Board of Directors

Interim Chair

Kamran is a finance professional focusing on business transformation, through a coaching approach to people and culture change.  

Kamran qualified as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG, worked overseas with TNT in senior finance roles, was a Finance Director for a start up before joining Royal Mail. In almost 20 years at Royal Mail, Kamran further expanded his business acumen by undertaking various senior leadership roles and professional qualifications including Risk Management , Regulatory Compliance, Procurement, Business and Personal Coaching and as Director of Cost Transformation. 

Committees

• Chair of Audit Committee
• Member of Finance and Performance Committee
• Member of Nomination and Remuneration Committee

Terms of office

• Initial appointment (as Associate Non-Executive Director): 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022
• Appointed as Non-Executive Director: 11 September 2021 to 10 September 2024
• Appointed as Interim Chair: 1 September 2023

Chief Executive

Dr Richard Jenkins joined the Trust on 10 February 2020 as Interim Chief Executive on a joint basis with Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, where he is also Chief Executive. He was subsequently appointed Chief Executive of The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust from 1 September 2022 as a joint role with his existing Chief Executive position at Barnsley. He is one of the few qualified and clinically active Chief Executives in the UK. He has previously been the Medical Director for two NHS provider organisations.

He has practiced medicine for over 28 years since graduating from the University of Sheffield in 1991 with an intercalated degree in virology as well as his medical degree. He was a trainee doctor in South Yorkshire until becoming a consultant in 2002, specialising in diabetes and endocrinology. During his training, he held various roles including as Lecturer at the University of Sheffield and he spent three years doing research for a Doctor of Medicine degree.

Deputy Chief Executive

Michael Wright joined the Trust on 10 February 2020 as Interim Deputy Chief Executive and subsequently became Deputy Chief Executive on a substantive basis on 1 November 2020. 

Michael has worked across both the NHS and Department for Work and Pensions. Previous NHS roles include being a director at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Director of Finance at Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Medical Director

Jo joined the Trust as Medical Director in December 2022 having previously been Deputy Medical Director at Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. 

Jo graduated from the University of Sheffield in 1995 and has worked in a number of acute trusts in South Yorkshire. She has worked as an Emergency Medicine Consultant since 2008. She has held additional roles supporting education and training.

Jo is a CQC Specialist Advisor for the CQC Urgent and Emergency Care. She has a good knowledge of local healthcare challenges.

Chief Operating Officer

Sally took up the role of Chief Operating Officer in May 2022 after being the Trust’s Deputy Chief Operating Officer and Director of Operations since November 2018.

Sally was born and raised in Rotherham and has extensive experience in the NHS, particularly in Rotherham. She started her career with a placement at Rotherham Hospital while at university, and began her employment in Rotherham in 2001. She has held various managerial roles, including Deputy Chief Operating Officer at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and General Manager roles for Medicine and Community, Surgery and UECC in Rotherham. Through these roles she has established strong working relationships across the Trust and with local partner organisations. Sally has completed a Bsc (Hons) in Business and Technology and a MSc in Health Service Management and Leadership. She completed the first cohort of the Aspiring Chief Operating Officer Programme run by NHSE in 2019.

Chief Nurse

Helen was appointed as Interim Chief Nurse in October 2021 and subsequently appointed to the substantive Chief Nurse role. She has extensive experience, qualifying as a dual registered adult / paediatric nurse.

She previously worked at Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust specialising in Paediatric Critical Care and has a significant educational background, including being a Lecturer/Practitioner at the University of Sheffield and leading national educational groups. Helen joined The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust in November 2015 as Head of Nursing for our Surgical division. In February 2017 she was appointed as Deputy Chief Nurse.

Director of Finance

Steve Hackett joined the Trust as Director of Finance in July 2021.

Steve has worked in the NHS since 1990 having previously worked for local acute Trusts, NHS England and primary care trusts in the area. He qualified as a Certified Accountant in 1997 and has worked as a Director of Finance in the NHS since 2001, with recent previous roles as Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH).

Director of People

Daniel Hartley joined the Trust in June 2023 as Director of People.

Daniel was previously the Regional Director of Workforce and OD for NHS England across the North East and Yorkshire. He has over 20 years of HR, organisational development and workforce experience, and has held a number of senior leadership roles across large public sector organisations.

Non-Executive Director

Heather is a Chartered Accountant who trained with KPMG and has spent most of her career working across a wide spectrum of industries at director levels including FTSE and AIM listed companies.

Since 2006 she has helped a number of organisations, via interim and consultancy roles, to identify operational and financial issues and weaknesses and has delivered solutions to resolve those problems and developed and implemented strategies to deliver growth and profitability.  Heather is committed to using her skills and experience to assist the Trust in meeting the challenges it faces in delivering a quality healthcare service and improving its operational performance and financial stability.

Committees

• Member of Quality Committee
• Vice Chair of Nomination and Remuneration Committee
• Chair of Charitable Funds Committee

Terms of office

• Initial appointment: 17 February 2017 to 16 February 2020
• Reappointed: 17 February 2020 to 28 February 2023
• Reappointed: 1 March 2023 to 29 February 2024

Non-Executive Director

Rumit is currently a full-time practicing General Practitioner in Hatfield, Doncaster. 

A graduate of the University of Sheffield, Rumit initially followed a career path in Trauma and Orthopaedics.  His commitment to the NHS spans over 36 years and during this time he has been engaged in various capacities including the Local Medical Committee (LMC), Primary Care Groups, Primary Care Trusts and he has now been elected to a be a Clinical Director of East Doncaster Primary Care Network.  He is also the Chair of Doncaster LMC.

Rumit has been a GP Appraiser, on the National Clinical Assessment Service assessing General Practices, a GP member on the Area Prescribing Committee, and the Scheduled Drug Monitoring subcommittee of Doncaster Clinical Commissioning Group.

Rumit is a keen advocate for excellent quality of care delivered in a timely fashion and in a safe environment with a clear emphasis on good communication.

Committees

• Member of Audit Committee
• Chair of Quality Committee
• Member of Nomination and Remuneration Committee

Terms of office

• Initial appointment: 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2021
• Reappointed: 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2024

Non-Executive Director

Martin is an experienced chairperson with a background in large-scale manufacturing, business services, public sector, regulatory organisations, academia, and the health sector. Through his chairmanship of the Health and Safety Executive and having served for nine years on the Board of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust he has direct experience of the health sector. He has also acted as an Independent Chair for a number of reviews for several governments covering design and the built environment, government business support, and health and safety.

Committees

• Vice Chair of People Committee
• Member of Finance and Performance Committee
• Member of Nomination and Remuneration Committee
• Member of Charitable Funds Committee

Term of office

• Initial appointment: 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2025

Non-Executive Director

Dee Sissons is a palliative care nurse by background and currently the CEO of a children’s hospice that offers services across the East Midlands.

Living locally, she trained in Sheffield and her career spans commissioning, acute services and the independent sector. She has represented nursing and end-of-life care locally and nationally.

Dee plays a key role in nursing leadership and the profession and is passionate about developing others. She brings a wealth of knowledge about practice, professional standards and governance.

Unafraid of a challenge, she has recently embarked on a professional doctorate bringing the nursing voice to the debate on excellence and nursing care. She is also a Florence Nightingale leadership scholar and Chair of the Osteopathic Foundation. 

Committees

• Member of Audit Committee
• Member of Quality Committee
• Member of Nomination and Remuneration Committee
• Member of Charitable Funds Committee

Term of office

• Initial appointment: 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2025

Non-Executive Director

Hannah is a career HR professional focussed on leading change and has experience in both private and public sector organisations, nationally and internationally.

Currently a Director working part-time in a large government department, Hannah is bringing experience of navigating challenges at scale within a complex political framework, which she combines with prior volunteering as a school Governor in a large high school, and leading people change within commercial organisations.

Hannah lives in West Yorkshire with her husband and daughter.

Committees

• Member of Finance and Performance Committee
• Member of People Committee
• Member of Nomination and Remuneration Committee

Term of office

• Initial appointment: 17 August 2023 to 16 August 2026

Non-Executive Director

Julia brings valuable experience from senior roles in local government, academia and the NHS. She recently retired from her role as Executive Director of Public Health and Communities at Barnsley Council.

After completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Durham, she trained as a student nurse at the Middlesex Hospital in London. In the 1990s, she trained as a midwife in Sheffield and has been a proud South Yorkshire citizen ever since. Her 5-year specialist public health training was based in Yorkshire and Humber with her first placement being in Rotherham so she is very pleased to return in a non-executive role. Before becoming the Director of Public Health for Barnsley in 2015, she worked in Bradford as a consultant in public health. 

Julia was appointed as an Honorary Professor at Sheffield Hallam University in November 2023 and is a longstanding honorary senior lecturer at the University of Sheffield. Her academic interests include public health, law and medical ethics. She is a Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health.

She has provided public health and leadership expertise to various regional and national committees, including as a member of NICE guidelines committees, chair of the Yorkshire and Humber Public Health Workforce Development Steering Group and deputy chair of the Yorkshire and Humber Association of Directors of Public Health. 

She is interested in compassionate and responsible leadership and the importance of a culture where all staff and patients feel valued and listened to. Her commitment to social justice and addressing inequalities is what drives her. She is looking forward to being a committed advocate for the Trust and for Rotherham as a whole.

Committees

• Chair of Quality Committee
• Member of Charitable Funds Committee
• Member of Nomination and Remuneration Committee

Term of office

• Initial appointment: 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2026

Associate Non-Executive Director

lakha has nearly 40 years of experience of working, leading, managing and overseeing the development of work within Black and minoritised communities in a South Yorkshire context. She set up the Apna Haq organisation a domestic sexual violence support organisation for BME women and girls in Rotherham, of which she still works as a part time CEO. She brings board experience from a local, regional, national and European level. Zlakha was involved in drafting up the NICE domestic violence guidance which was published in 2013. She was awarded an MBE for services to women’s rights and community cohesion in 2014. 

Term of office

• Initial appointment as Associate Non-Executive Director: 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023

Director of Operations / Deputy Chief Operating Officer

Director of Strategy, Performance and Planning

Director of Health Informatics

James Rawlinson joined the Trust in September 2015 as Director of Health Informatics, responsible for Digital Transformation, Information and Technical support. Starting the NHS in 1994,  James has worked across all parts the NHS and has led some of the UKs largest digital changes, and has been nationally recognised for Digital Innovation. Previous roles include The Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust and Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust.

In addition to his substantive role in Rotherham, James is Provider CIO lead for South Yorkshire Integrated Care System, Chair of Northern and Yorkshire Director of Informatics Forum, and sits on national NHS CIO advisory councils.

Director of Estates and Facilities

Director of Corporate Affairs