Trusts appoint former banker as joint chair

Two of the largest mental health and community trusts in the country have appointed a joint chair.

Eileen Taylor will take up the role across East London and North East London Foundation Trusts from January 2023 following a recruitment process involving both sets of boards and governors.

She joined ELFT in November 2018, becoming its vice chair in October 2018. She has been the trust’s acting chair since this April, following incumbent Mark Lam’s appointment as chair to North Middlesex University Hospital Trust.

ELFT and NEFLT employ more than 12,000 staff between them and provide services for more than 6 million people across Bedfordshire, Essex, Kent and north east London, with a combined turnover of more than £1bn.

Ms Taylor was an investment banker before joining the NHS and has nearly 40 years’ experience in senior leadership roles across the United Kingdom, the United States, and Asia.

Her previous roles include serving as Deutsche Bank’s global head of regulatory management, and as chief executive of DB UK Bank Ltd before that.

Ms Taylor said: “It is a tremendous honour to be appointed to lead two such esteemed trusts who already have an excellent track record of working together to improve outcomes for the communities they serve…

“A key objective will be equity of access and outcomes for our populations.”

She will be taking over from ELFT chair Mr Lam and Sultan Taylor, NELFT’s acting chair, respectively. In addition to North Middlesex, Mr Lam is also chair of Royal Free London FT. 

Following the announcement, Mr Lam said he was “delighted” Ms Taylor was taking over as chair of both organisations.

He added: “As my vice chair at ELFT and latterly as acting chair, Eileen has proven her mettle through tough times during the pandemic and her willingness to innovate with system partners for the good of the population.

“An exemplary leader, I have no doubt that Eileen will thrive as the new chair and take the organisation from strength to strength.”

Mr Taylor said he looked forward to working with her as vice chair at NELFT, adding: “This is an exciting opportunity to lead on and advocate for community, mental health and primary care services across the geographies we serve, and Eileen will be playing a crucial role in our approach to system working and collaboration.”