Message on behalf of Richard Beeken, Chief Executive – appointment of managing director for the MMUH programme company

April 12, 2023

I am delighted to confirm that our Chief Development Officer, Rachel Barlow has been appointed to the role of Managing Director for the Midland Met programme company.

Rachel will undertake this role in addition to her Board level and executive responsibilities for estates, capital development, regeneration and sustainability.

As you are aware, the MMUH programme company is a temporary structure that will enable the required focus on Midland Met with dedicated capacity and expertise, whilst enabling the core organisation to better focus on delivery of our three strategic objectives (the three Ps) and our in-year priorities. ​

This has resulted in a review of our organisational structure which now has a managing director for the core organisation and one for the MMUH programme company. As announced a few weeks ago, Daren Fradgley has taken on the role of Managing Director and Deputy Chief Executive for the core organisation in addition to his role as Chief Integration Officer.

Both managing director roles are for a fixed term period, until the MMUH is open and bedded in. The leadership structure of the Trust will then be reconsidered in the context of the wider system picture, in late 2024.

The two roles will report directly to me, allowing me the time to focus on three priorities:

• Cementing and influencing our relationships with multiple partners in the Black Country and Birmingham and Solihull ICSs
• Driving the development of a continuous quality improvement system, and
• Increasing my visibility in our clinical and non-clinical services of the Trust