This session will address what we can do collectively to make change happen through commercial and digital channels. How can we influence stakeholders to ensure diversity is included in discussions and what can we do when behaviours do not reflect core values.
Chair: Dr Shera Chok
founder and chair, The Shuri Network
Shera is a GP in East London and is the chair and co-founder of the multi award-winning Shuri Network. As the former Chief Medical Officer and executive lead for clinical governance at NHS Digital she provided clinical, strategic and digital expertise to national programmes including the Covid vaccination and testing programmes, therapeutics, the NHS App and digital products used by millions of people to access information, health services and live healthier lives.
She started the Shuri Network in 2019 as she is passionate about increasing diversity, innovation and safety and to encourage other women from minority ethnic groups to lead and engage with digital transformation. She was awarded the international Richard von Weizsäcker Fellowship by the Robert Bosch Academy in Berlin in 2023 to examine the German digital health strategy and help develop new insights that will help health systems deliver more equitable and innovative care.
Shera has held national leadership roles with NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care, helping to develop and implement health policy, new models of care and Integrated Care Systems.
Shera has volunteered as a clinician in countries including Sudan, Laos, Indonesia and Greece with NGOs working in war and disaster zones and with displaced populations. She studied at the Institute of Healthcare Improvement, Kennedy School of Government and the Harvard School of Public Health on the NHS Executive Fast Track programme and has completed an M.B.A., M.A. in Inter-professional Education and a Nuffield Trust Fellowship on cross-organisational learning with Sunderland Athletic Football Club.
Lisa Emery
chief transformation, innovation and digital officer, NHS Sussex
Lisa has been CIO at the Royal Marsden since August 2018, overseeing a comprehensive programme of digital transformation, having previously been CIO at West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust from 2014. She started her career in the NHS as a Biomedical Scientist (Microbiology) before moving into a variety of technology roles within healthcare, including a stint in Dubai.
Lisa is currently Chair of both the London CIO Council and the Digital Health CIO Advisory Panel.
Shane Tickell
Health Tech CEO
Health Tech CEO, over two decades running mission critical software & data companies. Founder CEO – Temple Black – Quantum Health Technologies, CEO Endeavour Predict 2024, Chair – Tech UK Health & Social Care Council
Ola Zahran
chief technology officer and deputy chair the National Ambulance digital leads, Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Ola Zahran, Chief Technology Officer at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, has been awarded the King’s Ambulance Medal for Distinguished Service (KAM) in the King’s Birthday Honours list 2024.
During her career, Ola has played a key role in the development of the digital agenda and healthcare technologies at the Trust, regionally and nationally. She has led on a number of complex national projects for the ambulance sector and wider healthcare community, including the Unified Communications project where she was responsible for supplier engagement and implementation, and was instrumental in sharing learning from the roll-out in Yorkshire to benefit other ambulance services across the country. Ola has also worked at the centre of the integration of the Yorkshire and Humber Care Record, part of NHS England’s Local Health and Care Record Exemplar Programme, enabling frontline ambulance staff, clinical hubs and remote clinical staff to access patients’ full recent medical histories to make more informed decisions around treatment decisions.
Nic Fox
director of commercial delivery and governance, NHS England
Nic is Director of Commercial Delivery and Governance at NHS England, leading a complex and high value portfolio of contracts and procurements across, Digital, Data and Technology; Workforce, Training and Education;, Clinical and Professional and Corporate Services categories. He was previously Chief Commercial Officer at NHS Digital. In addition to commercial leadership roles, Nic has spent most of his career leading digital and organisation change programmes for the NHS.