Meet our leadership team

Paul took up office on 1 January 2020, and is in his second three-year term as Chair.

He has an extensive track record in NHS leadership, following a long career in the charity sector as well as in significant NHS Board level roles. In his roles at Age Concern England, Headway, and Action for Children he led strategic engagement with healthcare commissioners and providers, developing successful partnerships and new models of care delivery. This complemented his six years as a Non-Executive Director at Derbyshire County Primary Care Trust where he was part of the team successfully transferring the commissioning of health to new Clinical Commissioning Groups. He was also Chair of Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust for six years.

Paul regularly works with NHS Providers, supporting their Board Development programme including induction for new Executive and and Non-Executive Directors.

A self-confessed "governance geek", Paul works with other organisations and writes occasional blogs on aspects of governance.

Carolyn is a highly experienced, senior health care leader with 17 years’ experience working at Board level within the complex and highly regulated environment of Acute and Community Foundation Trusts.

She joined Nottinghamshire Healthcare on 4 March 2019 and has a demonstrable track record in harnessing and developing the talents of staff, working to identify and realise their potential and building their confidence so that, even within the most challenging of environments, delivering excellence in patient care is always achievable.

Having worked in two Foundation Trusts and with the Care Quality Commission to develop its well-led framework for Community Trusts, Carolyn has an excellent understanding of healthcare regulation and the rigour trusts must apply to ensure the quality and safety of their services and has worked as both a specialist advisor and executive reviewer with the CQC.

Trevor joined Nottinghamshire Healthcare on 25 January 2019.

He is a high performing leader with a proven track record for initiating and implementing strategic business and cultural change and delivering operational results in complex global organisations. He has over 25 years’ experience at senior executive level in aerospace and automotive sectors including 10 years as a member of the Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace board/leadership team. He is a passionate and inspirational leader.

Trevor is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. He lives in Derby.

Paddy was appointed to the Board of the Healthcare Trust in February 2022. He is a qualified social and community worker who was employed by local authorities in Nottinghamshire and by the Childrens’ Society. His work focused on early intervention and prevention.

He was a senior member of Nottinghamshire County council for many years and a national spokesperson on local government finance.

He was the MP for Sherwood from 1992 - 2010 and a minister in the Blair government. He served as Deputy Leader of the House of Commons and was the Chair of the Energy Select Committee.

He was the first Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottingham between 2012 and 2021. Again, he led nationally on police financing, was the Chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and a member of the National Policing Board.

He is Chair of the Nottingham LIFT Companies.

He also Chairs the Nottinghamshire Community Foundation and is heavily involved in a number of environmental organisation including the Ramblers and the Wildlife Trust.

He teaches and lectures on public policy.

Paddy was honoured as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) on the King's Birthday Honours List in 2024.

Fiona has over 25 years’ financial services experience and has held a range of roles within Retail and Wealth Management, Commercial Bank, Recruitment, and Learning and Development. She is an HR qualified, diversity and inclusion leader with many years of experience leading and growing the national and global diversity & inclusion agenda for one of the largest banking and financial service organisations in the world.

Her diversity and inclusion credentials are many, including being the UK Lead for Ethnicity, founder of the first Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority network in 2011, and its chair for 3 years. She then went on to be the first Global Head of Employee Networks, a Senior Global D&I Relationship Manager, the interim Global Head of D&I and the first Head of Diversity and Inclusion for HSBC UK.

She is now an independent consultant supporting companies from across the private, public and voluntary sector to implement and embed diversity and inclusion. Fiona is also career coach and mentor, facilitator, a Women Onboards UK ambassador and consultant, awards judge, diversity and inclusion speaker and panellist.

Fiona also acts as:

• CEO and founder of FD2i Inclusion Business Partners
• Non-Executive Director at Thera East Midlands
• Advisory Board Member for Black Women in HR a start-up company which supports the growth and development of black women in HR
• Advisory Board Member DiversityQ a company focused on cross-industry advice on building a diverse and inclusive workforce

Nigel is a qualified accountant who worked for the Post Office and Royal Mail for over 30 years in a variety of Finance, HR and Health & Safety roles.

He has been involved with the NHS in a variety of Non-Executive Director (NED) roles for the last 10 years, across community and mental health services, and is currently also a NED at Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust, and an Associate Mental Health Manager in Derbyshire and South Yorkshire.

He is also a Trustee at Citizens Advice in Derbyshire and has previously been a Trustee at Age UK. Nigel is originally from Wolverhampton but then lived in Nottinghamshire before moving to Matlock.

Sue Sunderland is a CiPFA qualified accountant who has more than 30 years’ experience of audit, governance, financial and risk management across the public sector.

Beginning her audit career with the Audit Commission she was a District Auditor for many years before becoming a Director with KPMG responsible for both internal and external audit clients. Throughout her career she has been driven by a desire to help the public sector be as effective as it can be in delivering it’s priorities within the resources available.

In 2015 she took the opportunity to translate this passion and her skills into the non executive role including taking up positions with two Nottinghamshire CCGs.

Sue’s ongoing Non Executive Director portfolio will also comprise:

• Audit Chair for Derbyshire Integrated Care Board
• Chair of the Joint Audit, Risk & Assurance Committee for the Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable for Derbyshire
• Finance NED for Inclusion Healthcare Social Enterprise CIC in Leicester.

Ifti took up his position as Chief Executive of Nottinghamshire Healthcare on Thursday 1 December 2022.

He joined the Trust from Derbyshire Healthcare where he had held the position of Chief Executive for over five years, with an additional two years preceding this as Acting Chief Executive.

A mental health nurse by background, Ifti qualified in 1988 after training at St George’s Hospital in London.  He has held a range of clinical posts in adult mental health services, both in acute inpatient and community settings.

Ifti also has significant experience of effective leadership holding several nursing management roles before being promoted through senior management and executive roles.

He also holds a number of national positions, including Chair of the NHS Confederation’s Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Network, and Co-Chair of their BME Leadership Network.

Dr Sue Elcock re-joined the Trust in May 2020 and has been the Executive Medical Director since March 2021.

Sue originally trained in the Trust and worked as a consultant forensic psychiatrist in the National High Secure Service for Women at Rampton Hospital for 10 years, before moving on to Medical Director posts in Lincolnshire and Leicestershire.

She was also Head of the School of Psychiatry, East Midlands for five years and has also led on implementing medical appraisal and revalidation in Notts Healthcare.

Becky took up the position of Chief Operating Officer on 1 June 2023.

Becky originally joined the Trust in October 2020 as Executive Director of Community Health Services and then went on secondment as Executive Director of Mental Health Services. Before joining us, Becky managed the Medicine and Emergency Care Division at Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Becky is an experienced Audiologist, a leader in transformation and management, and has worked in the NHS for over 30 years. As the Chief Operating Officer, Becky is committed in providing the best possible patient care through fostering and developing our workforce and executing the Trusts long-term goals.

Diane took up her position of Executive Director of Nursing, AHPs and Quality at the Trust on 31 July 2023.

She joined us from Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, where she held a similar executive director post since November 2018.

A registered mental health nurse by background, having qualified in 1990, Diane has fulfilled many specialist nurse roles before becoming an executive director of nursing in 2016.

Diane has a wealth of experience and commitment to caring and compassionate leadership.

Alison joined the Trust in 2009 after a long career in local government. Since joining the Trust she has covered various management accountancy roles more recently as Deputy Director of Finance and Procurement since March 2020 and is currently Executive Director of Finance and Estates.

Alison is a member of CIPFA and qualified at Nottingham Trent University as an accountant.  Alison is passionate about staff development and mentoring junior colleagues. The values of the Trust are important to Alison, particularly the focus on putting patient care at the heart of everything we do.

Jen was appointed as Executive Director of People and Culture in June 2022, having joined the Trust in January 2021 as the Deputy Director.   Immediately prior to working at Nottinghamshire Healthcare, Jen was Deputy Director of People and Organisational Effectiveness at Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust.

During her NHS career Jen has worked across acute, community and mental health sectors and is passionate about all things 'people'. 

With a keen interest in equality and diversity as well as the health and wellbeing of colleagues across the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire system,  Jen is committed to making Nottinghamshire Healthcare  'diverse, inclusive and a great place to work'.

Jan Sensier joined the Trust in April 2022 as Executive Director of Partnerships and Strategy. Prior to her appointment, Jan was the Director of Strategy and Partnership for the UK Health Security Agency where she was working for two years on Covid response in public health, and before this she was at the Office of the Public Guardian.

She has a wealth of experience and knowledge gained through her varied career, including managing several Jobcentres across Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire; working at the regional Government Office representing 11 government departments in the East Midlands; and leading East Midlands Councils representing local authorities. Jan was also Chief Executive of Healthwatch Staffordshire in the wake of the Francis Inquiry and worked closely with the NHS, ensuring there was a strong patient voice informing decisions on services and supporting quality improvement. She also worked as a senior civil servant in the Office of the Public Guardian, and led regional teams informing ministerial decisions during the Covid pandemic.

Jan is committed to bringing these previous experiences into her role, helping the Trust to forge new partnerships and to develop its strategy in collaboration with our patients, staff and partners.  Jan also leads on transformation and quality improvement, planning, digital and the Trust’s key role commissioning low and medium secure services across the East Midlands.  Jan feels privileged to be Executive Sponsor for Health Inequalities and Race, Religion and Faith and is passionate about wanting to make a difference.