Our Board
Executive Management Team
Sheila Stenson - Chief Finance and Resources Officer, Deputy Chief Executive
BA ACMA CGMA
Sheila is an experienced senior finance professional who has fulfilled a variety of roles during her career in the NHS. She has a proven track record of working within financially challenged Trust’s and has worked for South London Healthcare NHS Trust (SLHT) Medway Foundation Trust (MFT) and Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW). She is a Chartered Management Accountant and has over twenty years’ experience in NHS Providers.
She has led and been part of significant change in her NHS career, which includes service redesign, transformation, successful restructuring, implementing financial systems and governance and developing robust financial processes and controls.
She joined KMPT from MTW where she was Deputy Director of Finance for Financial Performance and was awarded HFMA Deputy Director of Finance of the Year 2016.
Sheila graduated from the University of Sussex with a BA Honours Degree in Business Studies.
Donna Hayward-Sussex - Chief Operating Officer
Donna joined the Trust in March 2022 from her previous role as Service Director at South London and Maudsley Foundation Trust. In this role, Donna led several transformation programmes including the redesign of crisis services.
She is a psychotherapist by background and combines a strong management background with extensive experience in operationally leading and developing mental health services in the NHS and voluntary sector. Her previous role in Buckinghamshire Mind led to a partnership with Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust delivering CAMHS and adult services across the county.
Donna is passionate about service provision and is committed to working in partnership to provide excellent care.
Dr Afifa Qazi - Chief Medical Officer
Afifa is well regarded domestically and internationally for developing the ‘Community care model for Dementia’, a model of innovative practice that has reduced hospital admissions and length of stays for people with dementia. She won the prestigious HSJ award in 2016 and the EAHSN Health Innovation award in 2014 for developing services for people with dementia.
She is actively involved in research and has numerous publications in peer reviewed academic journals. She is an invited speaker at national and international conferences. She has a keen interest in QI and has led on numerous projects.
She continues to take part in teaching and training and is passionate about empowering staff. In her previous role, she worked for North East London Foundation Trust as a Consultant Psychiatrist and as an Associate Medical Director for Essex and Kent Children and adolescent mental health services.
Andy Cruickshank - Chief Nurse
Andy is an experienced mental health nurse who has held several senior nurse leadership and management positions within East London NHS Foundation Trust, and was the Director of Nursing for the London Mental Health Services for ELFT, prior to coming to KMPT.
For many years Andy worked in CAMHS , developing acute admission and intensive care services for adolescents at Guy’s Hospital and then in East London. He remains very committed to ensuring that the first experiences of mental healthcare that people have should be as good as they can be and that finding help should be straightforward and everyone should feel welcomed.
During his time at ELFT Andy led on innovations and QI projects to reduce violence within inpatient units and developed frameworks to use QI to tackle some of the most difficult issues within services – such as sexual safety and racism and trauma informed care. Much of this work helped shape national and international collaboration on these subjects.
He trained as an Improvement Advisor at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) in the US and is a Fellow at the Health Foundation – as part of this he has achieved a Masters in Leadership for Improvement from Ashridge Business School.
Andy is interested in how improvement work can be used to engage not only individual staff teams, but organisations and communities and how this might help to transform outcomes for those in need but also to help people to live and work well.
Sandra Goatley - Chief People Officer
Sandra was appointed to the Trust Board as Chief People Officer in March 2016. Sandra has worked for a number of organisations as HR and OD director covering both the private and public sector.
These include Amicus Horizon (social housing), Legal Services Commission (public sector) and the Morleys Stores Group (private sector). Whilst Sandra had not worked in the NHS previously she brings a wealth of HR and OD experience with a specific focus on employee engagement and change management.
Dr Adrian Richardson - Director of Partnerships and Transformation
Adrian has over 20 years’ experience working within the NHS. He qualified as a doctor in 2001 and transitioned from clinical work as a Geriatrician into leadership roles in successful organisations across the South of England. He has extensive experience in transformation, partnership working, strategy, improvement and engagement.
He trained with Virginia Mason in improvement and transformation and put his learning into practice leading the improvement transformation programmes at Western Sussex Hospitals and Brighton and Sussex Hospitals.
He moved to Frimley Health where he established a new improvement programme and worked on several large-scale transformation programmes including key aspects of implementing their Electronic Patient Record system.
He worked in partnership with his strategy colleagues to design and deliver a portfolio management system and designed a number of initiatives within the organisation to support change as well as recovery from Covid-19.
He strongly believes in a collaborative approach to transformation and improvement, empowering and working alongside everyone to deliver change for our patients and service users.
Kindra Hyttner - Director of Communications and Engagement
Kindra is a senior communications leader with a rich and diverse career gained in-house and in agencies, covering the private and public sector. She has handled sensitive and complex issues high on the public and political agenda and worked at senior levels to own and protect reputations and create insight-led behavioural change communications that have won industry awards.
Before KMPT, Kindra was at the National Audit Office where she was director of communications and marketing. She joined the NAO in 2017 and achieved lasting improvements in how the NAO communicates to secure greater impact and drive improvement in how public services are delivered. Prior to the NAO, Kindra was at FTSE 100 Capita plc where she led a fast-paced, high-performing communications team leading on contracts with central and local government, and the private sector.
During her career Kindra has demonstrated that she can quickly improve performance, stakeholder relations, effective leadership, staff engagement and external impact. Highlights include launching Ireland’s first ever postcode system to 2.1 million citizens; directing successful recruitment campaigns on behalf of the British Army and the Department for Work and Pensions; launching the government’s new gas safety body and it’s NHS Choices website; and driving local and diverse communities online to access council services.
Non-Executive Directors
Dr Jackie Craissati MBE- Trust Chair
Jackie joined the Board in May 2016. She is a consultant clinical and forensic psychologist and was previously clinical director of the forensic and prisons directorate at Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust. Jackie has been a trustee on the board of the Samaritans since 2014.
After 26 years in the NHS, she left in January 2016 to set up her own not-for-profit community interest company Psychological Approaches CIC, offering consultancy and training to those working with complex mental health and offending behaviour. Jackie retains a role as consultant advisor to the national Offender Personality Disorder Pathway and ongoing academic links with the University of Nottingham and London.
Jackie has a special interest in developing innovative and evidence-based approaches to the community reintegration of individuals with complex psychological difficulties who may otherwise suffer social exclusion and poor outcomes.
Venu Branch, Deputy Trust Chair and Non-Executive Director
Venu joined the Board in August 2016 as an associate director and was appointed a non-executive director on 1 September 2016. On the 1 September 2020 Venu became the interim Deputy Trust Chair and from February 2021 she became the Deputy Trust Chair.
Venu is the CEO of the Westway Trust and her background is in director-level posts in non-departmental public bodies within the creative and public sector.
These include the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts (NESTA), Creative Scotland and the British Council.
She has also worked at executive director level in the charitable sector, including at Stonewall and Community Links.
Her public policy work includes serving as the inaugural chair of the East Midlands Cultural Consortium, appointed by the Secretary of State to co-ordinate the 10 year cultural strategy for the region. She has been the creative director for the celebrations for Commonwealth Day in London and has been awarded the National Asian Woman of Achievement award.
Alongside her professional roles, she has extensive board-level experience, this has included a member of University College London’s museums and heritage committee, a governor of Guildford School of Acting Conservatoire and a Council Member of Loughborough University.
She is currently a fellow of the RSA, co-editor of the International Journal for Creativity and Human Development and a member of the European Cultural Parliament.
Venu was Chair of the Mental Health Act Committee, Vice-Chair of the workforce and organisational development committee and a member of the Quality Committee. She is now Chair of the Workforce and Organisational Development Committee and Co-Chair of the BAME NEDs Forum for the Kent and Medway system.
Catherine Walker, Non-Executive Director and Senior Independent Director
MA Cantab (Law), Masters in European Law, Brussels
Catherine Walker joined the Board in August 2016. She qualified as a barrister and the majority of her early career was spent as an investment banker at NatWest and Schroders. She currently holds a specialist judicial appointment with the Ministry of Justice, hearing appeals on health and disability cases in Tribunal. Catherine is also a member of the Health Service Products (Pricing Cost Control and Information) Appeals Tribunal.
She chairs the Appointments committee of a large London acute NHS Foundation Trust . She was a lay advisor for Health Education England, involved in reviewing the quality of medical education in London acute Trusts.
She is the former Practice Director of a firm of pensions solicitors. She is the Chair-elect of the Members’ Panel of the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST). She held a long-term role as governor and director of an Academy Trust in Kent.
She was Vice-Chair of the Finance and Performance Committee and Vice-Chair of Integrated Audit and Risk Committee. She is currently Vice Chair of the Quality Committee and Chair of the Remuneration and Terms of Service Committee. She is KMPT's Senior Independent Director.
Peter Conway, Non-Executive Director
Peter Conway has a professional background in banking and finance spanning 27 years, latterly as a Finance Director with Barclays Bank PLC. Between 2006 and 2011 he was NED and Audit Chair of NHS West Kent and since 2011 he has been NED, Vice Chair and Audit/Risk Committee Chair for Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT). He has held a portfolio of public sector roles including, NED and Audit Chair of Rural Payments Agency, Independent Member of the Audit Committees of the Home Office, Ministry of Justice, DEFRA, Health and Safety Executive and Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, and he was also Trustee Director of Citizens Advice North and West Kent.
His aspirations are to help the Trust become excellent in the eyes of patients, staff and regulators, encourage closer working with KCHFT and influence transformation across the wider Kent healthcare system.
Kim Lowe, Non-Executive Director
Kim Joined the Trust in August 2020 as an associate non-executive director (NED) before being appointed as a NED in November 2020. She has spent most of her career at John Lewis Partnership and for over 36 years she has worked across people, customer service, employee engagement, HR and business. She progressed through various operational and general management leadership roles, being appointed Managing Director of John Lewis Bluewater in 2014. In 2007 she was appointed Partnership Board Director, and also as a member of the audit and risk and remuneration committees. Her final role was to lead the pension review at John Lewis before leaving John Lewis in 2020 to continue to build her portfolio NED career in the public and private sector, including John Lewis Partnership, Central Surrey Health and Council Lay Member at University of Kent.
Kim is passionate about employee engagement which she believes lies at the heart of a successful enterprise. An empowered workforce delivers better service and happier working environment for all. She joined KMPT because of it’s strong values and understanding of the importance of an inclusive culture.
Kim has become the Chair of the Mental Health Act Committee and a member of the Workforce and OD Committee.
Sean Bone-Knell, Non-Executive Director
Joined the Trust in August 2020 as an associate non-executive director (NED) before being appointed as a non-executive director in September 2021. He retired from his role as the Kent Fire and Rescue Service, Assistant Chief Fire Officer and Director of Operations in March 2020. During his 33 years of service he progressed through the ranks developing operational and strategic experience and in 2019 he was awarded the Kent Medal for Outstanding Service. He was a Corporate Management Board Member for 11 years and is experienced in community safety, partnership working, strategic planning, implementing and sustaining change projects. From 2012 until this year, he held a National Portfolio with the National Fire Chiefs Council for the areas of Road Safety, Marine Firefighting and Dementia. Whilst holding the Dementia portfolio, he worked as part of the Prime Minister’s Challenge Group on Dementia with the Alzheimer’s Society to introduce national policies and a Strategic Commitment for all emergency services in working with and supporting people living with dementia. Sean completed his MBA with the University of Kent at Canterbury and has also studied at Cranfield and Warwick Universities.
He has had close personal experiences of mental health issues and knows how effective and life-changing the right intervention can be. He wants to be part of the team that helps KMPT move to the next level and continue to build, develop and learn.
Sean is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee and the Mental Health Act Committee.
Mickola Wilson, Non-Executive Director
Mickola joined the Trust in August 2020 and is a Non-Executive Director (NED) and Chair of the Finance and Performance Committee.
She is an Executive Director at Seven Dials Fund Management, a real estate investment Consultancy and is a NED for Mailbox REIT, specialising in property investment.
Mickola a very active member of the Chartered Surveyors Livery leading a programme to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds through university .
Spurred on by the sheer enthusiasm of the KMPT team, she hopes to make her contribution to the ambitious programme to ensure that health care in the community is treated equally with the outstanding work of hospitals and GPs in Kent.
Dr Mary Ann Ferreux
MBChB, DipPM, MPH, FRACMA, FCHSM, FFCI, CHE
Current role - Medical Director at Kent Surrey and Sussex Academic Health Science Network.
MaryAnn has international experience working across both the Australian and UK health system, with specialist qualifications in health system leadership, management, and public health. She has held Board level roles as a medical leader in both primary and secondary care and is passionate about improving the patient experience and delivering better integrated care.
She is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators, Australasian College of Health Service Management and Faculty of Clinical Informatics, as well as being a Certified Health Executive and leadership coach. She has a special interest in researching health equity and the impact of the social determinants of health; her current doctoral studies will explore health inequalities within the Kent and Medway region.
She is leading a number of initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion in healthcare and is a Trustee and Chair of the Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Committee and Chair of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators Diversity & Inclusion Committee. MaryAnn is committed to using her position to role-model an inclusive leadership approach whereby she supports, mentors and coaches’ clinicians from disadvantaged backgrounds to widen participation in medicine and increase diversity within healthcare leadership and management.
Stephen Waring, Non-Executive Director
Stephen’s long and varied public sector career has spanned frontline social care, NHS commissioning, service transformation and national health policy. At the Department of Health his roles included private secretary to the Secretary of State for Health, Head of the National Cancer Programme and chief of staff for a former Chief Executive of the NHS. He ran a whole health economy NHS reconfiguration programme in south west London, and led the production of the cross-Government Mental Health Strategy, ‘No Health without Mental Health’.
Stephen currently works for the Greater London Authority on health and care policy and partnership working, supporting the Mayor of London’s role in championing and challenging the NHS to deliver safe and consistent services to Londoners.
Stephen has long been a champion for equality, diversity and inclusion and a strong advocate for fairness, and social justice. As chair of the Department of Health’s LGBTQ+ staff network, he took the Department into the Stonewall workplace equality index top 100 and maintained it there during his tenure.
Stephen has a first degree from Oxford University and an MBA from Imperial College London and is a trustee for a leading national charity that works alongside people with an acquired brain injury and physical disabilities offering specialist community-based and residential support to help them live as independently as possible.
Asif Bachlani, Associate Non-Executive Director
Asif Bachlani has the following roles:
Associate Non-Executive Director
Member table Funds Committee
To view our Board Member profiles, please click here.