Swansea Bay UHB announces appointment of new CEO
We are delighted to announce that, following a successful recruitment campaign over the summer, Abigail Harris has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of Swansea Bay University Health Board.
Abi, who is currently the interim Chief Commissioner of the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee, comes to Swansea Bay with a wealth of NHS, Welsh Government and local government experience.
She spent 11 years with Cardiff and Vale UHB as the Executive Director of Strategic Planning, and before that was the Welsh Government’s Director of Strategy, Integration and Primary Care within the Department of Health and Social Services.
Abi spent four years in local government, as the Director of Wellbeing Services at Bridgend County Borough Council, where her remit included social services.
She has also spent 17 years in other senior positions across the NHS in South Wales, including the chief executive of the former Local Health Board in the Vale of Glamorgan.
Abi holds a masters in integrated care, and has also been a board member of Social Care Wales since 2017.
Once Abi joins Swansea Bay at the end of October she will take over the reins from Dr Richard Evans, who has held the post of interim CEO over the past year.
Jan Williams, Chair of Swansea Bay UHB, said:
“I am extremely pleased that Abi has accepted the invitation to join us as our new CEO. Her passion and drive to deliver better care through collaboration with our partners is clear from her impressive background and experience.
“Her strong leadership skills will be key as we move forward with our strategic aim to become a high quality organisation, delivering outstanding care.
“I also want to thank Richard for his hard work, energy and commitment in the role of interim CEO. He has kindly agreed to continue in that interim post until Abi joins us and will then return to his substantive post as Executive Medical Director.”
Abi Harris said:
“I’m delighted to be joining Swansea Bay and am looking forward to working with the staff team as well as with local stakeholders and partners.
“The organisation has a very clear long term vision to become a high quality organisation that puts patients and the wider population at the heart of everything it does. I see this as a huge opportunity to deliver against that vision, building on the great work that’s already being done.
“I’m particularly excited because Swansea Bay has always struck me as an organisation with hugely committed and enthusiastic staff, so joining as their Chief Executive is a privilege and an honour. It is a great time to be joining the Health Board and I can’t wait to get started.”
Dr Evans said:
“It has been a privilege to lead Swansea Bay over the last 12 months and I now extend a very warm welcome to Abi.
“I look forward to working closely with her in future as Executive Medical Director, a role which will be further enriched by the great deal I have learned by working so closely with our staff and services over the past year.”
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