the organization. Almost every week, I learn about an initiative, achievement or area of work that I didn’t know about before. It’s a reflection of the incredible talent and dedication of our people. It’s an exciting place to be and I don’t think I’ll ever stop learning.  

What’s one decision from the past year that you’re particularly proud of?

I’m really proud of the decision we made to develop our next strategy in house. Organizations often hire outside consultants to support this work but I believed we had the talent, expertise and deep understanding of our communities within Unity Health to lead the process ourselves. It was an ambitious undertaking, but from the beginning, our Strategy team embraced the opportunity and the organization rallied around the work. What stood out to me most was the level of engagement from leaders, staff, physicians and learners across Unity Health. People brought their perspectives, challenged our thinking and helped shape the direction of the organization. As a result, we not only developed a strong strategy, but also built massive ownership and commitment to it across the organization. To me, that shared ownership is one of the greatest strengths of the final product. I look forward to launching the strategy this fall.

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What felt harder than anticipated?

Early on, I did a lot of walking tours and I want to continue to be visible to staff, physicians and learners. What surprised me was the depth and breadth of our stakeholder engagement, which is so key to the success of Unity Health. Being present isn’t just about spending time within our hospitals, it also means participating in events, meetings and celebrations across our many partnerships and affiliations. These connections extend to our foundations, volunteers, the University of Toronto, our founders – the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto – and so many more organizations we work alongside. Balancing these commitments can be challenging but I’ve come to appreciate how important these relationships are to the success of Unity Health and the need to invest time and attention into nurturing them.

What has helped you stay grounded during this year of transition?

What’s helped me – and what I’ve come to learn – is the strength of our mission and values. It didn’t take me long to appreciate how powerful they are. As difficult as a decision may be or a day can feel, at the end of the day, the mission and values inspire and ground me. When I learned I would be Chief Mission Officer at Unity Health, I knew it was a significant title. What I didn’t fully appreciate at the time was just how meaningful that responsibility would become. I take it very seriously.

What about outside of work?

It’s definitely my family. When I started this role, I was worried that I wouldn’t see my family as much. I have two grandkids and time with them is really important. Family helps keep everything in perspective and what I’ve learned is that you can still find ways to make that a priority, even when work is busy.

How has your leadership style evolved since stepping into this role?

I think more about the long game now. With the significance of our research and academic mandates, you can’t just look at the short game. Some of the things that we’re doing today will materialize benefits in a decade, but they’re important things to support because they position us for success in the future. Our learners are a great example. Some of them might have years of training and nurturing ahead of them, but one day, they could be superstars in their field or transform how care is delivered. Same with research; discovery takes time. I have a better understanding of the long game now, and the deeper impact on research and leadership. I try to bring that into every decision we make at Unity Health.

Last year, you shared that the taste of cherry Nibs licorice takes you back to your childhood. I understand that our staff really leaned into that. How do you feel about Nibs now?

After I shared that, I got more and more nibs everywhere I went – from staff and leaders, who were very generous. My rate of consumption has increased and even though I’m not getting as many gifts of Nibs now, I’m buying a lot more, which is really annoying my wife! So unfortunately, the Nib run rate has gone up, which probably isn’t the best thing for my health.

You have the floor, is there another treat you’d like people to start gifting you?

No! I learned my lesson, I’m not revealing anything more.

Your beloved Montreal Canadiens made an impressive push in the NHL playoffs this year. What did you learn from their run?

I learned the importance of belief and perseverance. There was a lot of belief in the team and their skill, and they pulled together to make it happen. They had two seven game series, which takes resolve, perseverance and a belief in those really challenging moments where everything’s on the line. So you need to believe in yourself, even under pressure. The other thing I learned is that you need to pace yourself. We know the outcome now, that they lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champions, and some people have said that they lost because they ran out of steam. Pacing yourself is equally important.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to your first day self?

Give yourself time to learn. In the first few weeks, I was trying to absorb so much at once—the finances, the strategic priorities, and the many parts of this complex organization. I remember talking with my spouse, who asked me a simple question: “What are the people like?” My answer was immediate: the people are amazing. Looking back, that became the most important insight. The expertise, commitment and compassion of the people at Unity Health are extraordinary. So my advice to my first-day self would be: trust the people around you and don’t feel like you need to have all the answers right away. There is tremendous strength in this organization, and you’ll discover it every day.

What does success look like for you and the organization in year two?

For myself and the organization, I have to find the right pace. We can go 1,000 miles per hour but success – doing things thoughtfully and properly – is in the long game. We achieved a great deal this year, and that momentum is something to be proud of. As we move into year two, the focus is on finding the right balance between quantity and quality. There’s still a lot to do but success will come from making sure we do it well and in a way that is sustainable for our people and the organization. Success is also in delivering on the new strategic plan once it launches this fall.

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