Meet Peter
From Army Medic to Corporate Leader: My transition from military service to Bupa
When I joined the Australian Army in 1987, just before my 20th birthday, I never imagined it would become a 22-year career that would shape who I am both professionally and personally.
After training as a medical assistant, I spent more than two decades serving in the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps, working across hospitals, health clinics, field exercises and operational deployments. Over time, my responsibilities grew beyond healthcare delivery into people leadership, operational management, workforce planning and service delivery. I eventually reached the rank of Warrant Officer Class One and became the Regimental Sergeant Major of the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps.
The Army had given me purpose, structure, camaraderie and security. Leaving was never going to be easy.
By 2009, with a young family and another posting on the horizon, my priorities had shifted. My wife and I wanted to settle in one location, and I made the decision to leave full-time military service, remaining in the Army Reserves for a further three years.
While it felt like the right decision, it was also confronting. After spending more than half my life in uniform, I was leaving behind a system that had shaped my identity. Like many veterans, I questioned whether I was making the right choice and even considered returning.
One of the biggest adjustments was starting over. In the Army, I had reached one of the most senior positions available to me. Suddenly, I found myself in new environments where my rank and history meant little. What mattered was my ability to contribute, collaborate and deliver results.
Over time, I realised the skills I'd developed in the military were highly transferable. Leadership, communication, stakeholder management, project coordination, planning, resilience and decision-making under pressure all translated into the corporate world.
The cultural shift was also significant. Military life is built on structure, governance and clear lines of accountability. Corporate environments often offer greater autonomy and flexibility. Learning to adapt, rather than compare one environment to the other, became an important lesson.
Perhaps the greatest growth came through leadership. In the military, leadership is often direct and decisive. In the corporate world, I learned the value of listening, collaboration, stakeholder engagement and leading cross-functional teams. Developing these skills ultimately made me a stronger leader.
My career later took me to Aspen Medical, Medibank and eventually Bupa when the ADF health contract transitioned in 2019. Today, I'm the Head of National Service Delivery for the ADF Health Services contract, responsible for service delivery leadership, operational performance, contract management, stakeholder engagement and workforce leadership across Defence bases around Australia.
What I value most about Bupa is the opportunity to continue supporting the Defence community while enjoying the stability of being home with my family. Over the past seven years, I've been encouraged to learn, grow and pursue new challenges in an organisation whose values align closely with my own.
If I could offer one piece of advice to other veterans, it would be this: back yourself.
Too often, veterans underestimate the value of their experience. Whether you've served for four years or 24, you've developed skills that employers need, including leadership, teamwork, communication, project management, operations management, adaptability and problem-solving.
Transition takes time, and it's normal to feel uncertain. But looking back now, I can see that the skills I developed in uniform became the foundation for everything that's followed since.