Non-executive Directors

Non-executive directors are appointed by the Trust’s Council of Governors on a four year fixed-term contract. They are either residents of the local community, or King’s patients. They bring a wide range of skill and experience to the organisation.

Collectively, they provide strategic guidance, support and challenge to the Trust to ensure it meets its objectives.

Sir David Behan, Chair

David joined the Trust as Chair in June 2024. He was previously a Non-Executive Director on NHS England’s Board. He was also Chief Executive of the Care Quality Commission between 2012 and 2018 and Chair of the Board of Health Education England from 2018 to 2023.

David also worked for over 25 years in local Government, including as Director of Social Services in three Local Authorities. He previously held the role of Director General for Social Care, Local Government and Care Partnerships at the Department of Health.

Jane Bailey, Deputy Chair

Jane joined the Trust in July 2023 as Deputy Chair and took on the role of Acting Chair from February 2024 to June 2024. She brings six years’ experience on the Board of University Hospital Southampton (UHS), during which time she served as Deputy Chair and Senior Independent Director during the period covering the COVID-19 pandemic, and briefly as interim Chair.

Jane started her career at the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, having graduated from King’s College, London University with a degree in Human Environmental Studies. There she became senior commercial vice president. Jane specialised in leading global research and development teams in the formation of strategies to bring new medicines to patients. For five years she ran her own strategy development consultancy working across a breadth of healthcare organisations. In 2017, Jane gained an MSc in public health, with distinction, at King’s College, London University.

Dame Christine Beasley

Dame Christine Beasley has held senior roles across the NHS in a career spanning 50 years. This includes being appointed Chief Nursing Officer at the Department of Health, a position she held from 2004 to 2012.

She has extensive experience of driving positive changes in clinical practice, as well as overseeing major organisational change and development.

Nicholas Campbell-Watts

Nicholas Campbell-Watts has spent much of his career working with people and communities experiencing multiple and complex health and social care challenges linked to mental health, learning disabilities, homelessness, or offending. He has predominantly worked at a senior level in the voluntary sector. He currently works for Certitude, a charity that supports people across London who have learning disabilities, autism, and mental health needs.

Nicholas has a track record of involvement in system and organisational change and transformation, and has previous experience as a Non-Executive Director at Lambeth NHS Primary Care Trust. He has lived and worked in south London for over 30 years and currently lives in Lewisham. He is married with three children.

Professor Yvonne Doyle

Professor Yvonne Doyle is a population health specialist with a portfolio including national and international Trustee, educational and advisory roles. Previous roles include National Public Health Director at NHSE, National Medical Director at Public Health England and Regional Director for London, advising two London Mayors. She qualified as a doctor and has worked for over 30 years in senior roles in the NHS and the UK Department of Health, and in the academic and independent sectors.

She has acted as an adviser to the WHO on Healthy Cities and continues to take a research interest in urban health and the environment.

Simon Friend

Simon Friend has a strong background in finance and audit, including as a chartered accountant and former partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC). He has a thorough understanding of governance, and board experience across a range of sectors.

Simon is also a non-executive director at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, where he chairs the finance, commercial and investment committee. Prior to that, he was a NED at Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust.

Simon also holds several roles at non-NHS organisations including as a trustee at Jewish Care, a charity providing residential and day care facilities, and as a member of Council at the Royal Academy of Arts.

Professor Graham Lord

Professor Lord joined the Trust as a Non-Executive Director in September 2024. Professor Lord is Senior Vice President (Health & Life Sciences) and Executive Director of King’s Health Partners (KHP), and Chief Academic Officer, a Non-Executive Director role on Board of Director at both King’s and Guy’s and St Thomas’ and NHS Foundation Trusts.

A leading clinician-scientist, Professor Lord trained in Medicine at the University of Cambridge, gained a PhD at Imperial and completed his postdoctoral training at Harvard University.

Previously Graham was the Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health at the University of Manchester. He was also an Honorary Consultant Transplant Nephrologist at Manchester NHS Foundation Trust and Executive Director of the Manchester Academic Health Science Centre.

Prior to joining the University of Manchester in 2019, Graham held the position of Director of the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and King’s College London and was Professor of Medicine and Head of the Department of Experimental Immunobiology at King’s College London.

Akhter Mateen

Akhter Mateen is a former Chief Auditor of Unilever. He retired from Unilever in Dec 2012. In his 29-year career he has held high-level finance roles in Pakistan, Bangladesh, the UK, Latin America, South East Asia and Australasia. Since 2014, he has held non-executive roles in various public, private and not-for-profit organisations. He is currently a Non-executive Director of CABI – a not-for-profit international development organisation, a Trustee of Malala Fund UK – focusing on 12 years of free, safe and quality education for girls around the world, and a trustee of Developments in Literacy (DIL) UK – a charity contributing to the education of the underprivileged in Pakistan. He has an MBA in Finance.