UHCW Chair Dame Stella Manzie to step down from role at the end of current term

8 June 2023

Dame Stella Manzie has announced she is stepping down from her position as UHCW Chair at the end of her term on 30th September 2023.

Dame Stella, who joined UHCW after holding various senior public sector positions including Chief Executive of Coventry City Council, has enjoyed an eventful four years in the role, during which time the Trust has come through the Covid-19 pandemic and been awarded the Freedom of the City of Coventry.

“It has been a great pleasure to work with my fantastic colleagues on the Board, both Professor Andy Hardy and the Executive Team, and my fellow independent Non-Executive Directors whose expertise and support to UHCW cannot be rivalled,” she said. “Together, we have sought to maintain high standards of governance and outstanding patient care.”

She added: “UHCW is a wonderful organisation, appreciated by so many of Coventry and Warwickshire’s citizens and beyond. My decision to step down is based on my wish to pursue some personal projects which would be tricky to achieve while remaining as Chair.

“One of the most enjoyable aspects of my time here has been meeting staff and volunteers from teams and groups across the Trust and appreciating the range and complexity of the work they do.

“Being associated with UHCW during Covid-19 and working with partners on the challenges since the pandemic, as well as the early discussions of a new vision of an improved health and social care system in Coventry and Warwickshire, has been a privilege.”

NHS England and the Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) will now start an external recruitment process and Dame Stella will be supporting this and working with her successor to ensure a smooth transition.

Chief Executive Officer, Professor Andy Hardy, said: “I want to personally thank Stella for her passion and commitment to her role, as well as to the Trust and the communities that it serves across Coventry and Warwickshire, during an unprecedented time of change and challenge. We wish her every happiness and success in her next adventures.”