Our board

Chair, vice chair and chief executive

Matthew Swindells, chair

Matthew Swindells has over 30 years’ experience in healthcare. He is the former deputy chief executive and chief operating officer for the NHS in England, currently working as an independent consultant.

Matthew joined the NHS from university as a graduate trainee and worked his way up as an IT director, clinical services manager, chief operating officer and hospital chief executive before joining the Department of Health as senior policy advisor to the Secretary of State for Health and then as the NHS’s first chief information officer.

Matthew is a member of the University Council at Hull University and holds visiting professorships at Surrey University and at Imperial College Institute of Global Health Innovation.

Matthew is chair, responsible for 12 hospitals across four NHS trusts in north west London: Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust. 

Bob Alexander, vice chair

Bob is the vice chair of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and a non-executive director of London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust.

Bob is also a non-executive director at London Ambulance Service NHS Trust. Previously Bob was the independent chair of Sussex Health & Care Partnership ICS and has held a number of national NHS posts including deputy chief executive and executive director of resources at NHS Improvement. He is an associate (advisory) director with CIPFA, a non-executive director and audit chair of Community Health Partnerships Ltd and a trustee of the Demelza Children’s Hospice charity.

Bob was also chief executive and director of finance at NHS Trust Development Authority, finance director of NHS South of England SHA cluster and director of NHS finance at the Department of Health where he led on NHS financial policy and performance as well as being responsible for the national tariff programme and advising ministers, HMT and other Government departments on NHS financial matters. Bob was a Strategic Health Authority (SHA) finance director from 2002 to 2007, first with Kent and Medway SHA then with South East Coast SHA.

Bob has an MBA and is a fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy and the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

Professor Tim Orchard, chief executive

Tim, a consultant gastroenterologist, was appointed chief executive of Imperial College Healthcare in 2018. He was previously medical director and divisional director for medicine and integrated care at the Trust, which he joined as a registrar in 2000. He is currently also chair of The Shelford Group, a collaboration between ten of the largest teaching and research NHS hospital trusts in England.  

He undertook his undergraduate medical degree at the University of Cambridge, trained at Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School and was a research fellow at the University of Oxford.  

Tim is professor of gastroenterology at Imperial College London and is renowned for his ongoing research and teaching in the field of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). He has been the chair of the IBD section of the British Society of Gastroenterology and national representative on the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation. He has a Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy and, in 2000, was honoured with the Ralph Noble Prize by the University of Cambridge. 

During his time as chief executive, Tim has been focusing particularly on developing a collaborative, inclusive and kind organisational culture, and the Trust has seen significant improvements in its CQC ratings and staff engagement scores. Tim has also been developing the Trust’s strategic partnerships with Imperial College London and others to help embed research and innovation in all aspects of the organisation’s work, supporting the creation of a new life sciences hub at St Mary’s Hospital and an increased five-year funding award of over £95m for the NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre.

Non-executive directors

Linda Burke, non-executive director

Linda is also a non-executive director of The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, a non-executive director of Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, a school governor and a trustee for Medical Justice Charity. She was a councillor for the London Borough of Ealing from 2018-2022. 

Linda has extensive experience as a senior executive with board experience in health, higher education and not-for-profit organisations most recently as executive director, education and quality at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Previous leadership experience includes roles as pro vice chancellor at the University of Greenwich, head of revalidation at the Nursing and Midwifery Council, head of strategy and development at NHS London and associate dean at St George’s Medical School and Kingston University. Linda is a registered nurse with a specialist qualification in oncology. She has a PhD, a masters in education and is a qualified coach.              

Aman Dalvi, non-executive director

Aman is also a non-executive director of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. He has worked at very senior levels for many years and has been a chief executive of three organisations where he has led multidisciplinary teams.

Aman has extensive experience in planning and regeneration and in his career, he was executive director of development and renewal in a major local authority. He was also a ministerial appointee on the boards of English Partnerships and the Olympic Park Legacy Company. Aman has also served as a chair of a number of organisations which include the Anchor Trust and PA Housing. In addition, he has been a statutory appointment on a number of large and diverse organisations.

Aman is currently working as a consultant for two major developers and is chair of a development company. 

Nick Gash, non-executive director

Nick is also a non-executive director of The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Nick has extensive leadership experience, including as chief executive of the National Union of Students and running a successful public affairs consultancy. 

He served as chair of West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust until its incorporation with Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in 2015. He continued as a non-executive director for Chelsea and Westminster until 2022, chairing its audit and risk committee. He is also chair of the Royal Society of Medicine’s audit and risk committee.

Loy Lobo, non-executive director

Loy is a seasoned strategist in Healthcare and Life Sciences with over three decades of expertise. A recognised industry thought leader, he combines design thinking, decision science, and digital technology to innovate and solve complex challenges. He has a deep network in these sectors and has an exemplary record in guiding teams to peak performance.

He has recently joined the Northwest London Acute Provider Collaborative as a non-executive director to serve as a board member for London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, where he chairs the Finance and Performance Committee, and at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, where he is a member of the People Committee and the Audit Committee.

Presently, Loy is also a non-executive director at Essex Partnership University NHS Trust, overseeing digital transformation and chairing the Finance & Performance Committee and the regional Unified Electronic Patient Record Programme Board. He also serves on the Mid & South Essex Integrated Care Board’s Finance and Investment Committee.

Loy's consulting roles include devising strategies leveraging disruptive innovation for global Life Sciences firms and leading digital transformation projects. His work the NHS involves evaluating reimbursement models, business cases, and advocating for tech's role in healthcare. Previously at BT Global Health, he pioneered digital health services and orchestrated international expansion strategies. Loy is deeply involved in mentoring up-and-coming talent, having roles in various health initiatives and educational programs. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine since 2014, he's also played pivotal roles in various educational and accelerator programs, mentoring countless digital health innovators. Loy holds a BSc in Microbiology and an Executive MBA from London Business School, where he founded the Life-Sciences Alumni Group and the Forum for Disruptive Innovation with Profs Julian Birkinshaw and Gary Hamel.

David Moss, non-executive director

David is also a vice chair of London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust. He has 40 years’ experience in leadership and operational roles, most recently as Shell’s retail general manger for North Europe and board director of Shell UK. 

David has successfully led a number of large business turnarounds and global projects using his commercial acumen and experience in strategy, marketing, operations and IT.

Having worked abroad and travelled extensively he has developed a genuine appreciation for diversity and inclusiveness, putting people and safety first. 

Sim Scavazza, non-executive director

As part of the North West London Acute Provider Collaborative, Sim a non-executive director at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust.

In April 2023, Sim stepped up to Acting Chair for the newly established Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West NHS Integrated Care Board, where she chairs the people committees.

Sim is also Chair for the Office of the Independent Adjudicator, the ombuds handling student complaints in England and Wales.

As the former deputy chair of the University of the Arts London, she spent 11 years championing equality, diversity and inclusion, staff and student wellbeing and experience as well as chairing the people and remuneration committees.

Sim is a member of the steering group for the Seacole Group of ethnic minority NHS non-executive directors and chairs and is an advisor on race for NHS Providers, the membership organisation. She is also a fellow of the RSA.

Sim has always had a passion for supporting young people and became chair of Mentor UK for 10 years, a drugs and alcohol prevention and education charity. As managing director for Miss Selfridge, the young fashion independent retailer, Sim led a team of retail specialists and creators to deliver an exciting product proposition for a 15–24-year-old customer.

Her 30-year experience in the fashion industry working for some of the great high street brands in buying and merchandising has driven her passion for all things creative and harnessing the talent of teams. Sim first started pushing for sustainability in fashion in 2006 with her appointment to the board of Adili.com and a financial contribution to the establishment of the Centre for Sustainability at the London College of Fashion.

Sim is a trustee for two UK charities: Smartworks, which dresses and coaches women in preparation for employment interviews, and the National Saturday Club which offers free extra-curricular art and creative classes to 13-16 year olds on Saturdays at museums and universities.  

Dame Helen Stephenson, non-executive director

Dame Helen Stephenson is a non-executive director and former Chief Executive of the Charity Commission for England and Wales.

The Commission is a non-ministerial government department which employs around 400 staff and is responsible regulating over 169,000 charities. She joined the Commission from the Department for Education where she was Director of Early Years and Child Care. Helen previously worked in the Cabinet Office where she was Director of the Office for Civil Society and Government Innovation Group.

Helen joined the Civil Service from the Big Lottery Fund where she was Head of Strategic Policy and Partnerships. She has worked for a large national charity as a development manager and as a researcher and consultant in the statutory and voluntary sector. Helen has a PhD from Bristol University.

Helen is a Non-Executive Board member of the National Lottery Community Fund and Chair of the People Committee. She is a Board member of the ECB Regulatory Board and on the People and Governance Committee at the Royal Academy of Dance. Previously, Helen was on the Board of the Big Society Trust and was Chair of NCT until her appointment at the Charity Commission.

Helen was awarded the CBE in 2014 and was awarded a DBE in the Birthday Honours list 2024 for services to charity and regulation.

Professor Catherine Williamson, non executive director

Catherine is a non-executive director of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, professor of women’s health at Imperial College London and also consultant in obstetric medicine at Queen Charlotte’s, St Thomas’ and King’s College Hospitals. She is a fellow and council member of the Academy of Medical Sciences and is an honorary fellow of the RCOG. She is the maternal medicine representative on the RCOG Genomics Committee. Her research focuses on the maternal and fetal aetiology, outcomes and management of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, gestational diabetes mellitus and severe hyperemesis gravidarum.

Professor Williamson was chair of the writing group for the EASL Clinical Practice Guideline for Liver Disorders in Pregnancy and is currently writing the FIGO Guidelines on Management of Liver Disorders in Pregnancy. As director of the Tommy’s National Centre for Preterm Birth Research she coordinates a research portfolio that aims to understand the aetiology of preterm birth, develop research-informed interventions and provide improved support for women affected by preterm birth, a complication that affects the pregnancies of many women with obstetric medical disorders.

Executive directors

Professor Raymond Anakwe, medical director and consultant orthopaedic surgeon

Raymond is a consultant in trauma and orthopaedic surgery and medical director at Imperial College Healthcare. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh and undertook his surgical training in the Edinburgh Orthopaedic and Trauma Unit and the South-East Scotland region. He undertook further sub-specialist fellowship training in hand, wrist and elbow surgery and has particular expertise in these areas, for adults and children. He came to the Trust as a consultant in 2013. He undertakes clinical research here and with Imperial College London and is regularly invited to lecture and teach internationally.

He has a longstanding interest in medical training and education and has held a number of roles at the Trust and nationally.

Raymond was a medical officer in the Royal Army Medical Corps of the British Army for 24 years travelling widely, working with committed and excellent teams and learning from colleagues across professional groups, in different and challenging environments.

Raymond has a focus on quality of care and services, medical education and patient safety. He has previously been a non-executive director for another large NHS trust where he was the board safety champion for maternity and neonatal care, supporting a program of improvement and development. Raymond is committed to teaching, training, and clinical research, as well as delivering a high-quality patient service.

Claire Hook, chief operating office and deputy chief executive

Claire joined the Trust in 2013 as divisional director of operations for medicine and integrated care, before moving into the executive team as director of operational performance in January 2019. In July 2021 Claire was appointed as the chief operating officer and deputy chief executive in January 2024. Prior to this, Claire spent over 10 years working in senior roles within the NHS and the independent sector and has experience in both informatics and operational management. 

Claire was admitted as a chartered director in September 2023. She graduated from the University of Lancaster with a BSc in geography and subsequently went on to obtain an MSc in Health Economics, Policy and Management from the London School of Economics. In 2017 she won a leading and developing people award from the London Leadership Academy and was recognised as the Director of the Year for the Third/Public Sector in the Institute of Directors London & South region awards in 2020. Claire also has several years of experience as a charity Trustee.

Professor Julian Redhead, medical director

Julian joined the Trust full time in 2004 as a consultant in emergency medicine, after spending four years as a consultant at Ealing Hospital. He became chief of service for emergency medicine at the Trust in 2008. He also serves as the national clinical director for urgent and emergency care.

He has held various roles during his time at the Trust, including clinical programme group director for medicine, divisional director for investigative and supporting sciences, associate medical director for professional development and interim chief executive. 

Professor Redhead is currently also medical director of the Fortius Clinic, trustee to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, secretary to the British Association of Immediate Care for London and a Care Quality Commission specialist adviser. 

Professor Dame Janice Sigsworth CBE, chief nursing officer

Dame Janice Sigsworth is the Chief Nursing Officer at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. She joined the Trust from the Department of Health, where she was Deputy Chief Nurse (England). With a clinical background in respiratory medicine and long-term conditions, Janice holds a BSc in Nursing and an MSc in Health Service Management. She also holds honorary professorial appointments with King’s College London, Buckinghamshire New University, and Middlesex University.

Her priorities at Imperial have been to prepare nurses and midwives to lead the delivery of compassionate, high-quality care, with a strong focus on improving the experience of staff and patients to enhance nursing and midwifery outcomes. A key milestone under her leadership was achieving the global Pathway to Excellence® designation in July 2024, making Imperial the largest NHS acute trust to achieve this status. Janice is now leading the roll-out of the programme across all Imperial’s hospital sites to embed a positive practice environment that supports nursing and midwifery excellence.

With a career spanning over three decades, Janice has a proven track record of delivering continuous improvement in clinical outcomes and patient experience. She has championed the integration of education and research into practice, fostering positive practice for staff and students to improve care for patients.

Janice served as the clinical strategic advisor for the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) during its review of midwifery pre-registration standards and remains a member of the NMC Midwifery Panel. She is also a member of the Shelford Safer Nursing Care Tool Steering Group and the Shelford Chief Nurses Group and is the national professional lead for embedding genomics into nursing and midwifery practice.

Janice was awarded a CBE in the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honours in recognition of her outstanding services to nursing and a damehood in the 2024 King’s Birthday Honours for her contribution to genomics in nursing and midwifery practice.

Jazz Thind, chief financial officer

Jazz joined the Trust in 2020. She is a qualified accountant and joined the NHS in 1993 in a junior finance role. Since then, Jazz has taken up a number of NHS roles covering the breadth of the finance function and has been in finance leadership roles across both NHS provider and commissioning organisations.

The majority of Jazz's NHS career was at Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust where she was appointed to the director of finance role in 2016. Jazz took up a secondment post at the Trust as the interim chief financial officer in January 2020, and was appointed to the role permanently in December 2020. Post-graduation and prior to joining the NHS, Jazz worked in retail and HMC.