Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust

Alex Shaw

Managing Director

Azara Mukhtar

Group Chief Finance Officer

Azara brings more than 30 years of NHS experience, having begun her career at Guy's and St Thomas' before going on to hold senior roles at Barts Health, NHS London, Croydon and, most recently, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust. She has more than 13 years' experience as a Director of Finance and has led significant service growth and transformation, alongside contributing to wider system work across South West London. As Group Chief Finance Officer, Azara is responsible for the Group's financial strategy and leadership, helping to ensure resources are used effectively to support high-quality patient care, operational delivery and the organisation's longer-term ambitions. Azara is passionate about creating organisations where people feel supported, valued and engaged. She is also committed to addressing health inequalities and believes strong financial stewardship should go hand in hand with improving outcomes for the communities we serve.

Chris Rivers

ESTH, Interim Director of Estates, Facilities and Capital Projects

Dr Beccy Suckling

ESTH Chief Medical Officer

Dr Richard Jennings

Group Chief Medical Officer

Dr Jennings specialises in infection and acute medicine, and underwent his training at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Before becoming Executive Medical Director at the Whittington, he held the posts of Clinical Director for medicine and then Deputy Medical Director.

Elaine Clancy

Interim Group Chief Nursing Officer

James Pavett-Downer

Interim Chief Operating Officer

Mark Bagnall

Group Chief Officer, Facilities, Infrastructure and Environment

Michael Pantlin

Group Deputy Chief Executive Officer

Michael joined the NHS in 2008, after a successful career in the private sector, including IT, travel and banking industries. Before this, as a trainee in his profession, Michael commenced his career in palliative and HIV care in East London, where he grew a personal interest in health, care and well-being. In deciding to return to this field, Michael joined the NHS as a Chief People Officer – first for Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust and then nearly nine years on the Board for the Barts Health Group of hospitals, including the development of its successful group model. A growing interest in integrated care led him to Surrey Heartlands, where he led strategy across NHS, local authority, VCSE and social care sectors for workforce and digital development. In April 2025, Michael was seconded to the St George's, Epsom and St Helier Hospital Group as Interim Group Deputy CEO.

Stephen Jones

Group Chief Corporate Affairs Officer

Stephen worked as Stakeholder Engagement Director on Co-operation and Competition policy at NHS Improvement. He held a number of senior roles within the Department of Health central policy unit where he led on NHS Foundation Trust policy, the NHS Constitution and legislative engagement. At the Department, Stephen also served as Senior Private Secretary to the Minister for Quality. Prior to working in healthcare, Stephen was an adviser to the House of Commons Defence Committee and was a foreign policy adviser in the House of Commons Research Service. As Group Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Stephen will lead on corporate governance, risk management, legal services and Freedom to Speak Up, and will act as governance adviser to the Boards of Epsom & St Helier and St George's and to the St George's Council of Governors. Mark joined gesh in August 2024. He is a chartered building services engineer with many years' experience in designing, building and operating buildings in healthcare, higher education, historic buildings and MOD premises. Mark previously worked at Barts Health as their Group Estates, Facilities and Capital Development Director and prior to that he was in a similar role at University Hospital Southampton.

Steve Russell

ESTH Director of People

Theresa Matthews

ESTH Chief Nursing Officer

Thirza Sawtell

Managing Director for Integrated Care

Thirza began her career as a Health Visitor before moving into the operational management of community services and then into the commissioning and strategic planning of health and care services across a number of areas of London. For the past six years she has worked in SW London and Surrey as the Executive Director of Integrated Care for Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, responsible to the Partnership Boards of Surrey Downs and Sutton each of which deliver a wide range of truly integrated community services for their local communities. Prior to this she was Director of Strategy for the North West London Collaboration and led the Pioneer Whole System Integration Programme.

Victoria Smith

Group Chief People Officer

Vicky joined St Georges, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals in July 2024 as the Group Chief People Officer. Vicky has a wide variety of experience, most recently as HR Director for the Ministry of Defence. She started her career in the private sector working as a Management Consultant with many well-known multinational organisations such as BP, Lloyd's Banking Group, HSBC and Novartis. She has been a Senior Civil Servant for the last ten years and has worked in many of the large central government departments. She also had a spell of working with the NHS in the early part of her career. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and is a passionate advocate for inclusion and wellbeing.

Andrew Murray

Non-executive director

He was previously a Clinical Commissioning Group chair (Merton & South West London) and worked in senior roles in the South West London health system and Integrated care System for over 10 years with a particular focus on clinical leadership, population health management and children and young people's mental health. He also has an interest in developing world healthcare, education and community development and previously helped to set up a major community health worker training programme in Myanmar and chaired the UK arm of the organisation.

Chiew Yin Jones

DL, Non-Executive Director

Chiew Yin is a lawyer with over 25 years' experience in criminal justice. She sits as a Legally Qualified Chair and acts as a Legal Adviser for Police Misconduct Panels in London, and for the General Pharmaceutical Council as a Deputy Chair. She is a Non-Executive board member at the Valuation Tribunal Service, and a member of the Standards Board, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. She is also a Non-Executive Director at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust and chairs the People Committee at both Trusts. In addition, Chiew Yin is a Non-Executive Director at West London NHS Trust.

Phil Wilbraham

Associate non-executive director

For the last 20 years of his executive career he was continuously involved in the transformation of Heathrow Airport and is particularly associated with the delivery of the new Terminals two and five. He is a trustee of the Building Research Establishment, Co-Chair of Constructing Excellence and was Co-Chair of the Infrastructure Innovation Portal.