Professor Brian Dolan OBE, FFNMRCSI, FRSA, RMN, RGN Founder and Director, The Braver Group Limited, UK Brian Dolan trained as a psychiatric nurse in Ireland and later headed to England to do his general nursing in London and worked clinically in emergency care. As well as academic research roles in general practice, primary care and nursing, he has worked as an Executive Director and also Clinical Director of several emergency departments.

In 2001, along with Professor Lynda Holt, he co-founded the Braver Group we’ve helped senior leaders ditch the performative noise, break patterns that keep them stuck, and build cultures that actually feel good to work in. Our work is grounded in behavioural science, and our programmes, like ICARE, mixes challenge with care, makes space for reflection and growth, and equip people to be braver, more impactful, and to embrace their humanity.

Brian is the author/editor of eight books on emergency care, education and leadership. His last book ‘A Clinician’s Survival Guide to ward leadership and management’ was published in 2024, and he is currently working on books on leadership, and emergency care.

Brian originated the global social movements #Last1000Days, to value patients’ time, and #EndPJparalysis, to encourage patients to get up, dressed and moving to reduce their risk of deconditioning while in hospital. He holds Honorary Professorships at Salford University, Manchester and Bond University, SE Queensland and holds Masters degrees from Oxford University and King’s College, London.

In 2018, Brian was voted one of the 20 most influential people in the 70-year history of the UK’s National Health Service and in the 2019 New Year’s Honours List and was awarded an OBE in the ‘For Services to Nursing and Emergency Care’.