The East Midlands Academic Health Science Network is welcoming its new Managing Director who will play a key role at the heart of the East Midlands’ health and care system - working with partners across sectors to transform health services.

Nicole has a wealth of experience working in medical technology and pharmaceutical industries, with an excellent track record of building relationships between industry and health and care stakeholders both in the UK and internationally. Nicole joins the EMAHSN from ConvaTec Group, an international medical products and technologies company, where she worked as Business Unit Director UK and Ireland for the Wound Care and Infusion division. Prior to this she worked in both national and international leadership roles for Arjo, providing solutions, services and products for people with reduced mobility. A large part of her career has been spent working for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Ltd in a number of roles across sales, marketing and communications.

EMAHSN is one of 15 Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) across England.

Set up by the NHS in 2013 and relicensed from April 2018 to operate as the key innovation arm of the NHS. The AHSNs build partnerships in their areas between NHS organisations, social care, public health bodies, universities, third sector and healthcare industry – speeding up the identification and spread of innovation and supporting economic growth. Working as a part of a national network, EMAHSN is able to platform and spread great ideas and innovations being generated by the region’s NHS organisations, universities and health companies and import proven innovations from other parts of the country.

In her new role with EMAHSN, Nicole will lead the organisation in helping to address some of the biggest health and care challenges facing the region, including those identified in the NHS Long Term Plan. Key aims of the EMAHSN are to spread innovation at pace and scale to reach more patients faster, save NHS money and generate economic growth in the region – the organisation have made great impacts in this area and Nicole will build on this using her expertise in the areas of medical technologies and transformation.

She said “I am extremely excited to start in my role as Managing Director of the EMAHSN. I feel like this is a positive time for me to join the organisation, as there are lots of opportunities for health and care organisations to respond to key priorities outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan and we can use our knowledge to help them identify solutions and help them spread proven innovations.

“My extensive experience in the medical technologies sector has given me a great understanding of the barriers faced by some innovators who have the ability to help health and care organisations to address these challenge areas. Hopefully this will put our organisation in a strong position to continue to navigate these complexities to accelerate the adoption and spread of healthcare innovation across the region and bring about economic growth.”

EMAHSN Independent Chair Martin Hindle said: “Nicole will be playing a central role at the very heart of our region’s healthcare system – continuing to build on our strong collaboration with our many partners throughout health, social care, academia and industry.

“We are proud of our impacts as an organisation to date and by bringing these sectors together we have the ability to make a huge difference to the spread and adoption of innovation, and to the health and care of the local population.”