Deborah joined the NHS in 1982 as Deputy Personnel Manager at Central Middlesex Hospital following appointments in Retail and Engineering.

She has held a number of senior HR roles in the NHS in West London and has been a HR Director since 1991.

Deborah’s experience has also extended to roles in general management and acting as Chief Executive of an acute trust for over a year.

Deborah is the Director of Human Resources and Organisation Development at St.Mary’s NHS Trust in London, a post that she has held since 1999.

A member of the first cohort of HR Directors to undertake the national HR Leadership programme Deborah received a distinction in her MSc from the programme and shared the year prize.

Deborah is committed to raising the profile of the HR profession in healthcare and this is reflected in the mainly roles she has undertaken at both national and local level as chair and member of a range of key advisory and steering groups.

Deborah passionately believes in the value of collaboration and partnership working based on genuine mutual respect and trust. She has a special interest in the dynamics of organisational behaviour, effective relationships and the impact on change and improvement.

Deborah is this years HR Director of the year and became President of HPMA in October 2006.