Baroness Floella Benjamin, OM, DBE, DL

Baroness Floella Benjamin, OM, DBE, DL is an actress, singer, presenter, author, businesswoman, philanthropist, and politician. She was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London in 2008 and was listed in the 2020 Powerlist as one of the Top 100 most influential people in the UK of African/African-Caribbean descent.

Baroness Benjamin has spent some 53 years in the entertainment industry, receiving numerous accolades, including a BAFTA Special Lifetime Achievement Award and an OBE in 2001 for services to broadcasting.

She was president of the Elizabeth R Commonwealth Broadcasting Fund and a governor of the National Film and Television School for 17 years, championing their diversity and inclusion policy.

Baroness Benjamin has written over 30 books including the best-selling Coming to England, which is now part of the UK National Curriculum. Floella’s autobiography, What Are You Doing Here? won the 2023 Parliamentary Book Award for the Best Autobiography by a Parliamentarian.

In 2006, Floella became the first Afro-Caribbean woman to be appointed as Chancellor of a UK university – the University of Exeter, where there is now a statue to celebrate her chancellorship.

In 2010, Floella became a Lib-Dem peer and has successfully got legislation through for the Children’s Performance Act and for the resurgence of children’s television production output by commercial broadcasters.

She chaired both the Windrush Commemoration Committee, overseeing the creation of a National Windrush Monument at Waterloo Station and the Windrush Portraits Committee for His Majesty the King to celebrate Windrush 75. Baroness Benjamin is actively involved with numerous charities, including the Sickle Cell Society, Transplant Links and is Vice-President of Barnardo’s.

Floella was made a Dame in 2020 for services to charity and was appointed into the Order of Merit in 2022, which was one of the late Queen’s last wishes.

She was chosen by King Charles to carry the Sceptre with Dove at his coronation.

Professor Dame Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu

Professor Dame Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu was inspired to become a nurse at the tender age of four because, whilst she was in care, a “wonderful nursing nun” treated her childhood eczema in an expert and sensitive manner. Born in Birmingham in 1947, she identifies as being of Irish/Nigerian heritage. Dame Elizabeth started work for the NHS as a school nurse assistant in Wolverhampton at the age of 16.

Elizabeth put a substantial amount of her life into her work as a nurse, health visitor and tutor working with Black and minority ethnic communities in London. “People from diverse cultures are not always valued and still sometimes just seen as problems”, she says.

In 1979, Dame Elizabeth helped to establish in Brent the first nurse-led UK Sickle & Thalassaemia Screening and Counselling Centre. In 1988 she was awarded a PhD from the Institute of Education, University College London (UCL). From 1990-1997 she worked at the Institute of Child Health, UCL as a Lecturer and subsequently, as Senior Lecturer in Community Genetic Counselling. She has written extensively and is a co-author with Professor Karl Atkin of the book ‘The Politics of Sickle Cell & Thalassaemia’ published in 2001 by the Open University Press.

In 2001, Elizabeth was awarded a CBE for services to nursing. In 2004 she was presented with the Royal College of Nursing Fellowship (FRCN) for her work in the development of nurse-led sickle cell and thalassaemia counselling services and education and leadership in transcultural nursing. In 2022, Elizabeth was honoured with the Order of Merit and a Damehood (DBE) in the 2017 Queen’s New Year’s Honours List for her services to nursing and the Mary Seacole Statue Appeal. The Queen’s Nursing Institute awarded her a Fellowship (FQNI) in October 2017.In July 2018, as part of the celebrations for the 70th Anniversary of the National Health Service, Elizabeth was included in the list of the 70 most influential nurses and midwives in the history of the NHS.

Wol Kolade CBE

Wol Kolade CBE is a Managing Partner of Livingbridge, one of the UK’s leading mid-market private equity firms.

Wol’s extensive private equity experience is fuelled by his passion for entrepreneurialism and its benefits to the wider economy. He has a deep interest in healthcare, education, and improving diversity in the private equity industry.

In 2021, Wol received a CBE for services to the financial industry in the Queen’s 2021 Birthday Honours and became the 25th inductee into the ‘Private Equity Hall of Fame’ at the Real Deals Private Equity Awards.

Through numerous high-profile board roles, Wol nurtures bold strategies that drive innovation and impact. He was previously a Chairman of the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association in 2007-2008, a Council Member from 2002-2009, and Chairman of the Responsible Investment Advisory Board from 2009-2010.

Wol formerly served as the Chairman of the Guys and St. Thomas’ Foundation, which has assets of £1bn, making it one of the largest medical charities in the UK. In 2018 he was appointed as a Non-Executive Director to the joint NHS England & Improvement Board and more recently, as trustee of Somerset House Trust. He is also a co-]founder of the 10,000 Black Interns Initiative.

Wol initially trained as an engineer, having studied civil and structural engineering at King’s College, London. After obtaining an MBA from Exeter University, he spent three years with Barclays before joining Livingbridge. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Exeter in 2014.

Professor Dame Donna Kinnair

Professor Dame Donna Kinnair is the Chair of Runnymede Trust and a trustee of the Burdett Trust for Nursing. She is a Non-Executive Director at East London Foundation Trust and The Royal Free Hospitals London. She was the Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) until June 2021.

Professor Kinnair has had an extensive career in healthcare, with positions she has filled in the past including roles as a clinical director, where she was responsible for delivering strategy and policy. She has worked in education and clinical practice in a variety of roles in the UK and internationally.

Donna is a renowned clinical leader tasked with leading several transformations in care. Donna served as nurse/child health assessor to the Victoria Climbié Inquiry and advised the PM’s Commission on the future of nursing and midwifery in 2010. She was made a DBE in 2008 for services to nursing.

Dr Marie Gabriel CBE Hon DHsc

Dr Marie Gabriel CBE Hon DHsc, with over 20 years’ NHS Board experience, is currently the Chair of the NHS North East London Integrated Care System, Chair of the NHS Race and Health Observatory and an Associate NED for the UK Health Security Agency.

She is also a Commissioner on the IPPR Commission on Health and Prosperity. Regionally, Marie is Co-Chair of the London People Board and is a member of the Greater London Authority’s London Health Board, where she is also the London Mayor’s Champion for Tackling Structural Racism. Marie contributes to her local community as a trustee on two charities: West Ham United Foundation and East London Business Alliance.

Her previous Chair role was at East London NHS Foundation Trust, which is internationally acknowledged for its systematic approach to quality improvement and service-user participation. Through this and her current role, she has participated in IHI (Institute for Healthcare Improvement) events, including delivering workshops on the Board’s role in quality improvement. Prior to this, Marie chaired commissioning organisations with budgets of up to £3bn and with her first non-executive role, she became Vice Chair of an acute trust. Marie’s employment background is in local government and the not-for-profit sector, with senior executive experience in social justice, regeneration and equity. 

Marie’s contribution to the NHS was recognised through the award of her CBE, her contribution to her local community by the award of Freedom of the London Borough of Newham and her contribution to football by inclusion on the Premier League’s Black Power List.   More recently in 2023, Marie received the award of Honorary Doctor of Health Sciences from the Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and she has been included in the Health Service Journal’s 100 list of the most influential people in health.

Professor Bola Owolabi

Professor Bola Owolabi (MRCGP, MFPH Hon, FRSPH) is Director of the National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme at NHS England (NHSE). She also works as a GP in the Midlands. Bola has a particular interest in reducing healthcare inequalities through integrated care models, service transformation, and using data insights for quality improvement. She has spearheaded NHSE’s Core20PLUS5 approach to narrowing healthcare inequalities.

Internationally, Bola was a member of the Danish Ambassador’s Tour De Health – a ten-nation healthcare policy leaders’ summit. Additionally, she was the UK representative on the Commonwealth Fund / Academy Health Tour 2023,exploring equity in national health policy across the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. She was previously National Speciality Advisor for Older People and Integrated Person-Centred Care at NHSE, where she led the Anticipatory Care workstream of the National Ageing Well Programme. She collaborated with teams across NHSE and the Department of Health and Social Care as part of the Covid-19pandemic response.

Bola is an alumna of Ashridge Executive Education / Hult International Business School and holds a Master’s degree with distinction in Leadership (Quality Improvement). She also received an NHS Leadership Academy Award in Executive Healthcare Leadership for Clinicians. Bola is an Honorary Professor at the Institute of Applied Health Research, College of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Birmingham. She is also a Vice President of the Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH).

Professor Kevin Fenton CBE

Professor Kevin Fenton CBE is the President of the Faculty of Public Health (FPH). He is a senior public health expert and infectious disease epidemiologist who has worked in a variety of public health executive leadership roles across government and academia in the United Kingdom and internationally.

Professor Fenton’s specialist interests include tackling health inequalities, infectious disease prevention and control, climate justice and urban health. Kevin is the Regional Director for London in the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) within the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). Within this role, he is also the statutory public health advisor to the Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority, as well as Regional Director of Public Health for NHS London.

Kevin acts as the government’s Chief Advisor on HIV and Chair of the HIV Action Plan Implementation Steering Group for England. As President, Kevin works closely with the Academy of Royal Medical Colleges, UK Local Government Association and a wide range of partners who have interests in Public Health. Kevin is committed to working with all four nations of the UK and FPH members across the world.

Patricia Miller OBE

Patricia Miller OBE is the Chief Executive Officer for Dorset’s Integrated Care Board. Responsible for overseeing complex health services and health improvement programmes for local communities. Patricia has over 30 years’ experience of working in the NHS and holds a Master’s degree in Health Care Management.

She is a graduate of the Aspiring Directors Programme for the East of England, the Breaking Through Leadership Programme, the Athena Leadership Programme for Executive Women, and the Collaborative Leadership Programme at the King’s Fund.

Whilst working in the NHS Patricia has remained passionate about improving the lives of patients and staff in ways that matter to them. Patricia has a strong focus on equality, diversity, inclusion, and health inequalities. She is currently Co-Chair of the Chairs and CEO Ethnic Minority Network, and member of the NHS England’s Health Inequalities Oversight Group. Patricia is also a member by distinction of the Faculty of Public Health.

Patricia was named as one of 25 Rising Stars of the NHS in 2013 and one of the top 50 CEOs in 2019, the same year in which she was awarded an OBE for services to the NHS. In 2020, Patricia was named amongst the top 50 BAME figures who will exercise the most power and/or influence in the NHS and health policy.

Cedi Frederick

During a career that has spanned over 40 years, Cedi Frederick has held a number of senior management and Chief Executive positions across the public, not-for-profit and private sectors. In addition, with over 30 years’ experience on the boards of housing, social care and sporting national governing bodies, several housing associations and voluntary organisations, Cedi has held Non-Executive Director and Chair roles within the NHS and a university Governor role. Cedi is currently Chair of NHS Kent and Medway, Chair of the Health and Europe Centre, and is a Non-Executive Director of Sage Homes.

Cedi is owner and Managing Director of Article Consulting Ltd, a company that works with the ‘leaders of today and tomorrow’, the CEO of Consiliaris Digital Systems, a health tech start-up, and runs a successful executive coaching and mentoring practice.

In 2015, Cedi was recognised as one of the ‘1,000 Black & Asian Heroes 1950-2010’ by Our Heritage TV. In addition, on four separate occasions, Cedi has been named as one of Britain’s 100 Most Influential Black People; described as an ‘unsung hero of the Third Sector, who has changed as many lives in his life outside of work as he has in his job’. At present Cedi also co-chairs the ground-breaking London inspire Programme, focused on improving the health of Black Londoners. 

Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent OBE

Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent OBE is the first Chief Midwife for the International Confederation of midwives internationally. Professor Jacqueline has a passion for supporting midwives and health systems to ensure that all women and gender-diverse people receive the best care and experience optimal health outcomes. She served for four years as the first Chief Midwifery Officer for the NHS in England and was one of two National Maternity Safety Champions appointed by the Department for Health and Social Care.

Jacqueline is a registered nurse and midwife, and a visiting Professor of Midwifery at Kings College London and London South Bank University. She has held senior positions in clinical practice, education, leadership, and management including: Consultant Midwife, Director of Midwifery, Head of Nursing, Senior Lecturer, Curriculum Leader, Lead Midwife for Education, and Professor of Midwifery. She has supported the education of Midwives Internationally through conference contributions and publications.

She is Co-Chair of the Maternity and Neonatal Advisory Group for the Race and Health Observatory in England, a member of the Women of the Year management committee, Midwifery Ambassador for the charity Saying Goodbye and until recently, a trustee for the RCN Foundation. In 2015, Jacqueline was selected from over 100 nominations for inclusion in the Nursing Times’ Leaders list, which celebrates nurses and midwives who are pioneers, entrepreneurs, and inspirational role models in their profession.

The Health Service Journal (HSJ) recognised Jacqueline as one of the most influential people in health each year from 2020-2022.

In celebration of the NHS’ 75^th anniversary in 2023, Jacqueline was recently recognised by the Nursing Times as one of 75 nurses and midwives who have contributed in a significant way to the National Health Service.

Professor Jacqueline is also a CAHN patron. She says: “My determination to improve health equity is influenced by the vast and unacceptable inequality in health outcomes and experiences of Black, brown and socio-economically disadvantaged people. In my role as Patron for CAHN, I pledge to utilise my experience of health promotion, ill health prevention, equity policy and strategy and maternity care to support CAHN in meeting its equity ambition.”

Yvonne Coghill

Yvonne Coghill CBE, FRCN commenced nurse training at Central Middlesex Hospital in 1977, qualified as a general nurse in 1980 and went on to qualify in mental health nursing and health visiting. In 1986 she secured her first NHS management job and has since held a number of operational and strategic leadership posts.

Yvonne has recently retired after 43 years in the NHS. Her last role was as the Director of Workforce Race Equality, NHS London, prior to which she was the Director for the Workforce Race Equality Implementation Team in NHS England/Improvement. She is a member of the board at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) in the United States, where she helped develop their inclusion strategy. Yvonne has delivered lectures on inclusion and diversity at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts and the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. She continues to work closely with world expert on health and race, Professor D. Williams, of Harvard University School of Public Health.

In 2012 Yvonne was appointed as a Magistrate to the North London bench. She has been voted by colleagues in the NHS as one of the top 50 most inspirational women, one of the top 50 most inspirational nurse leaders, and one of the top 50 BME pioneers. In December 2017 she was included in the HSJ top 100 influential leaders list.

Yvonne was awarded an OBE for services to healthcare in 2010 and was appointed to the position of Director for WRES implementation in June 2015. In 2018, she was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal College of Nursing, a CBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list, an honorary fellowship from King’s College London, honorary doctorates from Middlesex and Buckinghamshire New universities and voted one of the top 70 most inspirational nurses in the NHS over the last 70 years. In January 2019, Yvonne became Deputy President of the RCN.

In the summer of 2020, Yvonne led on the development of a race equality strategy for London and was invited to be a senior fellow at the Institute of Health . 2020 also saw her once again be voted one of the top 50 most influential Black people in the NHS. Yvonne is on the board of the NHS Race and Health Observatory and co-chairs its international experts’ group. Since retiring Yvonne has set up her own company, Excellence in Action, and continues to work across the NHS, with the police and with colleagues in higher education.

Lord Victor Adebowale

Lord Victor Adebowale became Chair of the NHS Confederation in April 2020. Before this, he was CEO of Turning Point, a social enterprise providing health and social care interventions to approximately 100,000 people on an annual basis.

Lord Adebowale is also Chair of Social Enterprise UK, Co-Founder and Chair of Visionable UK Ltd, and founding Chair of Collaborative CIC. He is Founder and Director of Leadership in Mind and a non-executive director at the Co -Operative Group. Victor is the founding Vice-Chair of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, and has been since 2021.