The Trust Board

 

The YAS Board of Directors meets quarterly in addition to the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in September. The public may attend these meetings.

Board meetings are held in public and board papers will be published here.

The Board of Directors.

Board Meeting Dates 2024-25

25 April 2024
30 May 2024
25 July 2024
26 September 2024 (AGM)
28 November 2024
30 January 2025
27 March 2025

Board Meeting Dates 2023-24

27 April 2023
27 July 2023
28 September 2023 (AGM)
26 October 2023
1 February 2024

Board members

Martin Havenhand
Chair

Martin Havenhand joined the Trust Board as Chair on 1 April 2023 and is a very experienced Chair and Non-Executive Director having served on many public, private and voluntary sector boards.

Key facts

  • Martin has recently completed three terms of office as Chair of The Rotherham NHS FT providing acute and community services. 
  • He also brings to the Trust a wealth of experience and knowledge of the Yorkshire and Humber region, having been Chief Executive of Yorkshire Forward the then Government's economic development agency which was private sector led and publicly funded. He has also been a non-executive director for 10 years on Yorkshire Water board, a regulated private company providing a vital public service.
  • He has been a local authority chief executive and has been operating at board level for over 30 years.
  • Martin is values driven, a champion for equality, diversity and inclusion and a lifelong learner.
  • He is an experienced collaborator and has a significant track record in establishing effective partnerships to produce improved outcomes.

Peter Reading
Chief Executive

Peter Reading joined YAS as Interim Chief Executive in June 2023 and was appointed permanent Chief Executive in January 2024. Peter is a very experienced NHS leader, having worked in (or with, as a management consultant) the NHS for nearly 40 years, including 23 years as a Trust Chief Executive.

Key facts

  • Peter joined Northern Lincolnshire & Goole NHS FT (NLaG) in 2017 after it was put in Double Special Measures and led the Trust out of Special Measures in May 2023.
  • As CEO of UCL Hospitals from 1998 to 2000, Peter oversaw the design of and negotiated the PFI deal for the new University College Hospital.
  • As CEO of University Hospitals of Leicester for seven years, Peter merged three trusts into the then second largest trust in England, leading it to achieve the highest rating of 3 Stars for five years running.
  • As CEO of Lewisham & Guy’s Mental Health in the 1990s, Peter was a pioneer of service user empowerment and community mental health services.
  • Peter was an associate director with PwC’s healthcare practice for three years, focusing mostly on supporting trusts in Special Measures.
  • Peter has also been Interim CEO at Doncaster & Bassetlaw and at Peterborough & Stamford.
  • Peter joined the NHS as a National Management Trainee, after graduating from Cambridge, studying as a postgraduate research scholar at Moscow State University for a year during the height of the Cold War, and completing a PhD in Russian Economic History at Birmingham.
  • A polio survivor, Peter cannot walk without crutches and a calliper. He was Co-Chair of the Disabled NHS Directors Network from 2021 to 2024.

Dr Julian Mark
Executive Medical Director

Julian Mark joined YAS in 2007 and became Executive Medical Director in October 2013.

Key facts

  • Julian has been the Executive Medical Director for Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust (YAS) since 2013 and has been employed by YAS since February 2007. He chaired the National Ambulance Services Medical Directors group (NASMeD), a subgroup of the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE), from 2015 to 2021. From June 2022 to October 2023 he was seconded to NHS England Central Ambulance Team as a Medical Advisor to the National Clinical Director for Urgent and Emergency Care. He is an enthusiastic clinical strategist and leader, committed to whole system change to improve patient outcomes.
  • He qualified in Medicine from Leeds University in 1994 (BSc Hons, MB ChB) and holds the Diploma in Immediate Medical Care (DIMC) from the Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (2010). He also holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Medical Law from Northumbria University (2012). In 2017 he was awarded Founding Senior Fellowship of the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management (SFFMLM).
  • His base clinical speciality was in Anaesthesia and he held the post of honorary Senior Staff Anaesthetist at Harrogate and District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust until April 2014, subsequently continuing to practice clinically in the ambulance service setting and as a member of the local BASICS scheme. He previously instructed and examined in Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) until 2021 and also instructed, examined and directed Resuscitation Council (UK) Advanced Life Support (ALS) courses until 2014.

Kathryn Vause
Executive Director of Finance

Kathryn joined YAS in 2017 as Deputy Director of Finance and was appointed to the post of Executive Director of Finance in August 2021.

Key facts

  • Kathryn is an experienced NHS finance professional, beginning her career in NHS finance 30 years ago when she gained a place on the NHS graduate finance training scheme.
  • She has worked in senior roles across many healthcare sectors.
  • Member of Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy.

Nick Smith
Chief Operating Officer

Nick joined the YAS Executive Team in November 2018.

Key facts

  • Previously Deputy Director of the non-emergency Patient Transport Service at the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust. 
  • Nick has also worked at Cumbria Ambulance Service and outside of the NHS in a global IT consultancy company before joining the Welsh Ambulance Service in 2012.
  • He started his career in Yorkshire as an ambulance cadet in 1987 for West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service and went on to work as a paramedic at Castleford and Wakefield ambulance stations.

Dave Green
Executive Director of Quality and Chief Paramedic

Dave joined the executive team in November 2023 having gained a wide range of experience in the ambulance service. 

Key facts

  • Dave began his ambulance career with West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service (WYMAS) as a Patient Transport Service (PTS) driver in 1998 and went on to qualify as a paramedic in 2000. With a passion for clinical leadership, Dave has led teams as a clinical supervisor and clinical development manager before going on to deliver formal training courses as a clinical tutor.
  • Dave introduced Quality Improvement (QI) to YAS as the head of QI between 2016 and 2018, then went on to join the PTS leadership team as the head of PTS service and standards. Dave has been a specialist advisor for the CQC and continues to teach as an honorary visiting lecturer at University of Bradford. In July 2021, Dave joined YAS's senior leadership team as associate director of quality and safety.
  • Dave’s early career was in the armed forces, serving in the parachute regiment before carrying out operational leadership roles in the Middle East. Dave’s background in the military has driven him to set up the Trust’s Armed Forces Network, with the aim of offering support and comradeship for staff and volunteers of the armed forces community within YAS.
  • Dave is passionate about developing people and empowering them to make improvements in their own areas of work.

Marc Thomas
Deputy Chief Executive

Marc joined the executive team in April 2024.

Mandy Wilcock
Director of People and Organisational Development

Mandy joined YAS in 2019 and became part of the Executive Team in June 2021.

Key facts

  • Mandy has over 30 years’ experience working in HR and OD across the NHS at national, regional and organisational levels in acute, primary, community, ambulance and commissioning sectors.
  • Her most recent role was the Trust’s Associate Director of Corporate Affairs.
  • Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Tim Gilpin
Deputy Chairman

Tim Gilpin joined the Trust Board in January 2017 and is an experienced HR professional.

Key facts

  • Has worked at executive level in the public sector throughout his career.
  • An experienced HR professional who specialises in workforce development, coaching, mentoring and mediation.
  • Extensive NHS experience including roles of Director of Workforce and Education at NHS North of England and Non-Executive Director at Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust.
  • Manages a mixed portfolio of work through his own consultancy including search and selection, workforce planning and strategic roles at a regional level.

Anne Cooper
Non-Executive Director

Anne Cooper joined the Trust Board in December 2018 and is an accomplished senior nurse leader.

Key facts

  • An accomplished senior nurse leader with a career spanning 35 years in the NHS. Over the last ten years Anne has worked at national level in large NHS organisations, including two years at NHS England.
  • Anne is a Fellow of the Queen’s Nursing Institute and in 2014 was voted by the Health Service Journal (HSJ) and Nursing Times as one of the top 12 social pioneers in health and included on the HSJ’s top 50 list of inspirational women in the NHS.
  • Anne is Clinical Director at Ethical Healthcare Consulting and runs a leadership programme for women in health and social care IT, called 'Minerva Now'.

Jeremy Pease
Non-Executive Director

Jeremy joined the Trust Board in February 2019 and has over 35 years' NHS experience.

Key facts

  • Jeremy has worked for the NHS for over 35 years in human resources and operational management roles in acute, community, mental health and ambulance organisations, including the former South Yorkshire Ambulance Service.
  • His more recent NHS experience includes service improvement roles with NHS Improvement and the Emergency Care Intensive Support Team 
  • He has previously worked as a Non-Executive Director at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust.
  • He has been self-employed since 2007 and runs his own management consultancy.

Andrew Chang
Non-Executive Director

Andrew joined the Trust in October 2020 and chairs the Audit Committee.

Key facts

  • Andrew has a senior level experience in governance, risk and internal audit, and has undertaken a range of non-executive appointments across both the public and private sectors.
  • He is also a Non-Executive Director at Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust​, where he is Chairman of its Audit Committee.
  • His previous posts include Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management, Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee at Bradford College, Chairman of Training for Bradford Ltd that trades as City Training Services, Trustee for Bradford Grammar School, Treasurer for Yorkshire WaterAid and Chief Internal Auditor at Yorkshire Water.
  • Alongside his Board roles, Andrew is also a Governor at Leeds City College and Vice Chairman of the Audit Committee of the Luminate Education Group.

Amanda Moat
Non-Executive Director

 Amanda was appointed to the Trust Board in June 2021.

Key facts

  • An experienced senior manager in risk, compliance and quality, with particular expertise in the financial services and legal sectors. 
  • Has advised on strategic matters including resourcing, diversification, product innovation, mergers and acquisitions, and change management.
  • Currently holds a number of non-executive directorships, including The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust where she is the associate NED Safeguarding Lead, Bolton@Home and Arcon Housing Group.
  • A Director at Candam Ltd, a Taekwondo school, and a volunteer at Highfield School in Wakefield, a secondary school for pupils with complex needs, and at the Change Management Institute.

Board attendees

Jeevan Gill, Director of Partnerships and Operations, Humber and North Yorkshire

Rachel Gillott, Director of Partnerships and Operations, West Yorkshire

Adam Layland, Director of Partnerships and Operations, South Yorkshire

David O'Brien, Director of Corporate Services and Company Secretary

Carol Weir, Director of Strategy, Planning and Performance

Helen Edwards, Head of Communications and Community Engagement