Non-Executive Directors
Dan lives in Wareham and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy (CIPFA), with a broad range of experience working with, and within, the public, private and charity sectors. He is currently (since August 2018) employed by CIPFA itself as the Chief Operating Officer – where he leads on the provision of internal business support services and CIPFA’s advisory services.
He is a member of the Institute’s Council and Board. He was previously a Director of EY (2015 – 2018); having also held roles in central government departments and as a Senior Manager for PwC. In addition, Dan is presently a Member of the Audit Committee at the City of London Corporation, and a Member of the Joint Audit Committee at Sussex PCC and Police Force.
“I’m delighted to be joining the Board of NHS Dorset, and really looking forward to getting stuck into the task at hand, supporting the executive team and ensuring we all work together, collaborate and innovate to deliver the vision of NHS Dorset.”
John is both a chartered accountant and chartered engineer. John’s career began as an electronic engineer in the hi-tech manufacturing industry (GEC Plessey and Siemens). He then worked for Deloitte & Touche in their technology, media and telecommunications sector before joining BT Group in 2002. Over two decades, he has held multiple finance director roles within the company culminating as CFO for BT’s Technology Units.
John joined Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in autumn 2022 as their Chief Financial Officer and member of their Board leading the Finance, Procurement and Commercial teams.
John was also a Board Member and Chair of Mobile Broadband Network Limited (MBNL), a joint venture between EE and Three. As an advocate for lifelong learning, John served as a Non-Executive at Bournemouth University and was deputy chair of their Finance and Resources Committee.
Kay spent her career as a teacher and was with the Sir John Colfox School, Bridport for 22 years until 2016, initially as Deputy Head and for the last 13 years as the headteacher. She concluded her teaching career as the Executive Principal of The Minerva Learning Trust, Bridport (2016 – 2019). Since then, she has commenced a Non-Executive Director (NED) career and is a member of Kingston Maurward Governing Body, and since 2019 has been a Non-Executive with NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) where she is the Deputy Chair of the Governing Body; Chair of the Remuneration Committee; Vice Chair of the Primary Care Commissioning Committee; and Vice Chair of the Audit Committee.
She is also a member of the Dorset Non-Executive Directors’ Group and as part of her involvement with the Health Inequalities Group is involved with the Optum initiative looking at waiting lists and health inequalities.
“I am delighted to be able to continue to work with the NHS in Dorset at this very important time. I have enjoyed my work with the clinical commissioning group and hope to bring that knowledge and experience to my new role. I am particularly interested in supporting children and young people, addressing inequalities and in improving mental health services. The new NHS Dorset and integrated care system is a key development which will be of great benefit for everyone in Dorset. Working as a partnership across the public, voluntary and community services in Dorset means we can achieve so much more, target what we do more closely on our own communities and make Dorset an even better place to live.”
Jonathon was a political and investigative correspondent for The Sunday Times, a speechwriter for the UK Government’s Secretary of State for Health and went on to become Managing Director of NHS Choices – now called NHS.UK (2010 – 2014). At NHS Choices he helped create a public digital front door for the NHS providing health and quality information for the public. His work in this role also got him involved in initiatives like shared decision-making and information prescriptions. From 2014 to 2020 he ran a consulting business working with CEOs of digital health start-ups on digital and commercial strategies.
He is currently the COO of ‘Healthily’ – an AI-driven self-care platform with 100 employees. Since being brought into this role he has restructured the company, shaped a commercial strategy, brought in a quality management system, created a research and analytics department, and introduced objective and key result reporting.
“I’m really proud to be given this opportunity. I hope my experience can help support the integration agenda and I look forward to the challenges ahead. I’ve lived in Dorset for 20-years. The county’s public services have looked after my family well and I’m keen everyone in the county feels the same way.”
Since August 2018 Leesa has been the owner of By the Waves Consulting, where she helps charities to be more effective, efficient, and sustainable. Recently she also held the role of Interim Chief Executive at Jeans for Genes, a national grant-giving charity that raises funds to support people living with genetic conditions.
Other previous roles include Board positions at The Big Issue Foundation and the Royal Osteoporosis Society, as well as 9-years at the RNLI, initially as Head of Community Engagement between 2009 and 2014, then as Director of Community Lifesaving from 2014 to 2018.
“I know first-hand how important it is to make health care more integrated and accessible for the people of Dorset. I am excited to be appointed to NHS Dorset to draw on my personal and professional experience to help transform health care provision here.”
Rhiannon is a registered nurse who has 40 years’ experience working in the health and care sector in Wales and England, starting her nurse training in London in 1981. Having worked in acute care, primary care, community public health nursing and the Welsh Ambulance Service before joining Public Health Wales as the first Executive Director of Quality, Nursing and AHP’s and led on a number of areas including quality, governance, risk and the national safeguarding service for Wales and has been a member of the board prior to retiring from this role after a decade. During her career she has also had opportunity to spend a few months working in the WHO European Regional Office.
She has previously held two trustee board roles initially with Calan Domestic Violence Services and then the Florence Nightingale Foundation Trust.
Rhiannon has an MSc in women’s studies and is a trained integrative counsellor and Meyler Campbell trained business coach and has her own coaching business.
“I am delighted and excited about being part of the next chapter for the ICB in Dorset in ensuring the delivery of the strategic plan is having demonstrable impact on improving health and care for the population of Dorset”.
Jenni is the Chair of Dorset’s Integrated Care Board, public name, NHS Dorset.
After beginning her career in the probation service, Jenni joined the civil service, at the Home Office, where she spent four years before becoming director of policy and research for the Independent Police Complaints Commission. In the latter role she was responsible for establishing governance of the new police complaints system.
In 2012, Jenni became chief executive and monitoring officer for the Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner, where she led the development of the office’s vision, mission, values and organisational strategy, following on from being CEO of Hampshire Police Authority. She took on the role of investigating committee chair for the General Dental Council in 2014. She is also a member of the Judicial Conduct Investigating Office, a public appointment. Jenni holds a non-executive portfolio which includes the English Cricket Board’s Regulatory Committee, Hampshire Cricket Board and Hampshire Sports & Leisure Holdings.
Jenni was named as the Chair of the of the Dorset Integrated Care System (ICS) in February 2020. She served as the Director of Equality & Inclusion with NHS England from August 2020 to June 2022.
In the summer of 2022, she became the Chair of University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.
Patricia is the Chief Executive Officer Designate for Dorset’s Integrated Care Board, public name, NHS Dorset, responsible for overseeing complex health services and health improvement programmes for local communities.
Patricia has over 30 years’ experience of working in the NHS and holds a Masters degree in Health Care Management. She is a graduate of the East of England Aspiring Directors Programme, the ‘Breaking Through’ Leadership Programme, the Athena Leadership Programme for Executive Women, and the Collaborative Leadership Programme at the Kings Fund.
Whilst working in the NHS Patricia has remained passionate about improving the lives of patients and staff in ways that matter to them. Patricia has a strong focus on equality, diversity, inclusion, and health inequalities. She is currently co-chair of the provider Chairs and CEOs network, and member of the NHS England’s Health Inequalities Oversight Group. Patricia is a member by distinction of the Faculty of Public Health and has been a member of the NHS Assembly since its inception.
Patricia was named as one of 25 Rising Stars of the NHS in 2013, one of the top 50 CEOs in 2019, was awarded an OBE in 2019 for services to the NHS and was named amongst the top 50 BAME figures who will exercise the most power and/or influence in the NHS and health policy in 2020.
Rob joins us from the Frimley Integrated Care System where he has been the Finance Director of the Clinical Commissioning Group and the Finance Lead for the Integrated Care System. He was Chief Finance Officer of the three legacy CCGs prior to a merger in April 2021.
After 20 years in the private sector, in the oil and gas and pharmaceutical industries, he moved to the NHS 10 years ago. His first role was with a mental health provider before moving to Surrey Heath CCG in 2013 as Chief Finance Officer. Whilst at Surrey Heath he was involved in developing the Integrated Care Teams which won national recognition and became the Managing Director of the CCG for two years. Rob has spent half his career in finance and half in operational and marketing roles.
Outside of work he has three children and has recently rediscovered golf with his daughter. Saturday afternoons are often spent in the futile task of watching Reading FC avoid relegation.
“I am absolutely delighted to be joining NHS Dorset as the Chief Finance Officer. The system is absolutely committed to reducing inequalities and the NHS cannot do it on its own.
“I look forward to helping the finance community across the system work together to support our colleagues and residents to make a real difference to their lives.”
Dawn is a graduate of the University of Kent and has enjoyed a 30-year career spanning the private and public sector. Dawn has held senior leadership in sales and operations as well as HR and learning and organisational development and is an executive coach and mentor. She joined the NHS in 2011 and since then has led a range of award-winning staff experience improvements as well as major change and transformation including the people elements of the merger between Birmingham Children’s and Birmingham Women’s Hospitals.
Dawn is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and is passionate about steering the people agenda and inclusive culture development to create environments where everyone can perform at their best for the benefit of population health and wellbeing.
Outside of work, Dawn loves to run, walk, cycle and swim, making the most of the fabulous Dorset coast and countryside with her husband and, when she can drag them along, her two grown up children.
“I am proud to be joining NHS Dorset as Chief People Officer. This is a once in a generation opportunity to join up and tackle all the things that affect population health and wellbeing. Addressing health inequalities is at the heart of this and our workforce across Dorset is our biggest asset in achieving this vision.
“I came from Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust to join the Dorset system as Chief People Officer at Dorset County Hospital in early 2021. I have been struck by the passion and commitment of my colleagues across the system and I look forward to continuing collaborative working as we develop a people strategy that delivers the ambition for integrated care.”
Paul qualified from Bristol University in 1996 and initially pursued a career in older people and stroke medicine where he developed a passion for holistic generalised medicine and the benefits of multidisciplinary working which led to a switch to general practice.
Whilst in general practice Paul was fortunate enough to get involved in local clinical leadership before becoming Clinical Chair of the NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). Since June last year he has also been the interim Medical Director of the Integrated Care System (ICS) in Devon.
Away from work, Paul would rather be outside than in, walking, running, and climbing over hills and mountains, spotting and occasionally being able to identify wildlife and being a father of three.
“I have been really encouraged by the enthusiasm, optimism, and friendliness I have encountered from everyone I have spoken to here in Dorset. To have the opportunity to be part of what I believe will be a really exciting team at a time when NHS change gives us the best chance of working in a collaborative, integrated way for our population is a real privilege.”
David is an experienced forward thinking and progressive leader who has worked in the NHS for over 21 years across a variety of provider and commissioning roles at national, regional, and local level. What drives him is a sharp focus on whole person care and population health together with a strong public service ethos.
David has successfully led strategy, service improvement and delivery initiatives as well as implemented several ground-breaking improvement and transformation programmes across a broad spectrum of areas. Key to his approach is teamwork, both with his own teams and with partners across the health and care economy. He feels prioritising strong working relationships with colleagues, partner organisations and the public based on empowerment and mutual respect are the cornerstone of a successful future for the health and care sector.
“I firmly believe that developing care and support delivered in communities, neighbourhoods and in people’s own homes is the single most important mission for health and care leaders in the next 10 years. As a passionate champion for whole system, whole person integrated care, I have long admired Dorset’s work to transform care at neighbourhood, locality, and system level. Therefore, becoming Dorset’s new Chief Commissioning Officer is both a great privilege and a fantastic way to maximise the benefits of the forthcoming Integrated Care System legislation.
“This is our chance to rapidly accelerate plans for improving outcomes and to help make a major difference to health and wellbeing across all our communities. I am really looking forward to working closely with my new team and all our integrated care partners especially our voluntary sector, our GPs, our local authorities and most importantly, with the people of Dorset.”
Prior to joining the NHS in 2016 Stephen spent over 20 years working for Siemens, starting as an apprentice, and working his way through a variety of roles ranging from programming and application configuration to corporate strategy and governance, account management and service design/provision.
In the NHS he has held CIO roles for a variety of organisations in the Dorset ICS including Dorset CCG, Dorset HealthCare and Dorset County Hospital. This has given him the opportunity to understand the differences and similarities in delivering services to staff and patients across primary care, community and mental health services into the acute care setting.
Living with his family just outside of Dorchester in Dorset he is also an Assistant Scout Leader and a volunteer with Dorset Search and Rescue. He is a Chartered Fellow of the BCS, a Leading Practitioner of FEDIP and a Certified Healthcare CIO with CHIME.
“I joined the NHS in 2016. Prior I worked for Siemens across several roles for over 22 years. In 2013 resulting from extensive travelling for work I developed a chronic DVT. The NHS organisations in Dorset supported my recovery and I believe saved my life. As a result, when the opportunity to join the NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group as their Chief Information Officer came around, I had to apply. It was my opportunity to repay the NHS. Since 2016 I have had the opportunity to lead three of the digital teams in Dorset, plus responsibility for leading the digital transformation portfolio for the System.
“Now appointed to NHS Dorset as the Chief Digital Information Officer I am keen to continue the work I have started in Dorset, raising the standards of our security and foundation services to give us a solid platform to implement more advanced technologies. This foundation will allow us to continue to lead the way with our award-winning approach to analytics and intelligence, how we integrate innovative smart technologies used by patients to support their lives, ultimately using data to provide insights and wisdom that empower the Dorset approach to population health improvement and the reduction of inequalities and inequities.”
Debbie joins us from Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire West Integrated Care System (BOB ICS) where she has been working for the past 9 years. Her current role of Interim Chief Nurse follows several other senior positions held, including Nurse Director for the four CCGs in Berkshire West, through their ‘wave one’ ICS journey and onto the establishment of the BOB ICS. Prior to this Debbie worked as Assistant Director Quality & Clinical Excellence at Hounslow & Richmond Community Healthcare NHS Trust.
Debbie has been a registered nurse since 1985, celebrating her 40th anniversary as a nurse this year. She has studied at Exeter University where she received Diploma of Higher Education (Midwifery), University of Reading – Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Community Health Studies (Health Visiting) – and Brunel University where she was awarded a Master of Arts in Law & Society (specialising on Child Protection) in 2005.
Debbie has kindly written a few words which we wanted to share with you:
“I am thrilled to be joining NHS Dorset at this exciting time and am very much looking forward to working with our Dorset partners to improve health outcomes for everyone living in the county. Everyone I have spoken to during the recruitment process has impressed me with their passion and commitment to the NHS in the face of some well documented challenges and I hope to be able to meet and work with as many of you as possible over the coming weeks and into the future as we develop as an organisation.”
Neil is a doctor and leader who has founded businesses, building and inspiring teams of all sizes from start-ups to a global healthcare charity; growing organisations that make a difference. He is an entrepreneur and CEO with experience across multiple sectors: having worked as a nephrologist in Harvard and Oxford, he then turned to business, founding two innovative technology/data healthcare businesses, before transforming a global not-for-profit for the digital age. His focus is on innovations that improve people’s lives: human-centered innovation.
Neil has a passion in taking brilliant digital ideas and technologies from different sectors and applying them to meet large-scale human needs and social challenges in a way that creates lasting change. His energy is in leading, enabling and teaching others to do the same.
“As someone who lives in, and loves, Dorset I could not be more excited about the opportunity that the team has to work closely with and for my fellow residents. Throughout my career I have been humbled and motivated by working both with those who give and those who receive care and support. I believe we can, and will, transform and improve our services for everybody in the county, thinking in innovative and compassionate ways to make Dorset a great place to live and work.”
Dean joined the NHS in 1992 as a management trainee in Nottingham after completing a PhD in Mathematical Sciences at Loughborough University. Dean’s early career was in Nottingham where he first became a director of one of the primary care trusts. After that he moved to a board position in a Foundation Trust in Yorkshire before moving to regional and national roles with the Trust Development Authority and NHS Improvement. Dean joins us from NHS England and NHS improvement. During COVID-19, he was the South West Incident Director and Director of the Vaccine Programme.
“I am delighted to be appointed as the Chief Operating Officer for NHS Dorset so that we can provide the best possible services for the people of Dorset. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for some to get physical and mental health services as quickly as they need. With health and social care working together with the people in their local communities I am looking forward to working to improve the health of people in Dorset and reducing inequalities.”
