Nigel Harris, our Director of Innovation and Growth, has announced he will be retiring at the end of June 2022.
Nigel joined the West of England AHSN in March 2019 and during the last three years has led the Innovation and Growth team through a period of significant change and development, including the establishment of our Innovation Exchange.
With a background in medical physics, Nigel began his career in the NHS back in 1982 and has brought 40 varied years of health and care experience to the team, in both clinical research and managerial roles.
As Visiting Professor at the University of Bath and the University of the West of England, Nigel has done much to boost our working relationships with regional academic partners, particularly through the Future of Care series of lectures and most recently with the creation of shared University Innovation Advisor roles.
Before joining the AHSN, Nigel had been Chief Executive of Designability, a charity using human-centred design to create products with and for disabled people, since 2009. During this time he helped Designability to established itself as a regional South West lead for the development of assistive and enabling technology.
Chief Executive of the West of England AHSN, Natasha Swinscoe says: “I’d like to thank Nigel for his service to the AHSN and our local systems over the past three years and wish him well for his future endeavours. Nigel will be very much missed by our staff team and partners alike.
“Under Nigel’s leadership we have developed a strong Industry and Innovation Service, which includes our local Innovation Exchange platform. Nigel also oversaw the completion of our ground-breaking Future Challenges pilots, alongside our Create Open Health and Domiciliary Care Workforce programmes – all of which are helping us focus new and emerging innovations on identified health and care challenges. Nigel has also made a positive contribution to the national AHSN Network through the Commercial Directors Forum and has raised the national profile of the West of England AHSN at various advisory boards.”
Alex Leach, who is currently Nigel’s deputy, will act up into the post of Director of Innovation and Growth from 1 July 2022.
Posted on May 3, 2022
