Our Board

Neil Hayward is a Portfolio Chair, Non-Executive, Board Advisor, and Mentor with over 30 years’ experience in the UK and internationally, with listed blue-chip companies, in the public sector and more recently in entrepreneurial start-ups and fast growth businesses.

Expert in Strategy, Business Transformation (including Digital), People and Governance, Neil is an accredited Chair and a former Remuneration Committee Chair, who has also served on Audit and Risk, People, and Finance Committees.

Before moving into a portfolio career, Neil at times held Executive responsibilities for the following functions in addition his core expertise as a Chief People Officer: Business Development and Bids, Corporate Communications and Corporate Affairs, Health, Safety and Wellbeing, Programme and Project Management and Strategy. He has worked in multiple sectors including Fast Moving Consumer Goods, Support Services, Financial Services, Telecommunications, Retail and Construction/Transport.

Neil previously worked in the NHS as a Non-Executive Director at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Surrey, and in addition to his role as Chair at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare, he is a current Board Advisor to NHS Property Services.

Michael’s career has been in IT, with spells in Sales and Marketing leadership, culminating in a role as an International Marketing Director. His particular areas or expertise are around strategy, communications, IT and sustainability. He is on the Board of the Royal Humane Society and sits on the Advisory Board for Exeter University Business School.  He has previously chaired the board of governors for a secondary school.  He support Arctice Base Camp as an Executive Volunteer.  Michael is the author of Creating Strategy: A Practical Guide, published in 2021.

Exposure to mental health problems close to him have given him a long- standing interest in this area and motivated him to apply to the Trust. He hopes to be able to help the Trust with his experience in leadership in a large, complex organisation, as well as a background in strategy and communications.

Michael has commercial transaction experience from his time at IBM.

Kris is a mental health and physical health nurse with a 42-year career in the NHS with a number of years as Chief Operating Officer both in London and the South West.

Kris has extensive experience in managing change through significant transformation with a focus on patient outcomes, with performance governance as a key skill. Staff wellbeing is also of particular interest with regards to patient care.

Chris has worked in both the public and private sectors for over 40 years. He Qualified as an Accountant in 1983 and is now a fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants, completing his Master’s Degree in Business Administration in 2001. His career started in a professional accountancy firm, and he joined the Avis Europe group in 1980, working for them in both UK and European roles covering senior financial management and operational roles. He joined the NHS in 2002 as Finance Director for East Berkshire and subsequently at as Commercial lead at the South-Central Health Authority.

On leaving, he worked for several years on transactions and integration programmes and significant change management projects, prior to joining the board at Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in 2014., He stayed with them for seven years, chairing Audit, Finance, Performance and Remuneration committees as well as being Vice Chair of the Trust. His other roles are as Independent Chair of Audit and Finance for East Berkshire Primary Care and as a Trustee for a new charity aiming to provide medical supplies to field hospitals in Ukraine and psychological support to ex-pat Ukrainians, now living in the UK.

Minoo has been a practicing Paediatrician for 35 years, as well as experience as a medicolegal expert witness, Executive Medical Director, Non-Executive Director, partner member on ICB Board and Health Innovation Board.

He has extensive medical leadership, management and regulatory experience and is an advisor to the Good Governance Institute.

Minoo is committed to patient advocacy, reducing Health Inequalities and Quality Improvement with services.

Catherine has very broad experience of healthcare and mental disorder, its diagnosis, prognosis and treatment as she has spent 32 years as a Medical Doctor (she is a Consultant General Adult and Forensic Psychiatrist).

She also has extensive experience in governance, strategic leadership and healthcare and is currently a Board Trustee at VOS (Veteran Outreach Support) a charity based in Portsmouth providing support and clinical input to veterans. Catherine also trained and worked in the NHS for 9 years part-time as a General Practitioner.

Mark Smith is a Chartered Certified Accountant with over 25 years of leadership experience across both private and public sectors. He has held senior roles including Finance Director and Chief Executive, leading large organisations in retail, hospitality, and professional services with turnover exceeding £500 million. Mark’s prior experience also includes a period of time as Finance Director of a non departmental public body (arms length government owned organisation).

Mark is recognised for his strategic leadership and led the Southern Co-op business to be awarded the Queen`s Award For Enterprise in Sustainable Development in 2022. Mark retired as Chief Executive in July 2025 in order to focus on Non Executive roles.

Alongside his executive career, he has established a Non Executive portfolio which includes chairing  Fitzroy Support, a learning disability, autism and mental health charity, and sitting as an independent non executive member of the Board Finance & Business Committee for the Science Museum Group. 

Mark has always championed responsible business and sustainability working closely with business charity Business in the Community (BITC), with whom he previously served as Responsible Business Ambassador for the South East, and was admitted as a Fellow in 2025.

Mark is a member of the Institute of Directors and was named as a Director of the Year by Decision Magazine in 2013.

Lou is an accomplished and successful entrepreneur with extensive leadership experience across law enforcement, housing, and the arts, committed to promoting positive outcomes for underserved communities and vulnerable individuals.

He has been instrumental in driving governance, ethics, and strategic initiatives. Since 2022, Lou has served as Independent Chair of the Surrey Police Ethics Committee, leading agenda planning and reporting to both the Force Executive and the Joint Audit Committee. Concurrently, as a Non-Executive Director at Surrey Police, he oversees reviews on disproportionality and provides strategic guidance during critical incidents, while fostering strong community relationships.

In addition, Lou contributes as a Non-Executive Director for Hampshire Police and the Abri Housing Group, where he has oversight on complaints and customer service performance.

Beyond policing, Lou is the Director of Black History Month South, spearheading various initiatives and events across Hampshire. In these influential roles, he has championed inclusivity, diversity, and social justice, shaping policies and strategies that foster safer, more equitable communities.

Ade is the Director and Superintendent Pharmacist of the MJ Williams Pharmacy Group. He is the Lead prescribing Pharmacist at the multi-award-winning Bedminster Pharmacy in South Bristol. He was an Associate Non-Executive Director at the North Bristol NHS Trust also worked as part of a GP Clinical Team. Ade is the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Patient Champion. For distinction in the practice of pharmacy, he received a Fellowship of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. He maintains ongoing research and clinical design interest in population health management and addressing health inequalities. 

Further recognition for his work through national awards include the 2019 NHS Parliamentary Award for Excellence in Primary Care, GP-Pharmacist of the Year 2019 and NHS Pharmacist of the Year 2018. As part of the 2018 NHS70 Parliamentary Awards, he was nominated as the Person-Centred Care Champion. Ade received an MBE in the New Year’s Honours list 2022 for his services to the NHS and the community in South Bristol, particularly during COVID-19.

Ade is a Board Member and Trustee of the Self Care Forum Charity responsible for the NHS Self Care Week and ongoing Self Care Strategy and is also Director of a Business Improvement District responsible for aligning the delivery of commercial, communal and wellbeing objectives.

Paula is Head of Department for Nursing, Midwifery and Health at the University of Southampton. She graduated in Nursing from the University of Manchester in 1997, specialising in community mental health, working in London and the South East. She is responsible for the vision and strategy of the Department and the delivery of pre-registration and post-graduate education programmes. She is passionate about making a positive impact on patient experience, service provision and the healthcare workforce, through providing quality education, underpinned by world leading research. Paula employs a creative and flexible solution focussed approach to meet the needs of all involved in health care delivery. She provides exemplary leadership and direction to staff at all levels, whilst teaching students the skills they require for modern healthcare delivery.

Ron has over 20 years’ leadership experience as a successful NHS Chief Executive. His 40-year NHS career spans varied roles across physical and mental health, inpatient and community settings. Prior to joining Southern Health, Ron was Chief Executive at Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust, where he led the organisation to achieve an overall Care Quality Commission rating of Outstanding. Ron has also led NHS organisations in London and Northampton. He has a track record of successful and sustainable transformation and integration of services to improve patient outcomes. Ron is currently the Chief Executive of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare.

Paula joined the Trust in 2009 and has been the Board Finance Director since 2016.  As part of her current role, she is Deputy Chief Executive as well as leading on Finance, Procurement and Commercial, Estates, Trust wide performance and business support as well as having a key role for governance both corporate and information and being the Trust SIRO. Prior to joining this Trust Paula’s experience was within the local commissioners including being the Board Finance Director for Mid Hampshire Primary Care Trust from 2001-2006. Her experience in the NHS dates back to 1992 and she is a qualified accountant as well as having an Executive MBA from Cranfield University.

Dan studied medicine in London and graduated with distinctions in surgery and medicine before moving to the south coast to complete his postgraduate specialty training in general and geriatric medicine. His subspecialty is acute geriatric medicine, and he continues to work clinically within the Emergency Department at Southampton General Hospital. During this time Dan completed an NIHR supported PhD at the University of Southampton’s MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit. Dan has had a number of leadership roles within healthcare across both the acute and community sectors. This has included leading the University Hospital Southampton Department of Medicine for Older People where the team were awarded BMJ Older Persons Team of the Year and also the Department of Emergency Medicine during the COVID pandemic. Dan has also had system wide roles in patient flow and worked as a clinical leader within the community services in Southampton and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 2023. Dan was appointed to the role of Chief Medical Officer at Solent NHS Trust in 2021 and is currently the Chief Medical Officer at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

Alex has spent most of his working career in Local Government and the NHS, most recently as Chief Strategy Officer for Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, and Chief Executive Officer for the NHS Transformation Unit. He joins us from PA Consulting where he is an Associate Partner working within the Health & Life Sciences team.  

Eugene joined Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust as Chief Operating Officer on 1 April 2022. A highly experienced and capable director, Eugene joined from East London NHS Foundation Trust, an outstanding rated organisation, where he led on successful operational service delivery and transformation of services across North East London. Eugene is a compassionate and inclusive leader, and a clinician by background, who puts patients, carers and colleagues first. He has held Director-level posts across health and social care since 2013 including Clinical Director and Borough Director roles in mental health and community health services. 

Suzie Marriott is our Chief Nursing Officer and Director of Allied Health Professionals. She is a highly experienced and accomplished nurse executive with over 25 years of clinical leadership experience and more than seven years of executive board experience.

She previously served as the Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services at Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital, which is part of the Stony Brook Health System in New York State, where she worked for the previous seven years. Suzie qualified as a Mental Health Nurse in the UK in 1994 and spent the early part of her clinical career working in forensic, acute inpatient, community mental health services, and prison services. She has held several leadership positions at West London Mental Health NHS Trust. Throughout her career, Suzie has held senior leadership roles in the NHS, New York State's public health system, and across the private and non-profit sectors in the UK and the US.

Suzie has a Master’s in Forensic Mental Health from St. George’s, University of London, UK. She is currently a PhD candidate in the School of Nursing at Stony Brook University. She has been actively involved in the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA), serving in several leadership roles at the New York State and national levels, including as a Member of the APNA Staffing Task Force, which published the APNA Mental Health Inpatient Staffing Position Paper in 2023. In 2020, she received the national APNA RN Excellence in Leadership Award.

Andrea Metcalf joined us as our new Chief People Officer on Monday 15 September 2025. 

Andrea has a wealth of experience in HR, Diversity and Inclusion, Organisational Change and Development, and professional coaching. Andrea was previously Director for People, Inclusion and Change at the National Archives, responsible for developing and leading the People strategy, building an organisational culture, delivering the new ways of working and building a more representative workforce. She was also formerly Deputy Director of People and Culture at ActionAid UK and has a wealth of experience in HR, diversity and inclusion, organisational change and development, and coaching. In addition, Andrea has previously been a Director of a number of HR consultancies working across various sectors, and a university lecturer specialising in Employment Law and Coaching and Mentoring. 

Lesley is Chief Quality & Engagement Officer for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare, responsible for clinical transformation, continuous improvement, lived experience and engagement. Prior to joining the newly formed HIOW Healthcare Trust Lesley was the Group Executive Director of Community, Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Services at Isle of Wight NHS Trust. She led the transformation of mental health services in the Isle of Wight and the establishment of integrated physical and mental health community teams. She is a Consultant Psychiatrist by background, completed her medical degree at the University of London in 1986 and became a fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 2009.