Independent Non-Executive Directors (x2)

Priory are the leading quality independent mental health, and social care, provider in the UK, with a world-class reputation. With 19,000 employees, across more than 320 Priory sites, Priory support over 30,000 people across the UK annually.

Following its acquisition by Private Equity, the business are undertaking leadership transformation that will guide the organisation through its next investment cycle.

Reason and Purpose

The newly created INED’s join the operational boards of the health and adult care divisions respectively. These appointments reaffirm Priory’s commitment to quality and best practice, appointed as non-statutory Directors to ensure appropriate scrutiny and oversight of the organisations operating practices. They will advise on improving the quality & people agenda, while providing guidance on external factors affecting the current and future challenges of the business in the interest of risk management, utilising their deep-rooted knowledge of regulatory and legal frameworks. Further to internal responsibilities, they will undertake an ambassadorial role to the group, advising on relations with regulators and commissioners.

Search Process / Methodology

Compass Executives undertook a thorough research process. In addition to our established network, we worked to identify board members of all NHS mental health trusts, and Local Authorities for healthcare and adult care respectively.

Compass has a reputation for delivering diversity into all of its processes. Having curated our networks over many years and utilising our best-in-class research function, we are in a unique position to know of the diversity spread before we undertake a process. For example, in the Adult care sector for example ethnic representation stands at just 12% when compared to Healthcare as a wider sector at 24% – female representation stands at c48% for both sectors. It is critical to understand the “drivers” to energise the diverse networks into the comfort that their approaches are not tokenistic.

In a robust but concise process, the timeline from briefing through to contracts signed was a total of 9 weeks. A full process included the following: brief, target list agreement, mapping, 3 project reviews (weekly), longlisting, screening, shortlisting presentation, client interviews.

Target mapping for social included board members for;

• Top 50 largest (by budget) Local Authority Health & Wellbeing Board Members
• Mental Health Charity Trustees
• Social Care Bodies (CQC, Department of Health & Social Care etc.)

Target mapping for healthcare included board members for;

• Top 50 largest (by budget) Mental Health NHS Trusts’ Board Members
• Healthcare Bodies (CQC, Department of Health & Social Care etc.)

A total of 545 and 488 were identified across the respective searches, of which 114 and 57 were deemed to meet the search criteria and were subsequently approached.

Outcome

Priory were delighted to welcome two leading figures from the UK mental health sector.

Dr. Olu Olasode (Adult Care); a founding Commissioner and former Chair of Audit & Risk for the CQC. A Big 4 trained audit professional, Olu is a risk management and improvement leader with over a 30 year experience in health and social care across autism, mental health, ABI, dementia and LD services. He also currently holds the positions of NE Chair at East Kent Hospitals NHS AND Independent Chair (Audit  Committee) Croyden Council.

Heather Tierney-Moore OBE (Healthcare); Chair of NHS Supply Chain and an experienced NHS senior operator. In her executive career, former CEO of Lancaster NHS of 10 years –a role where she development the Trust from £150m to £320m across MH, community and wellbeing. Heather is an expert in people and systems –focussing her work on culture, values and workforce leadership, followed by systems and processes transformation with the view to growth. Heather also held the post of Quality & Governance Chair for 3^rd sector provider CIC.

Why Compass Executives?

Compass Executives were appointed following an established and successful relationship with Priory, and reputation built on delivering complex search mandates. The highly specialist nature of these roles meant that deep sector knowledge was essential, leveraging their understanding of both private and public sector intricacies to ensure the best possible match was made in skillset, approach and cultural fit.

Additional appointments

Further to this our Corporate Services Practice advised on the appointment of Group Head of Marketing & Communications (MEDIAN) AND Talent Acquisition Director.