Look Ahead appoints new Chair

Published: 8th July 2021
We are delighted to announce that Baroness Mary Watkins of Tavistock will be joining us as our new Chair from August 2021. Mary joins us as our current Chair, Julie Jones, steps down after nine years on our board, four years as Chair.

Baroness Mary Watkins of Tavistock will be joining us as our new Chair from August 2021.

Baroness Watkins is a crossbench peer and Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords. She started her career as a mental health nurse and has held a number of related board level positions including Non-Executive Director at Southern Housing Group and as alternate Chair, Nursing Now for the Burdett Trust. Mary is currently a member of the Outcomes First Group Safeguarding & Quality Committee (formerly known as National Fostering Agency).

Since her appointment to the House of Lords she has worked extensively with the two main political parties, in both the House of Lords and the House of Commons on issues concerning health, social care and housing. She is knowledgeable and passionate about health and social care.

Chris Hampson, CEO says: “With her vast and relevant experience I believe that Mary will make a fantastic Chair for Look Ahead. We involved our customers with the Chair recruitment, all of who felt Mary was a great candidate who showed empathy for our customers. I’m confident that Mary’s background in health will be invaluable during this next phase of our growth particularly as we see health and social care becoming even more integrated.”