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Chris joins West Suffolk board
West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust has appointed a new board member with extensive experience in the NHS, private, and charitable sectors.
Chris Lawrence is joining as a non-executive director and audit chair, and will provide advice and challenge to the Trust’s leadership team.
Chris recently completed two full terms as chair of Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, during which time it was rated Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission and named Health Service Journal’s Mental Health Trust of the Year for its work in mental health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Norfolk and Essex.
Chris’ previous roles include managing director of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and senior positions at banking firms including Lloyds, Citicorp, and Rothschild over a 35-year career. He specialised in international mergers and acquisitions and was a Senior partner and member of the leadership team that managed the international mergers of Price Waterhouse and Coopers and Lybrand in over 100 countries.
He has advised the NHS nationally on a competency framework for NHS trust chairs, looking at best practice across more than 60 trusts around the country and is currently working on further guidance for chairs.
Chris said: “I count myself as an East Anglian man, having been born in Cambridge, raised in Bedfordshire and lived in Norfolk for over 20 years, as well as having seen the development of NHS services across the region through the Hertfordshire Partnership.
“The six -and-a-half years I spent as chair there has given me a lot of insight into the NHS locally and I am very glad to be able to continue to contribute at an exciting time for West Suffolk, as we look to build a new hospital and work more closely across an integrated care system.
“I am really passionate about safety, quality, and innovation and strongly believe it is important to have a diversity of experiences and opinions to help improve our NHS services.”
Chris takes over from Angus Eaton, who is stepping down after three years on the Trust board.
Trust chair Sheila Childerhouse said: “We are delighted to be appointing Chris and look forward to benefiting from his rich experience, in the NHS, in the charity sector, and in business. His knowledge of delivering community services is particularly welcome.
“I would also like to pay tribute to Angus Eaton and his significant contributions to helping the trust through one of the most difficult times for the NHS.”
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