Non-Executive Directors

I joined the Trust as Chair in January 2022. I spent much of my career inspecting public services to promote improvement. Most recently, I was Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services. I was responsible for a third of police forces in England and Wales and a quarter of fire services. This included those in Norfolk and Suffolk. I shone a light on all aspects of policing and created the new national fire inspectorate.

I am a lawyer by background and have worked in Whitehall and local government. I bring a wealth of experience in supporting public sector organisations to improve. My work on domestic abuse and violence against women and girls has challenged the police and their partners to do better. It is leading to a national sea-change in approach. I have long advocated for better care and access to services for people with mental ill health.

Born in Norfolk and now living in Suffolk, I am committed to making a difference in our communities. Family experience of mental health issues has shown me how life changing access to excellent services can be. It’s a privilege to be Chair of the Trust and I will strive with the Board to help further our improvement journey. Service users will come first and will be at the heart of all we do, shaping our services for the better.  

(Picture courtesy of Geoff Pugh Photography Limited)

I am a Human Resources professional with experience in designing organisations and managing change. Most recently, I worked as HR Director with the Norse Group. 

I am passionate about making a difference within the community. I have spearheaded initiatives to help people reach their potential. These include a project to support young people with learning difficulties go from education to employment.  Other schemes supported people to get back into work. These included:

• ex-offenders
• veterans
• people who are still unemployed after a long time
• people with mental health issues

In recognition of my work, I became the Prince of Wales’ Ambassador for the East of England in 2008. I was then made an MBE for services to the community in 2017.

Like many of the people in our community who use the services of NSFT I have lived experience both as a carer and as the parent of an adult child with enduring mental health issues who very sadly took her own life in 2008.

I joined NSFT in October 2019 and am pleased to be able to use my skills and my lived experience to benefit the Trust. I have found colleagues and the staff I have met to be compassionate and caring and I look forward to making a contribution to the Trust.

I joined the Trust in July 2020, bringing 20 years of experience in the insurance and finance industries. I have been with AXA since 2007 and Head of Audit at AXA Insurance since 2019. 

I am passionate about making sure people have good access to excellent mental health services. This follows a family experience. The teams who supported them – which included staff from NSFT – did an amazing job. 

I am proud to be the Trust’s Senior Independent Director helping to make sure staff have appropriate routes to safely speak up about issues and concerns, and that when they do improvements and changes are made as a result.

I am also chair of the Trust’s Audit and Risk Committee.

I am keen to do what I can to help the Trust support people to live their dreams and aspirations. 

I am a martial arts black belt and enjoy arranging walks in the Suffolk countryside for my local dog group.

 

I joined the trust in December 2022. My background has been a 40 year career in clinical medicine both in the NHS, New Zealand and Australia.

For the last 7 years, I was Medical Director at Royal Papworth Hospital, an experience which has provided me insights into the benefits of quality improvement and excellent care to our diverse and challenging population.

Along with many others, my family has experienced the impact of mental health issues. This is a powerful reason why I want to do my utmost to contribute to the the organisation meeting its goals in helping as many people as possible.

Professor Sally Hardy is a mental health nurse, researcher, and educator who joined the Board on 9 January 2023. 

She started her career as a nurse at Guy's Hospital in London. She gained a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Nursing at the Institute of Psychiatry, London, then her doctorate at the University of East Anglia, Norwich. Sally moved to Australia, where she held leadership roles at several high-profile organisations including at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, a joint role with Monash University. Returning to England, Sally has continued to sustain practice partnerships in senior academic roles at City University, London, and London South Bank University, where she established the People’s Academy (a group of advocates and researchers in health and care who champion patients and service users as collaborators in their own care) and an artist in residence scheme, alongside extensive research collaborations.

Professor of Mental Health and Practice Innovation and former Dean of the School of Health Sciences at the University of East Anglia, Sally is also the Director of the Norfolk Initiative for Coastal and Rural Health Equalities (NICHE) Anchor Institute, leading on behalf of UEA with the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care System. 

I am a management consultant with a wealth of NHS and both public and private sector experience. My drive to become a NED followed contact with NSFT as a carer for a member of my close family. I joined the Trust having spent 23 years in the NHS as a director and senior management posts in finance, operations, strategy and commissioning. 

As a qualified accountant, and with experience as a NED in other public sector organisations, I hope my experience will assist the Board in ensuring that robust strategic and corporate governance is in place to create a foundation for safe and effective care to our service users.

I joined NSFT’s Board in July 2023. I am currently Chief Information Officer at Aviva General Insurance and have more than 20 years’ experience in technology and transformation gained across general insurance, broking and banca insurance working in both corporate and private equity organisations in the UK, Europe and North America.

Prior to this I was Aviva Central Services Director, and Aviva Ireland’s Chief Operating Officer and Chief Information Officer. I also have private equity experience at the Ardonagh Group and Towergate Insurance Broker as Chief Operations Officer and played a key role in the ‘fix and turnaround’ agenda, managing acquisitions, and responding to the service disruption during Covid.

In addition to executive roles, I was recently a board trustee of the Ardonagh Community Trust which gives its employees the opportunity to raise money for charities and causes close to their hearts.

James lives in Norwich.