Board Members

The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust (TRFT) has a Chairman and five Non-Executive Directors who oversee the management of the Trust that is led by the Chief Executive. In turn the Chief Executive has a team of six Executive Directors.

Margaret started her career working for ICL and British Olivetti before a change in direction and a career within the Voluntary Sector. Commenced as Manager of Relate in Rotherham and latterly became Chief Executive of Relate in South Yorkshire and Wakefield. Margaret’s commitment to the Voluntary and Community Sector has included the establishment of the South Yorkshire and Rotherham Domestic Violence Forum’s, being founder Chairman of both groups for a number of years. She is a Trustee/Director of MIND in Rotherham, founder member of Rotherham CVS and currently Trustee/Vice Chairman of Voluntary Action Rotherham. She has been a Governor at Wickersley School and Sports College for over 20 years, serving two terms of 12 years and 4 years as Chairman and is currently still a Governor. Margaret also has an interest in the experiences of victims of crime and is currently on the Victims Advisory Panel to Ministers in the Home Office.

Formerly a Non Executive Director and Chairman of Rotherham Health Authority and a Non Executive Director of South Yorkshire Strategic Health Authority, Margaret was appointed as Chairman of Rotherham Foundation Trust in November 2002.

Margaret has been married for 41 years, has three sons and three grandchildren. She enjoys gardening, travel, swimming, reading and playing golf.

Giles began his professional career as a design engineer at Cornwall River Authority, becoming the Main Grade Engineer at National Water Resources Board which was a civil service post.

In 1972 Giles joined Bramall and Ogden Ltd and rose to the position of Commercial Director and then joint Managing Director, with responsibilities including marketing, estimating and purchasing for contract teams and overall responsibility for the Plant Hire and Joinery Manufacturing subsidiaries. In 1982 Giles became the Chairman of Aizlewoods Building Materials until 2002 when Grafton plc acquired the business.

Giles is an Honorary Director of Rotherham Chamber of Commerce also having been a Director and President. A Governor of Thomas Rotherham College, involved in local Charities (Feoffee of the Common Lands of Rotherham) and a Director/Trustee of the Magna Trust and involved in the local community as a Trustee of the Rotherham Parish Church Development Trust. Giles has recently been appointed as the High Sheriff of South Yorkshire.

Giles is married and has three children. With hobbies and interests including the Rotherham Rotary Club, ex- Round Tablers’ Club and the Aston Martin Owners’ Club.

Tony has a career background in local government, serving as Assistant Director of Education, Head of Schools Services and Head of Social Inclusion for Rotherham Borough Council before retiring in 2003.

Since his retirement Tony has undertaken work for the Department for Work and Pensions on pension credit matters, provided training for school governors as a Workers’ Educational Association tutor, served as a governor at Kelford School and has acted as Assistant Footpath Secretary for the Ramblers’ Association in Rotherham.

Tony is also a Director/Trustee of Rotherham MIND (a mental health charity) and is a lay member of the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Advisory Committee on Clinical Excellence Awards for Consultants.

In his spare time Tony enjoys walking and (if “enjoys” is the right word) watching Sheffield Wednesday football club.

Julie was appointed as Non-executive Director of The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust in November 2006.

Since June 2006 Julie has held the position of HR Director of eaga Home Services Division which includes eaga Insulation, Millfold Group, Mico Services, Atec Assessing Services, E J Horrocks and George Howe Ltd and eaga Scotland.

This position holds her responsible for 2000 staff, over multi sites and various businesses. Her key areas of responsibility are organisational development, learning and development, recruitment and retention, cultural evolvement, HR general practice and communication.

Prior to this she was HR and Customer Service Director with the MICO Group of companies, which included the leading installing company for cavity wall and loft insulation, a national company with 14 locations.

Julie has also held various positions with leading retailer Marks and Spencer. Including, various HR General Management, HR specialist roles and store management during her 16 years of employment.

Julie’s passion is for assisting individuals and organisations to achieve their potential and maximise their performance, which is what led her to join the Trust, along with her focus, strategic thinking and high level of challenge she certainly brings an extra dimension and expertise in her area of specialism.

Her purpose in life is to inspire others to be passionate and reach their true potential – this has recently led her to take up further study and is working towards her qualification as a life/executive coach.

Neil began his career in 1977 with KPMG as a Chartered Accountant. From 1987 to 2006 Neil worked at Firth Rixson, the international aerospace engineering group, and for the last 12 years of his time at Firth Rixson he was Group Finance Director. In October 2007 Neil was appointed as the Group Finance Director for AESSEAL PLC, a Rotherham based manufacturer of mechanical seals.

Neil is a non-executive director of Sheffield Theatres Trust, where he also chairs the Finance Committee and the Project Steering Group which is overseeing the refurbishment of the Crucible Theatre. Neil is also the Chairman of the Board of the Firth Rixson Pension Trustees.

Neil is married with a son and daughter. His interests include the theatre, gardening, skiing and food and wine.

Nigel began his professional career at the Canadian Financial Services Group and Fund Manager, Confederation Life. Beginning as a Life Underwriter, and rising through to lead the Sheffield (UK) operation, Nigel was responsible for the development of the business via the growth of sustainable, quality business and the development of professional advisors.

Confederation Life was then bought by the Sun Life of Canada (SLOC) group and Nigel was responsible for the successful integration of the two companies locally. Progress through the ranks of the much larger SLOC group (funds under management of over £100 million) culminated in the appointment to the Executive Management group for the UK operation.

Nigel left the SLOC group in 2001 to become the UK Sales Director for the Staff-line Group, a privately owned Recruitment specialist, with a requirement to increase profit and redesign the sales offerings within the business. The Staff-line Group successfully floated on the AIM exchange.

Nigel joined Alexander Calder Financial in late 2002 as a Partner in a newly formed financial services business, created by two former Sun Life colleagues. Returning to his familiar world, Nigel was tasked with growing the sales volumes and recruiting additional high performing advisors. From then to now, Alexander Calder Financial Ltd has become one of the fastest growing, privately owned Financial Services business supported by the successful launch of:

Nigel has shareholdings and/or directorships in these companies, and is the Commercial Director for Alexander Calder Financial Ltd

In addition, Nigel has been appointed as a member of the Foundation Trust Financing Facility established to provide funding to Foundation Trusts all over the country, and has a contract with the Secretary of State for Health to provide educational services to Foundation Trusts.

Nigel is married to Catherine, has two daughters and a keen interest in local football, good food and wine and travel.

Brian James was appointed Chief Executive of Rotherham General Hospitals NHS Trust on 1st February 2005, and led the Organisation through a successful application to become The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust on 1st June 2005.

From 2002 until his appointment as Chief Executive, Brian was Executive Director for Strategy and Innovation at South Yorkshire Strategic Health Authority.

Brian began his career in the NHS in 1975 at Cornwall District Health Authority, undertaking a broad range of roles embracing supplies, operational management, hospital commissioning, hospital administration, which led to senior appointments in hospital an community services management and human resource management, and ultimately Director level appointments in Information Management and Technology and then Business Development.

In 1993 Brian was appointed to an Executive level position at Darlington Memorial Hospital in County Durham, with responsibility for Strategy, Business Development, IM&T and all operational and clinical services, a role which also involved implementation of one of three national IM&T pilots of Hospital Information Support Systems (HISS). Brian developed the strategies and business models which resulted in the Hospital’s successful application for NHS Trust status in 1993, and subsequently for mergers with other Hospitals to create the South Durham NHS Trust in 1998 and subsequently the County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust in 2002. During this period he was also responsible for implementing two first wave PFI Hospitals. He is an alumnus of Manchester University, and has a Masters in Health Information Management.

Brian is a member of the Rotherham Local Partnership Board and Rotherham CEO Group, but has no directorships or interest in other companies.

Brian is married with children and lives in Rotherham. He enjoys foreign travel, films, amateur photography and computing, and maintains a strong personal interest in international health systems and management.

Walid graduated from Baghdad Medical School in 1980 and went on to train in Medical Microbiology at the Royal Free Hospital in London for five years. He took up the role of Consultant Medical Microbiologist and Infection Control Doctor at TRFT in 1997. He was then awarded an MD and Honorary Senior Clinical lecturer status by the University of Sheffield. As well as his current role Dr Al-Wali is the former Chairman of an overseas medical association.

Jackie Bird was appointed Chief of Quality & Standards and Chief Nurse of The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust on the 1st July 2007. She carries Board of Directors’ accountability for professional leadership of the nursing and midwifery workforce, patient experience, patient safety, risk and quality governance.

Previously, Jackie was Deputy Director of Nursing & Governance at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust; a specialist acute university teaching hospital in Greater Manchester. At Salford Royal, Jackie had responsibility for providing professional and operational leadership on all aspects of nursing and governance.

Jackie began her nursing career in 1981 as a mental health nurse and in 1987 attained her registered general nurse qualification. Her main clinical career was in the field of cancer nursing where she rose from staff nurse to Senior Nurse Manager at the Christie Hospital in Manchester from May 1988 to June 2001. In July 2001, Jackie was appointed as Nurse Director of the newly established Greater Manchester and Cheshire Cancer Network, where she had Board accountability for developing a strategy for nurses’ and allied health professionals’ contribution to cancer and cancer care; the development and implementation of a network wide strategy for patient and public involvement and she was the cancer networks modernisation and performance lead for the 2nd stage implementation of the cancer services collaborative programme. Jackie as part of her professional development has been awarded a BSc (Hons) in Nursing Studies and a MA in Management & Leadership.

Married with one son, her interests include voluntary work at a hospice close to her home and reading.

Roger qualified in 1968 from Manchester University M.B:Ch.B, B.Sc (Hons) Anatomy. Trained at Manchester Royal Infirmary as House Officer and then spent two years in the Anatomy Department of Manchester University as Anatomy Demonstrator intending to follow a career in the University as a lecturer. He joined a newly formed surgical training rotation at Withington Hospital at SHO grade leaving in 1975 as a Registrar with his FRCS (1975) to join a training program at the Royal Hospital, Sheffield. He was promoted to Senior Registrar in 1976, and appointed as Consultant Surgeon in Rotherham in 1979 at the age of 34. Until 1990 his work took him to Montagu Hospital, Mexborough for one day a week. In 1985 he was invited to join the Health Authority as its medical member until 1990 when the Authority was dissolved. As chairman of the hospital medical staff committee (HMSC) he oversaw the introduction of Trust status and became the Clinical Director for General Surgery & Urology in 1991, a post which he held until 2006. In September 2006 he became Chief of the Surgical Division, retiring from clinical practice in July 2006.

On appointment as a consultant, his practice included urology, vascular, endocrine and general surgery. With the increasing trend to specialisation the first three were relinquished. He holds the dubious distinction of performing the first, and last, burr holes for intracranial bleeding in the new hospital.

As a clinician he introduced the laparoscopic approach to cholecystectomy and hernia repair in General Surgery in 1991-2 and began a joint breast clinic in 1990 with colleague Mr S J Haggie, thus starting a one stop approach to breast outpatients with the volunteering of same day mammography by the radiographers of Medical Imaging. He was lead clinician for breast and bowel cancer during various periods between 1994 and 2003. His other interests apart from laparoscopic and breast surgery were large bowel and bariatric surgery. As with most surgeons of his generation, upper and lower GI endoscopy was almost a second calling.

Matthew started his NHS career on the Graduate National Financial Management Training scheme in Leicester in 1995, spending time in a range of organisations in both the NHS and private sector. Upon graduating from the scheme Matthew looked after the finances of twelve community hospitals in Leicestershire and Rutland. Since moving back to his native South Yorkshire he has undertaken a variety of senior roles in Finance, Performance Management and Commissioning. He was appointed both Acting Director of Finance for Sheffield Health Authority and Director of Finance & Performance for Sheffield West PCT at the age of 28, making him one of the youngest Finance Directors in the NHS.

Matthew was appointed Chief Financial Officer at Rotherham General Hospital in February 2005, with the Trust gaining FT status just four months later. Matthew is responsible for the devolved model of financial management which has supported the significant improvements in access and productivity which the Trust is delivering. He is keen to ensure that the Trust works with commissioners to deliver the very best value from the Rotherham NHS – providing the high quality, accessible services local patients want.

Outside work Matthew enjoys spending time with his young family and watching sport, with his days of playing rugby for Derbyshire now, sadly, a distant memory.

Mike's early career started in Barclays International Bank, from where he elected to pursue an engineering career, subsequently obtaining a degree in Biomedical Electronics. Over the next ten years, Mike held various positions in medical engineering and integrated circuit manufacture and marketing, culminating with an appointment as Works Officer covering medical engineering and specialised services including sterilisation and industrial process control. At this point, Mike changed direction via graduation from the NHS General Management Training Scheme and a Masters degree in Public Sector Management.

Appointments followed in community support services in Stratford, General Manager of Medical Services at Wolverhampton Hospitals and General Manager of Surgical Services at Bromley Hospitals. Mike then combined his knowledge of clinical services and experience of commercial practice through an appointment as Associate Director for contracts and marketing at the time of GP fund holder expansion, supported by the Chartered Institute of Marketing Diploma. This subsequently gave a good platform for his first NHS Director appointment to an integrated Trust offering exposure to Acute, Mental Health & Learning Disability and Community Services management. Mike was then appointed as Director of Strategic Development for Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals, where he was a key member of the team overseeing a merger whilst taking the Trust to a successful first wave Foundation Trust application. At this point Mike took the role of Quality Director for Northern England for the National Cancer Peer Review Program, a quality assurance and service improvement programme influencing process and outcomes at the heart of acute services. Following completion of the programme, Mike was appointed to Rotherham FT as Director of Business Development. His role carries responsibilities for contracting, marketing, planning, service improvement, cancer services and clinical networks.

Mike married Alison in 2000 and since then Jack, Georgia and Oscar have arrived, happily consuming most of Mike’s free time. However, he maintains an interest in motorcycles (FJ 1200 and BSA A65T), racquet sport and musical theatre, playing for Retford Tennis Club and is a member of The Generally G&S Society and Retford Amateur Operatic Society.

Jenny Wilson was appointed to the post of Chief Operating Officer of the Trust from 1st September 2006, following an internal reorganisation and the establishment of a divisional structure. The Chief Operating Officer has responsibility for various operational support services, including the corporate directorates of Human Resources, Informatics and Estates and Facilities as well as Patient Access services. Approximately 20% of the Trust’s staff are within this Division.

Jenny became an executive director at the Trust in 2000, with responsibility for a range of clinical and non-clinical support services, again with a wide portfolio of services and staff across the Trust.

Jenny began her career in the NHS in 1977, based in Sheffield until 1986, when she moved to Rotherham to take on responsibility for implementing the computerised Patient Administration System across the organisation. Her career in Rotherham has encompassed medical records management, resource management implementation, quality/service improvement project management, healthcare contracts management, service rationalisation and corporate responsibility for non-clinical governance and controls assurance.

She has been an assessor for the National NHS General Management Training Scheme and is a member of the Institute of Healthcare Management and Managers in Partnership. Her interests include supporting local charity fund-raising and business community networking.

Jenny has one son and two grandsons. She enjoys family life, theatre, music, cinema and travel.

Mark was appointed as Chief of Division of Clinical Support in September 2006, serving as a board member, deputy Medical Director and leading on clinical governance.

Mark joined the organisation in 1999 as a Consultant Anaesthetist and Intensevist. He was Clinical Director for Anaesthesia from 2003 to 2006. Mark is involved in developing the role of Doctors in medical management.

Mark is married with two children. With interests ranging from graphic design, film and photography to running and skiing.