who we are
Meera Alexander MD, Founder, Leadership Coach
Dr. Meera Alexander's approach to both leadership and coaching are very similar. Bring forward your authentic self, with openness and willingness to listen and really hear, and together we can achieve great things.
Meera is a board certified internal medicine physician with 35 years of experience as a physician and 20+ years as an executive. She obtained her Certified Physician Executive (CPE) through American Association for Physician Leadership and then Masters in Medical Management (MMM) from Carnegie Mellon University. She served as Chief Medical Officer for University of North Carolina Nash, and VP for Quality and Patient Safety, WakeMed Health and Hospitals, both traditional healthcare systems, and in Regional Chief Medical Officer Leadership roles for National Value-Based Care, transformative organizations, most recently ChenMed. She also had the benefit of working with a coach personally to assist in both life planning and career transition, an experience that has been life changing.
Throughout her career she has:
- led high performing teams working toward a shared vision
- partnered with, hired and coached many physicians, nurse practitioners and others.
- mentored physicians who were "disruptive", helping them to be their best self and thrive within complex organizations.
- assisted physicians in navigating complex systems towards win-win situations, moving those ideas forward.
- performance managed others with great success and sometimes, amicable separation.
- transitioned from avoiding difficult conversations to embracing them as a gift that is too often skipped over
- and much more.
Meera has been recognized as someone who rolls up her sleeves, walks side by side with others, and asks questions to get to the root of issues. Authenticity, integrity, and embracing opportunities for joy are core values for her. She stepped down from her employed physician executive role in 2026 to establish Trusted Physician Advisors, fostering high performing teams and coaching individuals. She is obtaining Certification as an Authentic Leadership Coach (CALC) and International Certified Coach (ICF) through Authentic Leadership Advisors. She lives with her husband and their dog in Raleigh, NC.
Jim Palombaro MD, FACEP , Executive/Leadership Coach
Dr Jim Palombaro believes leadership is not defined by a title—it is earned through trust, service, integrity, and the ability to bring out the best in others.
Jim is a Board-Certified Emergency Medicine physician with more than 30 years of experience in medicine, leadership, management, and physician development. He served nine years on active duty in the U.S. Navy, including as a Navy Flight Surgeon aboard the USS Forrestal during the Persian Gulf War, developing a strong foundation in leadership, teamwork, and accountability.
Following his Emergency Medicine residency and two years as attending at Balboa Naval Hospital, Jim joined Wake Emergency Physicians, PA (WEPPA) in Raleigh, NC, where he served as President for 24 years until his retirement in 2024. During his tenure, WEPPA grew from 28 physicians to more than 150, serving 13 emergency departments across five hospital systems with a $90 million budget. Physician turnover remained below 2% during his final 15 years.
Throughout his career, he held numerous physician leadership roles, including Chair of Emergency Medicine, Assistant Chief Medical Information Officer, and President of the WakeMed Medical Staff. One of his most rewarding experiences was coaching and developing physicians as they transitioned into leadership roles, several of whom went on to become Medical Staff Presidents.
Today, Jim brings that experience to coaching healthcare leaders at every stage of their careers. While his expertise is rooted in physician leadership, he works with physicians, nurses, executives, and other healthcare professionals to help them lead with greater confidence, effectiveness, and impact.
His passion is helping exceptional clinicians and healthcare professionals become effective, respected leaders who build trust, navigate challenges, and bring out the best in their teams.
Jim is currently completing his Executive Coaching Certification.