Matthew - Former Chair of the four acute trusts in North West London – has had a long and influential career in healthcare including being a former Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Operating Officer at NHS England.
He joined the NHS as a graduate management trainee in procurement straight from university and went on to manage women’s and children’s services at Guy’s and St Thomas’, become COO at Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospital and Chief Executive of the Royal Surrey County Hospital.
He has also held significant roles of influence within national healthcare including time as a senior policy advisor to the Secretary of State for Health.

Keith joined the North of England Commercial Procurement Collaborative (NOECPC) as Commercial Director in October 2011 and was appointed to the post of Managing Director in November 2012. His role within NOE CPC is to drive the organisation’s strategy by ensuring customers can gain clear and demonstrable value and cash releasing savings from a collaborative commercial relationship with NOE CPC. As Managing Director, Keith has overall responsibility for the day-to-day running of NOE CPC and implementation of the organisation’s three-year Business Plan

Prior to joining the NOE CPC, Keith worked in the IT Services Sector for 14 years. His career has covered a wide spectrum of roles including procurement, sales, marketing and operations within this sector. In the last 3 years Keith held the post of Commercial Director, responsible for commercial and contract management.

Keith has a proven track record of turning around businesses, departments and cross-functional teams. As Service Director he has led cross-functional teams to deliver continual improvement, contract extensions, contract management, profit improvement, service quality and recovery programmes. He has re-negotiated underperforming contracts delivering 20% improvement in profitability, resulting in growth and contract extensions in term and scope.

‘Moving Forward’ – these two words perfectly encapsulate Ben’s approach to his role as CEO of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply Chain (CIPS).

In a world where supply networks increasingly sustain businesses, industries and economies, Ben believes that the procurement and supply chain profession must take centre stage and step up to lead from the frontline.

It is a big and bold step for the profession.

With his multifaceted experience as a leader in procurement, supply chain management, membership, digital transformation and operations, Ben is uniquely qualified to bring this ambitious vision to life.

His most recent position was Director of Operations, Planning and Delivery in one of the UK’s largest retailers – the John Lewis Partnership.

An illustrious early career and achievements in the military laid the foundation for Ben’s Ben’s distinct high-energy, high-impact style of leadership.

Achieving the rank of Colonel at a very young age, he served as Commanding Officer of the Irish Guards. In recognition of his remarkable service, Ben was awarded an MBE when he was just 29 years old.

Today, as Chairman of the Invictus Games Foundation Programme Board and Chairman of the Forces Employment, Ben is also a respected leader in the charity sector. He is the Founder and organiser of the Blackthorn Rally, an international motorsport rally for army veterans.

Ben has proven his ability to marry ambition with impact.

With the coincidence of technology advances, the increasingly interconnected world, climate risk, and geopolitical instability, he is determined to move the procurement and supply chain profession and CIPS forward into a future where they are global leaders, shaping the future of the planet.

An experienced commercial and procurement professional, Lois has supported various transformation programmes across the NHS. She is a Chartered Fellow of CIPs and currently leads the Commercial Capability and Best Practice team in NHS England’s Central Commercial Function. Lois also supports the delivery of the Strategic Framework for NHS Commercial to build a world class commercial function for our health system by leading on a number of interventions. Experienced in leading teams to deliver requirements in a proactive and innovative way, Lois is well respected across the commercial community and wider health network.

Barbara is an experienced procurement and commercial professional. Having worked in the NHS at local, regional and national roles for over 15 years and in the private sector for seven years prior, she specialises in leading large scale strategic programmes and creating more efficient processes and practices. She is currently responsible for delivering the NHS commercial capability programme that includes the transformational NHS Commercial Learning & Development Centre of Excellence which will eliminate disparity in investment and access to learning for the NHS commercial community.

Andrew is a partner and head of procurement within Hempsons LLP’s specialist procurement law team. He has over 20 years’ experience of working with the NHS, acting both for contracting authorities and bidders. Andrew utilises the knowledge gained from acting for clients on both sides of the fence to provide pragmatic advice on running defensible procurement processes/defending procurement law challenges, and also to advise bidders on improving their chances of success/challenging defective processes. Andrew is heavily involved in advising relevant authorities on the implications of the Provider Selection Regime and the new Procurement Act.

Mary is a Partner at Capsticks and is the Head of Procurement and Deputy Head of Healthcare. Mary leads the procurement team and advises clients on a range of public procurement matters from day to day issues through to complex and strategic processes and procurement challenges. Mary also advises bidders. Mary regularly delivers training to clients and speaks at conferences on procurement. Mary has been supporting clients to implement the changes brought in under the Procurement Act 2023 and she has also advised on a number of processes under the Provider Selection Regime. Mary has previously worked in-house at NHS Supply Chain advising on the setting up of various framework agreements for health supplies. She therefore has in depth experience of working closely with public sector procurement teams in a fast paced environment.

Dr Cath Bruce is Specialist Medical Advisor at NHS Supply Chain. She brings a strong clinical perspective to how NHS Supply Chain delivers smarter, simpler and more connected care, helping keep the focus on what matters most – patients.
Cath works closely with colleagues and partners across the healthcare system, supporting our clinical transformation and ensuring decisions are grounded in real-world experience.
Alongside this role, she continues to practice as a GP, with over 25 years’ experience as a GP Partner. Her career reflects a commitment to collaboration and development across primary care, including work as a Clinical Lead for a young person’s charity and as a multi-professional educator in Primary Care.
Cath is also a Senior Lecturer in GP and Community Education at Kent and Medway Medical School, where she helps to support and develop future doctors, in particular for their primary care placements across Kent.

Michelle has worked within the NHS as a registered adult and children’s nurse for 36 years. She is the national clinical executive director in NHS Supply Chain and leads a group of expert and experienced health care professionals (Nurses, Doctors, Midwives and Allied Health Professionals) supporting the business to procure medical devices, equipment and clinical consumables. Focusing on patient care, ensuring that everything purchased and supplied, on behalf of the NHS is safe, meets the needs of patients and health care professionals and is available at the right time and in the right place.
Previously, she held senior operational management and nurse leadership posts in hospitals, mental health and community health services in London. Posts held, Deputy Chief Clinical Officer for an Integrated Care Board and Chief Nurse and Director of Allied Health Professionals at two NHS Trusts.
She is a Queen’s Nurse, has an MSc Child Health and has been a Florence Nightingale Children and Young People’s Leadership Scholar.

Michelle was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours Award in 2021.

Judith has over 25 years of experience in procurement across both the public and private sectors. She has spent much of her career working within the NHS and wider health sector and is passionate about ensuring that the patient and public voice is reflected in procurement activities. In her role at as Associate Director of Procurement at HQIP, she is responsible for the strategic development, operation, and management of the organisation’s procurement function.

With over 30 years procurement & supply chain experience. Simon began his career in the Royal Navy and has worked in senior procurement & supply chain roles within the Pharmaceutical, Banking and Public sector, before starting his NHS career in the East of England at Basildon & Colchester Hospitals.

Now working in Birmingham, he is responsible for all NHS procurement activity across the Birmingham & Solihull Integrated Care System (ICS).

Dr Phil Hammond retired as NHS doctor in 2022 after 35 years, but still works as a journalist, broadcaster, speaker, campaigner, and comedian He was a GP for 20 years, worked in sexual health for 4 years and as a lecturer in medical communication at two universities (Birmingham and Bristol). He spent 11 years in a specialist team for young people with severe fatigue, including post viral fatigue and long Covid. Phil is Private Eye’s medical correspondent and possibly the only comedian to have appeared at a Public Inquiry; his coverage of the pandemic in Private Eye was highly praised, and a book of the columns – Dr Hammond’s Covid Casebook – was a Sunday Times bestseller. He presented the first five series of Trust Me, I’m a Doctor on BBC2, produced by Dr Michael Mosley. As a comedian, Phil was half of the award-winning double-act Struck Off and Die, with Tony Gardner. They won a Writer’s Guild Award, a Silver Sony Award and received record numbers of complaints to the Broadcasting Standards Council. He has done Edinburgh fringe shows since 1990 and four solo UK tours, and has appeared on Have I Got News For You, Question Time, Countdown, The One Show and Long Live Britain. His NHS comedy Polyoaks, written with David Spicer, had five series on Radio 4. He also presented multiple series of Pillories of the State, The Music Group and The Motion Show for Radio 4. In his Radio 4 series – Dr Phil’s Bedside Manner – Phil toured NHS hospitals, chatting intimately with staff, patients, carers and volunteers, and then cheered them up with a comedy show. Phil took two shows to the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe: Dr Hammond’s Covid Inquiry and How I Ruined Medicine, which is also available on BBC Sounds along with his new podcast, Doctor Doctor. He was back at the Fringe in 2024 with Fifty Minutes to Save the NHS and The Ins and Outs of Pleasure. In 2025, he reflected on his unusual career in How I Ruined Medicine (Radio 4 and BBC Sounds) Phil’s 2026 comedy with Tony Gardner, Doctors on Hold, is available on BBC Sounds and has been commissioned for a second series. 36 of his 38 Private Eye columns arguing that Lucy Letby should be granted an appeal can be found at https://www.private-eye.co.uk/special-reports/lucy-letby Phil is currently investigating the use of comedy as therapy for NHS staff and users, to encourage them to tell their stories and share their experiences with humour and pathos. He is working on his first novel, The Fate Escapes, about how the timing and manner of how you tell a child his father has taken his life can have a profound effect on their own life. It is based partly on Phil’s own experiences.

As Chief Medical Officer for two NHS regional organisations, and for the National Council of the HealthCare Supply Association, Andrew is an established clinical leader, and a recognised leader in efficiency and effectiveness in healthcare delivery.
An alumnus of the King’s Fund, he has advised on healthcare network delivery in the UK and abroad, and has significant experience in clinical engagement, change management, and leadership. He is a strong advocate of enabling improving culture, and using data to drive improvement, and he speaks nationally and internationally on topics including quality improvement, outcome measurement and clinical aspects of procurement. In his various roles, he is responsible for the clinical strategy across the regional health economy, and works with the DHSC, and colleagues in procurement, to improve patient experience and value for money, including value-based procurement.
He sits on regional and national boards and networks, and works with HM FCDO and Department of Business & Trade, influencing clinicians and non-clinicians in strategic and operational delivery, and has held several advisory roles in the UK and abroad.

Roy Lilley former NHS trust chair, writer and broadcaster on NHS and social issues.

Pia Larsen is the Chief Procurement Officer at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust where she leads a large multisite team and a Shared Service covering four other trusts.  Prior to her appointment in 2023, Pia led an award-winning team at UCLH, through a transformation programme spanning 10 years.  She has held senior procurement roles at several eminent NHS Trusts.  Pia is passionate about authentic leadership, building high performing teams and working collaboratively to achieve success.  Pia has a passion for equality, diversity and inclusion with a particular interest in gender equality.  Pia holds a first-class honours degree in Management, is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply, a Member of the Chartered Institute of Management and has recently completed an MBA with Distinction at Hult (Ashridge) University. 

Richard is Deputy Director Procurement & Logistics at the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust.
Prior to this he was Head of Procurement at Essex Partnership University Trust, having previously held roles in Mid Essex Hospitals, the Ambulance Service, Primary Care, and in a Collaborative Procurement Hub.
Before moving to the public sector Richard worked in the manufacturing industry managing the procurement, supply chain, and production planning for a manufacturer of scientific equipment. He joined the HCSA in 2014 as the regional representative for the East of England before taking up the role of Deputy Chief Officer in 2021.
Outside of work Richard is involved with charitable work and is actively involved in several sports clubs.