Alchemy - Issue 28 | Page 28

Where are they now? ‘80 ‘02 The multi-talented Leonie Wohl (nee McKeough) (BPharm 1980) began her career as an inpatient pharmacist at Wangaratta District Base Hospital. After completing a Graduate Diploma of Hospital Pharmacy and a Master of Pharmacy Studies in 1982 while working as a discharge pharmacist at Queen Victoria Hospital, she took on the role of retail manager at a pharmacy in Bendigo. For Robert Sztar (BPharm 2002), pharmacy runs in the blood. As a second generation pharmacist and son of Joseph Sztar (BPharm PhC 1968), he has spent the last 16 years working across community, hospital and international practice settings. In 1983, Leonie moved across the globe to San Francisco to marry lawyer and long-term pen pal Steven Wohl. Keen to continue practising pharmacy in America, Leonie worked in finance while studying at the University of California, San Francisco, to gain the required qualifications. She was subsequently employed as an inpatient pharmacist with Kaiser Permanente, the largest integrated health maintenance organisation in the US. Soon after, she was promoted to assistant chief pharmacist in the outpatient setting. She was the first clinical pharmacist in the Northern California Kaiser region and held various roles with Kaiser Permanente in a career that spanned more than 30 years. Leonie has two boys and currently works on call in retail pharmacy while spending her spare time doing volunteer work with seniors. A fan of the arts, Leonie enjoys Bollywood dancing, playing piano, watercolour and acrylic painting, travel, documentary films, theatre and music. 26 Robert met wife Amanda Sztar (nee Bracht) (BPharm 2002 (Hons) at Monash and a year after graduation they travelled to the UK to work for Lloyds Pharmacy as pharmacy managers in neighbouring communities. A year later and after touring Europe for six months, they arrived back in Australia as a newly engaged couple. They joined Robert’s father Joseph, to help him operate and develop his community pharmacies. It was during this time that Robert’s knack for technology came to the fore. A self-confessed technology crash test dummy who sees innovation around every corner, Robert founded Pharmactive, working directly with pharmacy owners to transform their businesses through smart technology. He is also the author of Transpharmation, a book detailing a four-step method to successfully implementing technology into a pharmacy business, editor in chief of Transpharmation magazine and podcast host of the Transpharmation show. Outside work, Robert is a weekend warrior who loves keeping active with his wife and two young daughters and is a passionate lifelong supporter of St Kilda and Manchester United.