Guest: Dr Zoe Wyrko | Wellbeing Director at Riverstone | Former NHS Consultant Geriatrician | TV
Presenter: Rebecca Heald
🎧 Episode Summary:
In this powerful and thought-provoking episode, Rebecca Heald sits down with Dr Zoe Wyrko, a geriatrician-turned-wellbeing director, to dismantle outdated views of ageing, leadership, and what it really means to care.
From NHS frontline chaos to co-designing luxury integrated retirement communities, Zoe shares how she carved an unconventional path by listening to her gut, defying the rules, and prioritising purpose over position.
We explore the seismic shift needed in how we think about ageing, housing, and care.
We dig deep into:
Why most people don’t understand the difference between care homes and retirement living and why it matters
How her TV series Old People’s Home for 4-Year-Olds changed her career and her outlook on intergenerational living
What the private sector gets right, and wrong, when it comes to wellbeing
The invisible barriers for women in leadership and why "too many women" is still seen as a threat in some sectors
How taking risks leads to unexpected, life-changing opportunities
And why reverse mentoring and cognitive diversity should be central to how we lead at every level
This one is about more than retirement.
It’s about designing systems, at work, at home, and in society, that actually serve people.
🔥 Key Quote:
“We’re conditioned to follow a path. But when we start questioning it, that’s when real leadership begins.”
💡 Who Should Listen:
Construction leaders in later-living and retirement living, NHS and social care professionals, female leaders at a crossroads, and anyone rethinking what ageing, wellbeing, and work could actually look like.
🎯 Sponsored By APT Legal
This episode is proudly sponsored by APT Legal, a dynamic and commercially savvy legal practice offering friendly professional service at your home or our office, in all aspects of Wills & Lasting Power of Attorney drafting, Estate planning and Probate advice
