Portfolio
As group chief finance officer, Chris leads:
- Group finance teams
- Digital
- Procurement
- Business intelligence and planning
- Service improvement office
Core objectives
- Providing challenge to the group to ensure sound value-for-money, encouraging collective ownership of financial plans
- Ensuring that the Board, managers and clinicians can be confident in using, and understanding, the appropriate indicators to judge present and future performance
- Developing and leading the implementation of financial strategies, ensuring they are aligned to and linked to the vision, values, and strategic objectives of the group
- Leading the timely and accurate preparation of capital, revenue and cash budgets which reflect the group’s strategic service and business plans
- Ensuring the finance teams across the group are positive, proactive and influential in its contribution to our strategic and operational planning processes, providing effective support, and ensuring that senior leaders are empowered to take ownership of financial management
- Managing relationships with key external stakeholders on the financial agenda including local authorities, commissioners, ICB and NHS England
Background
Chris is a highly experienced and CCAB-qualified accountant, with over 20 years in senior leadership roles across the public sector. This has included experience in local government, NHS commissioner and provider sectors. Chris has a proven track record of leading major strategic projects during times of challenge and uncertainty, driving financial recovery and improvement.
Chris began his career with the NHS national financial management training scheme. He spent his early career working for Northumbria Healthcare, before a secondment at North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust. He also spent a period of time working for Northumberland Council, working to support the future direction and shape of the council’s strategy and policy pertaining to finance.
Chris joined South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in 2021 to support a period of uncertainty, responsible for fulfilling the statutory accounting officer responsibilities. In April 2024 he became group chief finance officer for University Hospitals Tees, a collaboration between North Tees and Hartlepool and South Tees Hospitals trusts.
Body membership
- Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA)
Ambitions for the group
- To ensure a sound financial position for the group to support the very best possible patient outcomes across our geography
- To commit to driving for fair and equitable financial ambitions for the group and the communities of Teesside, North Yorkshire and parts of County Durham
Ambitions for the Tees Valley health and care landscape
- To drive a financial agenda that supports the reduction and, where possible, the eradication of health inequalities
- To support the ambitions for economic regeneration of the geographies covered by the group as an anchor organisation within the region