Board members
In December 2021, we announced our new group executive team to lead the St George’s, Epsom and St Helier hospital group – visit our website here to learn more about the group executive team.
Sir Mark Lowcock, Chairman
Sir Mark Lowcock was appointed as Chairman in April 2025. He is a committed public servant and has a distinguished career in both the Civil Service and international humanitarian leadership. He previously served as Permanent Secretary of the Department for International Development between 2011 and 2017, and at the United Nations as the Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator between 2017 and 2021.
Sir Mark brings a wealth of experience in government as well as international experience to the NHS, which includes supporting dramatic improvements in life expectancy in Africa and South Asia and coordinating UN humanitarian assistance in countries across the world affected by natural disaster and conflict.
James Blythe, Interim Group Chief Executive Officer
James is currently the Interim Chief Executive Officer of one of the largest NHS groups in the country, responsible for the services across St George’s, Epsom and St Helier Hospitals and community services teams in Surrey and south west London. With more than 20 years experience in the health service, James has worked in operational management, system management and policy roles. Most recently, he was the Managing Director of Epsom and St Helier Hospitals from April 2022 to September 2025. Prior to this, James was the Director of Commissioning and Strategy at NHS Surrey Downs and the Managing Director at Merton and Wandsworth Clinical Commissioning Groups.
Non-Executive Directors
Professor Natalie Armstrong, Non-Executive Director
Professor Natalie Armstrong is the Executive Dean for the School of Health & Medical Sciences at City St George’s, University of London. She is the University-appointed Non-Executive Director on the Board. Prior to joining City St George’s in January 2025, Natalie spent 17 years at the University of Leicester, where she held various senior leadership roles, including as University-appointed Non-Executive Director to the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire Group.
Natalie’s academic background is as a social scientist and her research uses social science theory and methods to support the delivery of high quality, safe healthcare. Her interdisciplinary health services research typically involves mixed-methods collaborations with both clinical and non-clinical colleagues.
Pankaj Davé, Non-Executive Director
Pankaj joined St. George’s as a Non-Executive Director in February 2025. He’s a qualified accountant who has worked globally as a senior executive, leading teams in finance, strategy, commercial, business transformation, planning, performance management and oilfield operations. He also ran his strategy consultancy business.
As a direct report to the managing director, Pankaj led and delivered a major five-year business transformation for India’s largest conglomerate, Reliance Industries to standardise processes, systems, data and organisation. He also led the design and implementation of a new group operating model.
He recently completed his term as a Non-Executive Director for University Hospitals Dorset, chairing the Transformation and the People & Culture Committees to oversee post-merger integration and a major hospital rebuild program.
Pankaj serves on the Board of Trustees at the Royal College of Surgeons of England and chairs the Audit & Risk Committee. He previously served as a trustee for Kidney Research UK.
Chiew Yin Jones, Non-Executive Director
Chiew Yin is a lawyer with over 25 years’ experience in criminal justice and is an experienced advocate with a substantial casework and litigation background.
She chairs disciplinary hearings in several jurisdictions, including Fitness to Practise Committees at the General Pharmaceutical Council. She also acts as a Legally Qualified Advisor for the Police Misconduct Panel in London and the South-East region.
In January 2025, Chiew Yin also became a non-executive director at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust and chairs the People Committee at both Trusts. In addition, Chiew Yin is a non-executive director at West London NHS Trust.
Dr Andrew Murray, Non-Executive Director
Dr Andrew Murray joined St George’s as a Non-Executive Director in January 2023. A highly experienced GP, healthcare leader and consultant, he specialises in clinical strategy, service transformation, and population health. He has held senior roles across primary care and integrated care systems, leading major service redesigns, strategic programmes, and organisational change.
Andrew is a practising GP at the Nelson Medical Practice in Merton, and formerly served as Medical Director for the South West London ICS and Chair of the CCG. He has acted as SRO for SWL and worked with the King’s Fund on Population Health Management, and contributed to the London data strategy. He led development of the SWL Whole School approach to children and young people’s mental health and helped establish a community health worker programme in Myanmar. He regularly advises NHS bodies on future models of care and system integration.
He is also a Non-Executive Director at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust and chairs the Quality Committee at both Trusts.
Claire Sunderland Hay, Associate Non-Executive Director
Claire Sunderland Hay has been an Associate Non-Executive Director at St George’s since October 2024. She’s a qualified accountant with senior experience in the public and private sector, including at the Bank of England, FSA, and globally significant financial services groups.
Beyond her role at St George’s, Claire is a senior executive in financial services. She has extensive experience in technology, innovation, and governance in highly regulated sectors, as well as working with Boards as both a non-executive and executive. Claire is a trustee and the Chair of the Risk Committee for UKSA.
She was also previously a Non-Executive Director for Reliance Bank where she chaired their Board Conduct and Risk Committee. Claire was also an Independent Governance Advisor to the Royal College of General Practitioners.
Khadir Meer, Associate Non-Executive Director
Khadir has held a series of senior leadership and delivery roles in the NHS and local government in London. As Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive, at the London Ambulance Service he delivered significant workforce culture, estate and infrastructure improvements and transformation, alongside leading the Service in meeting the huge challenges experienced during the pandemic.
Prior to this he worked as Chief Operating Officer for NHS London, providing strategic leadership across London’s NHS during a period that saw a number of major incidents both in London and nationally.
Currently Khadir is Deputy Vice Chancellor and Clerk to the Board of Trustees of SOAS, University of London, where he has successfully led a process of change vital not only to secure the future of SOAS, but also to cultivate a fresh approach to leadership within the institution, and a thriving staff and student community.
Khadir studied sociology as an undergraduate at Goldsmiths College and is deeply committed to the values of social justice and tackling systemic barriers to participation and achievement in society. He is chair of Minik Kardes, a children’s charity that provides affordable childcare to local families and family outreach in the communities they serve.
Dr Leonie Penna
Dr Leonie Penna joined the Board on 1 October 2025. Leonie was the Chief Medical Officer at Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust for 5 years and has over 20 years’ clinical experience working at King’s as a consultant in high-risk obstetrics and fetal medicine.
Prior to that Leonie worked as a consultant in Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust and St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. She has held a number of leadership roles, initially focused on women’s health, at both King’s College Hospital and the Princess Royal University Hospital. Leonie is also an Associate Non-Executive Director at Epsom and St Helier University Hospital NHS Trust.
Bidesh Sarkar CBE
Bidesh Sarkar joined the Board of St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as a Non-Executive Director in October 2025. He brings more than two decades of board experience as an executive director in government, private, public and non-profit organisations. He has a wealth of experience leading finance and a wide range of corporate functions, in national and international settings.
Most recently he was the Chief Financial Officer at the Department for Business & Trade. He has previously held non-executive roles in education, housing and shared services. Bidesh is Chair of the Finance and Performance Committee and holds the same role at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust.
Executive Directors
Michael Pantlin, Group Deputy Chief Executive Officer
Michael joined the NHS in 2008, after a successful career in the private sector, including IT, travel and banking industries. Before this, as a trainee in his profession, Michael commenced his career in palliative and HIV care in East London, where he grew a personal interest in health, care and well-being.
In deciding to return to this field, Michael joined the NHS as a Chief People Officer – first for Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust and then nearly nine years on the Board for the Barts Health Group of hospitals, including the development of its successful group model.
A growing interest in integrated care led him to Surrey Heartlands, where he led strategy across NHS, local authority, VCSE and social care sectors for workforce and digital development.
In April 2025, Michael was seconded to the St George’s, Epsom and St Helier Hospital Group as Interim Group Deputy CEO.
Mark Bagnall, Group Chief Officer, Facilities, Infrastructure and Environment
Mark joined gesh in August 2024. He is a chartered building services engineer with many years’ experience in designing, building and operating buildings in healthcare, higher education, historic buildings and MOD premises.
Mark previously worked at Barts Health as their Group Estates, Facilities and Capital Development Director and prior to that he was in a similar role at University Hospital Southampton.
Andrew Grimshaw, Group Chief Financial Officer
Andrew Grimshaw joined St George’s as our Chief Financial Officer in June 2017. Andrew was previously Director of Finance at London Ambulance Service, and was also Acting Chief Executive at LAS between January and June 2017.
Prior to joining LAS, Andrew worked at a number of teaching, specialist and district general hospitals, having joined the NHS as a trainee accountant in 1989. Andrew was also appointed Deputy Chief Executive in May 2019.
Elaine Clancy, Interim Group Chief Nursing Officer
Elaine took on the role as interim Group Chief Nursing Officer in September 2025.
Previously Elaine was chief nursing officer for NHS South West London from July 2023. As chief nursing officer Elaine has an integral role in developing plans to improve health and care services and be responsible for ensuring they become a reality for local people.
In her role as chief nurse at Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, Elaine was instrumental in delivering real quality improvements in patient care, both at Croydon University and Purley War Memorial Hospitals and in her joint role with South West London.
With over 30 years’ NHS experience, Elaine has held a number of senior nursing and managerial roles at major London teaching hospitals, as well as in community services and NHS commissioning.
Dr Richard Jennings, Group Chief Medical Officer
Dr Richard Jennings joined the Trust in December 2018 as our Chief Medical Officer. Richard joined St George’s from Whittington Health NHS Trust, where he had been Executive Medical Director for four years. Dr Jennings specialises in infection and acute medicine, and underwent his training at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Stephen Jones, Group Chief Corporate Affairs Officer
Stephen joined the Trust as Director of Corporate Affairs in March 2018. Stephen was previously Chief of Staff and executive lead for corporate governance at the General Medical Council. Prior to this, Stephen worked as Stakeholder Engagement Director on Co-operation and Competition policy at Monitor (now NHS Improvement).
Victoria Smith, Group Chief People Officer
Vicky joined St Georges, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals in July 2024 as the Group Chief People Officer. Vicky has a wide variety of experience, most recently as HR Director for the Ministry of Defence. She started her career in the private sector working as a Management Consultant with many well-known multinational organisations.
Managing Directors
Kate Slemeck, Managing Director for St George’s Hospital
Kate previously worked at Royal Free Hospital as director of operations in 2011 before being appointed as chief operating officer in 2012 and then becoming chief executive of the Royal Free Hospital in 2018.