Collaborating across boundaries with Angela Hillery

Angela Hillery took on the group CEO role across the two mental health/community NHS Trusts in Leicestershire and Northamptonshire in 2019. The arrangement of joint leadership was initially to provide support to one of the organisations that was experiencing some challenges with leadership and quality. Over time the two Board realised there was benefit for both organisations.The two trusts remain as separate organisations with their own Boards. Roles were shared where there were gaps in leadership and opportunistically moved to a joint chair relatively recently.The group approach is operated through a joint committee - there they agree on joint work which has included, governance, tackling racism, social value, talent management, quality improvement and collaboration. they have created joint thinking through involving the non executive directors; developing Boards together and creating relationships.Angela described how merger and reducing independence is not something they are looking at. Currently their analysis is that there is no value in merging and they are focused on what each organisation wants to change and the value from working in a Group.The CEO role can only be successful if there is a great team of support around them. Angela has a managing director in each organisation. The CEO has to lead the cultural changes - be intuitive about how change has to happen; change for the right reasons, not just because it is expected and manage risks tightly.Advice for others in a similar position would be -1) bring executive teams together early and send regular time together 2) create a talent pool across organisations and support talent to thrive. Matthew Winn, podcast host and an experienced leader in healthcare in the UK.