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Trust Board Members

Our Board have a wide range of qualifications and experience that will guide us through as we work to realise our strategic priorities and achieve our vision as set out in our organisational strategy.

 

Sue Noyes - Chair

Date of Appointment as a Board Member: February 2024

Professional Qualifications: BA (Hons) English Studies; Member of Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ACA); Coaching Diploma; Neuro Linguistic Programming Practitioner

Experience: Sue joined UHCW in February 2024 having previously been Deputy Chair at Birmingham Women's and Children's NHSFT and joint Deputy Chair at the Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board.

Her executive career began as a Chartered accountant at KPMG before a move to work in the NHS as a Senior Finance manager in the early 1990s. She progressed to become a Finance Director in a number of provider and commissioning organisations across the East Midlands, working on major service transfers, performance developments and capital schemes, and then became Chief Executive of East Midlands Ambulance Service between 2013 and 2016.

At the same time Sue held a number of charity Trustee roles, including Chair of The Ambulance Staff Charity (TASC) and Chair of Coventry FE College. She also began studying counselling and coaching a number of years ago, achieving a Coaching Diploma from Warwick University, an NLP Practitioner certificate and a DISC personality profiler accreditation. Sue works with a wide range of clients and teams within the public and private sectors.

Passionate about public service, and the NHS in particular, Sue brings all of her skills and experience to her role as our Chair.


Professor Andy Hardy - Chief Executive Officer

Date of appointment as a Board Member: Chief Finance Officer - June 2004, Deputy Chief Executive - July 2008, CEO - June 2010

Professional Qualifications: BA(Hons) Economics, Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy, MBA

Experience: Andy is Chief Executive Officer of University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust (UHCW), one of the largest tertiary acute Trusts in the country.

Andy was appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2010. For the six years prior to that he was Chief Finance Officer of UHCW, as well as Deputy Chief Executive Officer from 2008-2010.

In addition, Andy sits on a number of boards including the following:

  • West Midlands Academic Health Science Network (WMAHSN)
  • Warwick Business School Faculty Advisory Board
  • NHS Elect
  • Beamtree Global Impact Committee, and
  • Chair of University Hospitals Association (from April 2022)
  • Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies (from March 2023)
  • Member of Coventry University’s Vice Chancellor’s Health Advisory Board (from April 2023)

In January 2016 Andy was appointed Professor of Industry at the University of Warwick and in 2022 awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Business Administration at Coventry University in recognition of his leadership and significant contribution to healthcare provision across Coventry and Warwickshire. In April 2023 he accepted the appointment of Professor for the Vice Chancellor’s Health Advisory Board, Coventry University.

Andy has served as:

  • CIPFA President
  • HFMA President
  • Chair of A.U.H. Finance Directors

Andy is also a Director of Albany Theatre Trust, Coventry, and a Trustee of ExtraCare.

In August 2023, Andy was appointed as Deputy Chair for the newly established National Improvement Board.

Working closely with David Fillingham CBE, he will lead and support the identification and delivery of national improvement priorities in line with NHS IMPACT and associated improvement approaches.

 

Susan Rollason - Chief Finance Officer and deputy chief executive officer

Date of Appointment as a Board Member: January 2018 as Interim Chief Finance and Strategy Officer, July 2018 as Chief Finance Officer

Professional Qualifications: A.C.M.A; C.G.M.A, MSc (econ) Accounting and Finance, BSc (econ) hons Accounting and Finance with Law

Experience: Susan is a qualified accountant with over ten years of senior Director level experience. She was previously the Director of Finance and Strategy for the Trust.

She is passionate about the NHS and started her career on the NHS Graduate training scheme in 1998 having graduated with a first class honours bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. Following completion of the scheme Susan worked at University Hospitals Birmingham Foundation Trust in a variety of roles including two projects of national significance: the Birmingham New Hospital and the Royal Centre of Defence Medicine.

Susan has been an expert lecturer for the Warwick University MBA course and is a key speaker in many HFMA events. She is a coach for The Girls’ Network, an organisation set up to inspire and empower girls from the least advantaged communities by connecting them to a professional role model. 


gaby Harris - Chief Operating Officer

Date of Appointment as a Non-voting Board Member: October 2021

Professional Qualifications: BSC Nursing Studies, PGDip Clinical Sciences, MBA.

Experience: Gaby began her career as a Registered Nurse, completing her BSc in Nursing Studies at Kings College, London. After graduating, she worked as a Cardiology nurse at St Georges NHS Trust before moving to University Hospitals of Leicester (UHL) as an Advanced Practitioner in Cardiology. She developed a passion for service improvement and then moved into general management.

Gaby has worked in a range of general management roles for 13 years. This included Head of Operations of Medicine at UHL prior to moving to UHCW in January 2020, shortly after which she took on the role of Deputy Chief Operating Officer.

Gaby is an experienced General Manager with a passion for improving service delivery and enabling teams to deliver the very best care and, in doing so, deliver operational performance.


tracey brigstock - Chief Nursing Officer

Date of Appointment as a Board Member: November 2021

Professional Qualifications: MA Applied Health Studies (Management), BA Health Studies, Post Grad Cert in Managing in Health and Social Care, Diploma Health Science, RN (adult)

Experience: Tracey has been a registered nurse for 35 years having trained and spent her early career at Glenfield General Hospital (Leics). She specialised in surgical nursing, across a broad range of specialties within the NHS.

Tracey has held senior leadership positions as Head of Nursing at Kettering General Hospital NHS Trust, including as an elected Staff Governor.

She has also enjoyed positions as Divisional Nurse Director for Emergency Care and Medicine at Sherwood Forest Hospitals and then Deputy Director of Nursing & Quality at Bedford Hospital prior to her coming to UHCW in 2017.

Tracey is committed to delivering and driving excellent standards of care and has great passion for growing the leadership potential of frontline staff.

In November 2021 she received a ‘silver’ award recognition from the Chief Nursing Officer for England.

Tracey is the Board Lead for Nursing, Midwifery and AHPs and Health Care Scientists. Tracey is also the Board's Director for Infection Prevention and Control and for Adults & Children's safeguarding.


Donna Griffiths - Chief People Officer

Date of Appointment as a Board Member: September 2020

Professional Qualifications: BSc Honours in Human Resource Management, Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management

Experience: Donna has built up extensive experience in leading and transforming services during a 15 year NHS career.

Her professional expertise in organisational development, resourcing, recruitment, employee relations, learning and education and staff wellbeing has been developed by working across various provider organisations in the East Midlands through the NHS Graduate Training Scheme.

Donna joined UHCW in June 2008 and has led the implementation of people, organisational development and cultural change strategies and programmes in a range of professional roles. Her portfolio includes Workforce, Wellbeing, Staff Engagement, Equality & Diversity, Organisational Development, Innovation and Quality Improvements.

As well as being a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Donna is a Committee Member for the West Midlands Healthcare People Management Association (HPMA) and, as an alumni member, continues to support the NHS Graduate Training Scheme as a programme and placement manager capacity.


Justine Richards - Chief Strategy Officer

Date of Appointment as a Non-voting Board Member: September 2018

Professional Qualifications: Full-time Post Graduate Diploma in Employment Relations, Post Graduate Diploma in Management Studies, NHS Leadership Academy Top Leaders Programme

Experience: Justine has worked for the NHS for 20 years and has experience in strategic planning, business development and commissioning senior management. Justine has also worked as an Interim Director Strategy & Business Support  for two years and Programme Director Foundation Trust and Business Development Lead for three years. Justine is currently partaking Executive Coaching and Action Learning.


jonathan young - Chief medical Officer

Date of appointment as a Non-Voting Board Member: March 2024

Professional Qualifications: MB ChB, MSc, FRCS(Orth), MBA

Experience: Jonathan has been an NHS Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon since 2012 and progressed into more formalised leadership roles since 2014. Most notably, he was a Group Clinical Director at UHCW and following this a Divisional Director at Oxford University Hospitals before returning to UHCW to take up the role of Deputy Chief Medical Officer and now Chief Medical Officer.

He is fellowship trained in trauma surgery, limb reconstruction and foot and ankle surgery. His passion for quality and improvement led to the development of the orthoplastic service at UHCW which won a TARN award and nominated for a BMJ award.

His passion for research has led him to be Principal Investigator for 7 NIHR studies and he is a past winner of the NIHR Principal Investigator of the year award. He has delivered over £650,000 grant income.

Educationally he has lectured on national and international courses on both trauma and foot and ankle surgery and more recently on his passion for leadership and management supporting new consultants on their leadership journey.

Jonathan believes strongly in the principles of the NHS and its values and strongly believes in tackling and improving health inequalities and equity of access for all patients. He wants to support strong engagement with the medical workforce to deliver the best quality care for all patients.


JERRY GOULD - VICE CHAIR

Date of Appointment as a Board Member: January 2019

Experience: Jerry joined University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust in January 2019 as an associate Non-Executive Director and became a full Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Trust’s Audit Committee in April 2019.

Jerry worked for 20 years in local government reaching head of service level. He moved into the private sector as part of a management buyout of the local authority services. Following sale of the company, he became a management consultant and joined Touche Ross (now Deloitte) in 1993.

Jerry retired as a Deloitte partner in October 2011 after 18 years. He has advised or led teams advising over 100 public sector clients particularly in relation to public sector performance improvement, service contracting, use of new delivery models, e.g. not-for-profit vehicles, and procurement of major capital projects through (for example) PFI. Before retiring from full-time work, he provided business advisory services to local authorities until April 2018 and became a non-executive director of Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in 2012 where he continues to serve as chair of its Finance & Performance Committee and the Trust’s Vice Chair.

In his spare time is a long-distance walker and serves as a Cotswold Voluntary Warden maintaining the footpath infrastructure and environment in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.


 

Jenny Mawby-Groom - Non-Executive Director

Date of Appointment as a Board Member: January 2019

Professional Qualifications: Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance Association

Experience: Jenny Mawby-Groom joined University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire as an Associate Non-Executive Director in January 2019.

After completing the NHS National Finance Training Scheme, Jenny worked for Gloucestershire Partnership and Severn NHS Trusts for 10 years, reaching the position of Director of Finance. Here she established a new Trust as part of the strategic management team, bringing together services, staff and systems from four different organisations in Gloucestershire.

Jenny moved into the private sector as a Company Director for a locum agency for GPs in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire while also serving as a Financial Analyst, External Financial NHS Consultant and Interim Deputy Director of Finance for Gloucestershire PCT.

Between 2008 and 2013, Jenny served as Financial Controller and External Consultant for Warwick Independent Schools Foundation before assuming her current role as a Financial Controller for three private sector companies, providing financial and HR services and supporting business restructuring and grant sourcing.

Working in and for the NHS is a passion and a privilege for Jenny, who has also served as a Governor for Kineton High School in Warwickshire.


Afzal Ismail - Non-Executive Director

Date of Appointment as a Board Member: April 2020

Professional Qualifications: FCCA (Member of the Chartered Institute of Certified Accounts), CMIIA (Member of the Chartered Institute of Auditors), MCIH (Member of Chartered Institute of Housing), BSc (Hons) Mathematics, QIAL (Qualification in Audit Leadership).

Experience: Having lived and worked in Coventry for more than 30 years, Afzal is a strong supporter of the services offered by UHCW, having benefited first-hand with both of his children being born on Trust sites, and family members being cared for by UHCW staff.

Afzal is an experienced Executive Director and Non-Executive Director who has worked in various committees such as finance, governance & remuneration and treasury.

Currently, Afzal is an Executive Director at housing association Orbit Group, and leads acquisition and growth projects for the business, as well as corporate services including IT & Digital Transformation, Business Improvement and Procurement. In addition, his division also leads Customer Engagement strategies. As well as this, Afzal serves on the Board of a large multi-academy schools trust based in Coventry, which has an outstanding rating.

Afzal is interested in the challenges faced within the public sector and passionate about the NHS and maintaining and improving UHCW’s services for patients and the local community.


Carole Mills - Non-Executive Director

Date of Appointment as a Board Member: April 2020

Professional Qualifications: CIPFA 1992.

Experience: Carole was born and grew up in Coventry, has lived in the Midlands all her life, and has family and friends both in the city and wider region. She has almost 40 years’ experience operating in the public sector, with two decades working at board level.

With an in-depth understanding of strategic and operational financial management, Carole is a former Chief Finance Officer and has held Chief Executive posts in three local authorities, having worked in five unitary councils.

Carole is a Non-Executive Director at housing association Midland Heart, chairing the Operations Committee and is a member of the Audit Committee.

Along with her professional knowledge, Carole will be bringing her expertise in organisational transformation, performance improvement and complex partnership working to the Trust and will be maintaining the organisation’s high standards across the local community.


Dr Janet Williamson 

Professional Qualifications: Professional Doctorate in Healthcare Leadership for Improvement (Middlesex University), Masters Business Administration, Qualified Coach.

Experience: Janet is an experienced NHS strategic leader who is skilled in delivering quality improvements for patients and their families. Specialist expertise includes leading large-scale transformational change, building high performing teams, regulatory and policy expertise across primary, acute and community care.

She joined UHCW from the Care Quality Commission, where she was Deputy Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integration over eight years. Janet was responsible for the development and introduction of the first inspection and rating programme of more than 7,500 general practices, regulation of 11,000 private and NHS dental practices, and leadership of the regulation of defence medical services across the UK and abroad, working with the Director General to ensure the health care for service personnel is comparable to the NHS.

Janet’s career in the NHS started in 1985 as a management trainee in South East Thames. She has held leadership positions managing both clinical and non-clinical services in London, Sussex, Hertfordshire, Surrey and Leicestershire Hospitals. At the Leicester Royal Infirmary NHS Trust she was Executive Director for Emergency Medicine and the Medical Directorate.

Her enthusiasm for and expertise in quality improvement was shaped by more than 15 years leading the re-design of cancer, heart, diagnostic and stroke pathways across England. She was instrumental in leading the introduction of the pioneering and award-winning collaborative methodology and lean six-sigma which saw the introduction of day case breast surgery and achievement of the two week-wait and 62 week-wait pathways in cancer.

Janet lives in Warwickshire with her family, has been a user of UHCW services and is committed to seeing safe, effective, high quality and outstanding services for patients and their families in Coventry and Warwickshire.

Janet holds a voluntary post as NED on the board of Advancing Quality Alliance, an NHS quality improvement organisation based in Manchester. 


Gavin Perkins

Professional Qualifications: MB ChB, MMEd, MD, FMedSci, FRCP, FFICM, FIMC RCS(Ed)

Experience:  Gavin is a senior clinical academic with more than 25 years of experience of serving the National Health Service and universities in the Midlands.  He originally trained in general, respiratory and critical care medicine and works clinically as a critical care physician in the hospital and pre-hospital settings.

He sits on the board as the university nominated Non-executive Director associated with his role as Deputy Dean of Warwick Medical School and Director of Warwick Clinical Trials Unit. In his academic role he leads large clinical trials to help identify the most effective treatments for people who become critically unwell.

His achievements in clinical research have been recognised through appointments as a National Institute of Health Research Senior Investigator and election as a Fellow of Academy of Medical Sciences.

Gavin has a long standing interest in improving outcomes for people who sustain a cardiac arrest.  He is co-chair of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation, whose vision is to save more lives globally from cardiac arrest. He also sits on NHS England Expert Advisory Group for Cardiac Arrest and chairs the Resuscitation Council UK Community and Ambulance Committee.


Douglas Howat – Associate Non-Executive Director

Professional Qualifications: BSc, MSc, PhD, CPsychol, PFHEA.

Experience: An experienced strategic leader in higher education, Douglas is a Chartered Psychologist and Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. A graduate of Edinburgh, Northumbria and Staffordshire Universities, Douglas’s academic and research interests lie mainly within social psychology and in particular the application of social identity principles to sport, leadership, and prejudice and discrimination.

Douglas has lived and worked in Coventry for more than 25 years, joining Coventry University in 1996, initially as a lecturer in psychology, then progressing through a range of roles, including Head of Psychology and Associate Dean for Student Experience in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. In 2020 Douglas joined the Vice-Chancellor’s Office as Dean for Undergraduate Studies and is currently Dean of Students (interim), responsible for the student experience across the University group.

A school governor for over 20 years, Douglas is currently a community governor on Finham Park School’s local governing body and is a board member, trustee and treasurer of Grapevine, a local charity which works to empower isolated and marginalised groups and individuals in Coventry and Warwickshire.


Dr Jaiye Olaleye – Associate Non-Executive Director

Date of appointment as Board Member: February 2023

Professional Qualifications: Menopause Special Skills (Theory); Diplomas: Lifestyle Medicine (IBLM), Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists; Post-Graduate Certificate: Medical Education; Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS)

Experience: Jaiye is a skilled General Practitioner with interests in lifestyle medicine and women’s health, with more than 10 years of Primary Care experience regularly seeing her work with large patient populations.

Her work extends to Warwick Medical School where, as an Associate Tutor, she facilitates case-based learning for her medical students.

Providing her skills to support strategic decision making in matters relating to quality of care, Jaiye is also committed to adopting innovative practices and sustainability development programmes, engaging in tackling complex issues facing our communities and championing the health and wellbeing of our local and diverse population.