Published: 07/03/2002, Volume II2, No. 5795 Page 20 21
Name: Penny Humphris
Job: Acting director, NHS Leadership Centre
Style: The phrase 'safe pair of hands' recurs.One observer says she is the antidote to Barbara Harris's early departure - just the person to steady the Leadership Centre. Seen as 'competent', 'accessible', with a 'professional style', rather than dramatic.But has plenty of 'backbone'.Aims to bring 'coherence' to the centre's programmes and link them to the performance improvement agenda.Married to Tony Shaw: the two were chief execs of neighbouring HAs, but she says they didn't talk shop.Relaxes with her family and 'supervises'her daughters'music practice.
Background: A national management trainee, her first post was at the Royal Dental Hospital in 1976.
Moved to Cardiff Royal Infirmary in 1978, rising to unit administrator in 1982.Unit general manager at Southampton General Hospital from 1985-88, then left the NHS for three years to be principal consultant at KPMG 'to try something else - at the time, it was an unusual thing to do'.Returned as director of provider development at Wessex regional HA in 1991 under Ken Jarrold - 'the reason I went there'- then managed the merger that formed South and West regional office.Chief exec at Portsmouth and South East Hampshire HA since 1995, merging with the Isle of Wight last year.An adviser on Greg Dyke's NHS charter in 1997, and a former governor at Portsmouth University.
Future prospects: Has 'no particular plans', but others reckon her a hot tip for the permanent post at the Leadership Centre.
A manager too good for the NHS to lose, she will not be short of options.
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