A very big CHFT welcome to Suzanne Dunkley who joins us today from Bradford Council after a year in which she was Public Sector HR Director of the Year.  She's devoted to developing staff and is honoured to be joining the NHS in its 70 year. Read all about her here. 

Hello my name is.... Suzanne and I’m the new Executive Director of Workforce and Organisational Development. I'm originally from the Black Country with an Irish heritage. I moved to London via Hull and South Carolina before settling here in Yorkshire 12 years ago. I’ve worked in both public and private sectors - from dot.com in the mid 90s to Local Authority and the transport sector.  My most recent role was HR Director at Bradford Council.

Highlight of my career has to be seeing how talented colleagues that HR have supported grow in confidence and stretch their capability beyond their own beliefs. 

Sum up your role in three words: Helping talent grow

What did you want to be growing up..When I was little, I wanted to be a pathologist. My Dad’s best friend was a pathologist, and he used to send me fossils that he had found on Kinver Edge, so I thought that pathologists not only studied disease, but were excellent fossil hunters. I also wanted to be Barry McGuigan or Floella Benjamin! I am a big boxing fan. I loved Floella Benjamin so much that I put chewing gum in my hair because I wanted beads like Floella. Unfortunately, this led to me having my hair shaved off in a little hairdressers in Bridgnorth. I won’t tell you how old I was at the time because I was far too old to put chewing gum in my hair.

Who are your heroes/heroines? I have loads and loads. . I think most people are heroes or heroines are ordinary people who achieve miracles every day. Many of my more famous heroes are boxers, but some of my favourites have not exactly been as good out of the ring as they have in (!), so my current favourite famous person is Brian Blessed because he is relentlessly positive and he adores animals, as do I. I received his latest book ‘A Panther in my kitchen’ for Christmas, and it really is a funny book.

What is your favourite place? My favourite place is Boscobel House in Staffordshire. Apparently, King Charles hid in the oak tree in the grounds after defeat at the Battle of Worcester. There’s an amazing priesthole there, and a very old ‘loo for two’, which fascinated me as a child. I begged my Dad to take me there every single summer holiday, as well as to Iron Bridge Gorge in Coalbrookdale, where Abraham Darby first smelted iron.

What would people be surprised to know about you? People may be surprised to know that my Great Grandfather was a Horse Doctor - at least that’s what it says on his death certificate.

The NHS is 70 this year. What does it mean to you? Joining the NHS in its 70th year is a huge honour for me. I really do feel like I am joining one of Britain’s national treasures, and I am enormously proud to be a member of the team at CHFT.