UKHSA appoints non-executive members to its board

The new non-executive members (NEMs) will provide impartial oversight and advice to the UKHSA’s chair Ian Peters and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dame Jenny Harries, helping the organisation to deliver its strategic objectives.

The appointments bring together a wealth of expertise from across the country, from diverse backgrounds. The members have rich and varied experience across sectors including health, technology, local government, the military and third sector organisations.

UKHSA is responsible for protecting the public from the impact of infectious diseases, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents and other health threats. It provides intellectual, scientific and operational leadership at national and local level, as well as on the global stage, to make the nation’s health secure.

The new NEMs and associates are:

1. Jennifer Dixon – CEO of The Health Foundation, formerly at The King’s Fund and Nuffield Trust, trained in medicine and previously held multiple policy, public health and national regulatory roles.
2. Jon Friedland – Deputy Principal (Research and Enterprise), St George’s, University of London, clinically trained infectious diseases academic, specialism in tuberculosis (TB). Significant involvement with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and more recently with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
3. Graham Hart – a health social and behavioural scientist with expertise in sexual health and HIV.  A professor at University College London (UCL) with interests in multidisciplinary population health and co-production.
4. Mark Lloyd – CEO of Local Government Association, experienced in integrating national, regional and local services to deliver better outcomes for communities and residents.
5. Gordon Messenger – Ex-Vice Chief of Defence Staff. Experienced in contingency planning, crisis management and leadership, with recent experience working with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the NHS.
6. Simon Blagden – Former Chair of Fujitsu UK. Career in ICT and digital transformation. Chair of Larkspur International and Chair of the UK government’s Telecoms Supply Chain Diversification Advisory Council at the Department for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
7. Marie Gabriel – Chair of North East London Integrated Care System and Chair of NHS Race and Health Observatory, with previous non-executive and chair experience in acute, mental health and commissioning. Prior career in local and regional government and the voluntary sector.
8. Raj Long – professional career in medicines and vaccines development and regulation, currently with roles at the World Health Organization (WHO) and Gates Foundation.  A Non-Executive Director on the board of the MHRA.

UKHSA chair Ian Peters said:

We’re delighted to confirm the appointment of our non-executive members and associates to the new UKHSA Advisory Board and its committees.

These new non-executive members are a diverse group who have been selected to bring a wide range of expertise, perspectives and thinking styles. I am really pleased that we have attracted such a high calibre group and I am sure they will add tremendous value both collectively and individually. I look forward to working with them as we establish UKHSA in the next phase of its development.

UKHSA Chief Executive, Dame Jenny Harries, said:

I am absolutely delighted to welcome our new colleagues to UKHSA. As we learn to live with COVID-19 and navigate complex and newly emerging health threats, I am hugely grateful for the time and experience that our new board members will provide to help us keep the nation’s health secure. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.