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.
Gillian Norton, Chairman
Gillian Norton was appointed Chairman in April 2017, having been a Non Executive Director since June 2016. She spent her executive career in local government, serving as Chief Executive for a total of 23 years, the last 17 of which were in London Borough of Richmond. She is also Representative Deputy Lieutenant for Richmond and was awarded OBE for services to local government. In October 2019, Gillian also became Chairman of Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust.
Jacqueline Totterdell, Group Chief Executive
Jacqueline was appointed the Group Chief Executive of the St George’s and Epsom and St Helier hospitals group in August 2021, after joining St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as Chief Executive in May 2017. Jacqueline is also the CEO Lead for the South West London Acute Provider Collaborative.
A Paediatric Intensive Care Nurse by background, Jacqueline started her general management career at Leeds General Infirmary, moving on to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, after which she spent two years working for the Modernisation Agency.
After two Executive Director posts at Barnet & Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust, and then Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Jacqueline held Chief Executive positions at Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and West Middlesex University Hospital where she oversaw the merger of the Trust with Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust.
Before taking up her role at St George’s Hospital in May 2017, Jacqueline spent 18 months as part of the Executive Team supporting Barts Health NHS Trust out of Special Measures.
Non-Executive Directors
Ann Beasley, Non-Executive Director (Deputy Chair)
Ann Beasley joined St George’s as a Non-Executive Director in October 2016. She has a background in finance, her most recent role being Director General for the Finance, Assurance and Commercial Group at the Ministry of Justice.
Ann has also been Chair of Trustees for the Alzheimer’s Society. Ann was awarded a CBE in 2010 and in September 2018 was appointed as Chairman of South West London and St George’s NHS Mental Health Trust.
Jenny Higham, Non-Executive Director
Jenny Higham is Vice Chancellor at St. George’s, University of London. She previously had senior roles at Imperial College and the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine in Singapore. In addition to managerial roles, she continues clinical practice. She has been named “Mentor of the Year” at the Women of the Future Awards, been awarded a President and Rector’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to Teaching Excellence and the Imperial College Medal for outstanding leadership.
Peter Kane, Non-Executive Director
Dr Peter Kane has a doctorate in economics from the London School of Economics and is a qualified accountant. Throughout his career he has worked in public services, including in the Treasury and Cabinet Office. His most recent role was the Chamberlain (or Chief Finance Officer) of the City of London Corporation, a job that dates back to 1237.
Peter brings with him a wealth of experience in finance, risk, performance, and of working in partnership to get things done and he is also a non-executive director of the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Historic England Audit Committee Peter joined the St George’s Board on 1 October and is Chair of the Audit Committee and holds a similar role at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust.
Tim Wright, Non-Executive Director
Tim joined the Department for Education as Chief Information Officer in 2007, a position he held for almost six years. Tim also worked across government, with local authorities, the Cabinet Office and the Government Digital. Prior to joining government, Tim worked for 20 years in the oil and gas industry in IT development, consulting and senior IT leadership roles. He is a Fellow of the British Computer Society and a Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
Andrew Murray, Non Executive Director
Dr Andrew Murray joined St George’s as a Non-Executive Director in January 2023 and chairs the Quality Committee and is a Maternity Safety Champion. He was also appointed to the same role at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust in February 2024. He is a GP managing partner at the Nelson Medical Practice in Merton, an experienced health system leader, healthcare consultant and executive coach.
He was previously a Clinical Commissioning Group chair (Merton & South West London) and worked in senior roles in the South West London health system and Integrated care System for over 10 years with a particular focus on clinical leadership, population health management and children and young people’s mental health.
He also has an interest in developing world healthcare, education and community development and previously helped to set up a major community health worker training programme in Myanmar and chaired the UK arm of the organisation.
Chiew Yin Jones, Associate Non Executive Director
Chiew Yin is a barrister with over 25 years’ experience in criminal justice and is an experienced advocate with a substantial casework and litigation background. She also sits as a Legally Qualified Chair for the Police Misconduct Panel in London and the South East region.
She has several health related roles including being a member of the Lay Committee at the Royal College of Anaesthetists and a former trustee of the Cleft Lip and Palate Association.
Executive Directors
Arlene Wellman MBE, Group Chief Nursing Officer
Arlene qualified as a general registered nurse in Trinidad and migrated to the UK with the intention of training as a midwife. However she fell in love instantly with elderly care nursing and has more than 20 years’ experience in this speciality. Arlene holds a first degree in Health and Social Care for Older People and a Master’s degree in Clinical Healthcare Practice.
She has held various senior nursing roles across acute trusts, including Matron, Senior Matron and Divisional Nurse at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust.
Andrew Grimshaw, Group Chief Financial Officer/Deputy Chief Executive
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.
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. Before becoming Executive Medical Director at the Whittington, he held the posts of Clinical Director for medicine and then Deputy Medical Director.
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). He also held a number of senior policy roles within the Department of Health, including on provider policy, the NHS Constitution and legislative reform, and served as Senior Private Secretary to the Minister for Quality.
James Marsh, Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer
James has been at Epsom, Sutton and St Helier hospitals for more than 11 years, joining as a renal (kidney) consultant in 2003, before being made lead consultant for transplantation and, subsequently, clinical director for renal services. He was appointed as Deputy Medical Director in 2011.
He graduated with first class honours from the University of Oxford in the mid-1980s, continuing his clinical training at Guy’s Hospital where he earned a Distinction in pathology, surgery, pharmacology and therapeutics.
Angela Paradise, Group Chief People Officer
Angela joined St Georges, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals in January 2024 as the Group Chief People Officer (Interim). Angela has a Masters in Law from Cambridge University and after graduating joined the Metropolitan Police as a serving Woman Police Constable based at Kensington in London.
After several years Angela moved into Human Resources and over the years has worked at Senior and Group HR Director in both the private, public and charity sectors. She has a wealth of experience in Banking, Legal, Retail, Telecoms, PR and Higher Education, as well as having worked in Healthcare at the Parliamentary Ombudsman, Medical Research Council, General Healthcare Group and on the NHS Covid Vaccination Programme.
Angela also has an LLM specialising in Employment Law & Mergers and Acquisitions, a Masters in Strategic HR & Change and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
Thirza Sawtell, Managing Director for Integrated Care
Thirza began her career as a Health Visitor before moving into the operational management of community services and then into the commissioning and strategic planning of health and care services across a number of areas of London.
For the past six years she has worked in SW London and Surrey as the Executive Director of Integrated Care for Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, responsible to the Partnership Boards of Surrey Downs and Sutton each of which deliver a wide range of truly integrated community services for their local communities. Prior to this she was Director of Strategy for the North West London Collaboration and led the Pioneer Whole System Integration Programme.
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.
Kate originally trained as an Occupational Therapist. Her previous roles also include Director of Operations and Chief Operating Officer and she has nearly 30 years’ NHS management experience, mainly in acute trusts (including Northwick Park Hospital and the Royal Hospital for Neurodisability).
