Trust appoints influential policy figure as chair

A large mental health and community trust has appointed one of the left’s most well known policy thinkers as its new chair.

Tom Kibasi will succeed Dorothy Griffiths at Central and North West London Foundation Trust at the end of March.

Professor Griffiths is retiring after serving as the trust’s chair for nearly a decade. Mr Kibasi is deputy chair at CNWL and served as a non-executive director since the summer of 2016.

Mr Kibasi is an influential figure on public policy. He led the left-leaning think tank the Institute for Public Policy Research at the end of the last decade and is a prolific columnist. 

He played an important part in the election of Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer, but has since criticised his “lack of authentic vision”. 

Mr Kibasi worked at McKinsey and Company for a decade, where he was a partner in the healthcare practice in London and New York.

He was a senior policy adviser to then Department of Health permanernt secretary, and worked closely with Lord Ara Darzi on his 2008 review of the NHS.

Mr Kibasi said he was “honoured” to be appointed as chair, adding: “My priority is making sure we bring the best of CNWL to all our patients and carers, all of the time. No matter who you are or where you live, you should expect the very best of our trust.

“There are big shoes to fill as our exceptional chair, Professor Griffiths, moves on, and I am enormously grateful to the governors for the confidence they have placed in me.”

Professor Griffiths was appointed chair of CNWL in 2013 and first joined as a non-executive director more than 20 years ago in 2000.

Previously, she was dean of Imperial College Business School and a professor of human resource management. In 2010, she was awarded an OBE for her services to higher education.

She said: “I want to add my own congratulations to Tom, who has already contributed much to the strategic thinking of CNWL and the quality of our services to patients and carers. This is a great decision.

“I would also like to extend my thanks to the governors who devoted many hours to this selection process and to Ketan [Sheth], who has led it so well. Thank you all.”