New NExT Director at UHDB
UHDB has appointed a new NExT Director to join our Trust Board as part of an innovative NHS initiative. Nikant Ailawadi, who is Director of Insight at Barts Health NHS Trust, will join the Board in a non-voting capacity on 1 February 2022.
The Trust first participated in NHS England/Improvement’s NExT Director scheme last year, which saw Pamela Gupta and Roy Shubhabrata spend a year as aspiring Non-Executive Directors.
Nikant has an MBA from Cambridge University where he was awarded the Benavitch Scholarship. He is an alumni of the Indian Institute of Management’s Senior Leaders Programme, and also holds a BSc and MA. At Barts Health he provides strategic leadership and oversight to create an insight-driven, patient-centric culture, ensuring staff and patient voice leads to improved, more equitable patient experience. Prior to joining the NHS he was Global Head of Market Research, Analytics and Insight at the British Council, and also held strategic global roles at Cisco and GSK.
Dr Kathy McLean OBE, Chair, said: “I’m delighted we have been able to appoint Nikant to this role. Nikant brings significant experience of different industries and sectors to the Trust. Nikant joined our Board meeting earlier this week and I look forward to him making a positive contribution.
“The NExT Director programme is an important development opportunity in the NHS and I’m pleased we are able to support it here at UHDB. I’d like to place on record my thanks to Pamela Gupta and Roy Shubhabrata for their contribution to the Trust during their year here. We will be looking to announce a second NExT Director appointment very shortly.”
Nikant’s NExT Director role will be in addition to his current work at Barts Health. He said: “I am really pleased to be joining UHDB’s Board and grateful to Barts for giving me the space to pursue this, as the shared learning will benefit patients of both Trusts. Being a role model for BAME and other under-represented colleagues is important for me and I hope this will encourage others to take on challenges that help them grow.”
NExT Directors attend Trust Board meetings but are not voting members.