Tuesday 9 February 2010 

Meet the Board

Acting Chairman

Martin Heys has worked in a number of senior leadership positions over the last 20 years and has experience of providing financial and economic advice to Chairs, Boards and executive teams. Martin has most recently been working as Group Deputy Chief Executive for the East Thames Group where he has had a number of key achievements including making savings for the business by negotiating beneficial borrowing arrangements and implementing a £5m information strategy. Prior to working at East Thames Group Martin worked as Finance Director and Acting Chief Executive for Town and Country Housing Group and as Director of Finance for Brighton Borough Council.

Chief Executive

Andrew Woodhead has 25 years experience in the NHS and was previously Chief Executive for five years at Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust. He has been Chief Executive of St Ann's Hospital in Tottenham and Acting Chief Executive at Barnet General Hospital in North London. Early on in his career he worked in East London including Newham General Hospital where he was the Deputy Hospital Administrator and at St Andrews Hospital in Bow where he was the Hospital Manager. Prior to joining RNOH he worked on the future of specialist services in West London.

Chief Operating Officer

Michaela Morris joined the Trust in the new Role of Chief Operating Officer in March 2009. Michaela has worked in the NHS since commencing her training as a Nurse at the Whittington Hospital in 1984. Michaela spent a lot of years in clinical practice as a Midwife and worked in many busy Maternity units in Surrey and Hampshire and as a community midwife in the New Forest. Since 1995 she has worked in General Management, returning to London and the Whittington in the late 1990’s as Service Director for Women’s and Child Health and then Surgery and Cancer.

In 2002 Michaela joined Ashford and St. Peter’s NHS Trust (ASPH) and continued in her general management role combining this with professional leadership as Director of Midwifery Services. Her first executive Director post was gained in 2005 as Director of Operations, her second as Director of Nursing and Operations in 2006. Michaela joins Newham from ASPH with responsibility for Operations and Strategy.

Director of Workforce and Governance

Graeme Jolly trained in engineering prior to joining the NHS in 1983. His health service career has included managing a range of hospital based operational services in South West London, the Royal London Hospital and since 1992 in Newham where he has held a range of senior management positions. He has been a Director at the Trust since 2002. He was Acting Chief Executive from January to August 2008 helping to ensure the future viability of safe, cost effective and high quality services appropriate to the needs of the people of Newham and to build on the strengths of the clinical and managerial teams within the Trust.

Director of Finance and Resource Management

Ian O'Connor joined Newham in January 2003. Ian had previously held a Finance Director post of a PCT and prior to this had spent the majority of his career working in Acute Trusts. Ian is committed to delivering the best possible financial support and advice to managers and clinicians alike. In Finance, as well as the non-financial areas he manages, Ian is committed to the development of individuals, as the foundation on which high quality and professional support services are delivered.

Medical Director

Dr Mike Gill has been Medical Director since July 2002. Previously he was Lead Clinician for Medicine and Care of the Elderly and has been a Consultant Geriatrician in the Trust since 1989.

Director of Nursing and Midwifery

Natalie Forrest has been a nurse for over 20 years. Natalie came to London to begin her career as an intensive care nurse in 1991. In 1998 she became a Professional Development Nurse in the ICU at Guy's Hospital and later moved to St Thomas' Hospital. Prior to taking up the post of Assistant Director of Nursing in April 2005 Natalie was the Projects Manager for Clinical Leadership Directorate at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. Her role as Acting Director of Nursing is to provide professional leadership to the nursing workforce to ensure that the patients of Newham University NHS Trust receive the highest possible quality of care.

Non Executive Director

Angela Basoah joined the Board as a Non-Executive Director in March 2004. Ms Basoah is a public relations and marketing professional who has worked extensively locally with Stratford Development Partnership, Sure Start and Newham Community Credit Union, NewCred. Angela is in the process of setting up a social enterprise called Kae dabi - an initiative for African and Caribbean peoples to their improve relationships with each other and other communities through sharing their rich heritage and overcoming barriers to self reliance.

Non Executive Director

Mr Mentesnot Mengesha, a resident of Stratford, is currently a PhD student at Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London, researching in Health Geography, who has worked extensively locally with voluntary organisations, NHS Trust's and Lambeth Council. His experience in community and patient involvement and participation, and his perspective as a local resident, will be of value in supporting the Trust's work in Patient and Public Involvement and in Healthcare Regeneration.

Non Executive Director

Tim Nolan, has held a number of directorships in a variety of international commercial companies such as Tesco, Littlewoods and Dixons and has lived studied and worked in countries across both Europe and Asia. Tim was previously Managing Director for Asia at Dixons Group and Littlewoods and has a strong financial background responsible for improving efficiency and customer experience. He is currently Director of Tim Nolan Associates, a global sourcing consultancy for the consumer goods sector.