Our CEO Owen Williams has been named amongst the country's top 100 in a list of BAME Business leaders today.

And he's thanked his colleagues at CHFT as leadership "is never about one person." 

The list is drawn up by Greenpark and the aim is to dispel the myth that diverse talent does not exist. Greenpark chair Trevor Phillips, said: “What these leaders bring to their organisations cannot be under-estimated."

Judges compiled the list after assessing leaders in both private and public sector looking at, amongst other things, how they lead by example and their commitment to positive change.

The judges looked for individuals who have fostered dialogue and action across a variety of platforms and created a positive role model for the younger BAME generation as they strive to become future leaders.  The aim is to inspire a shift in the attitudes and practices of leading organisations by banishing the age-old myth that diverse talent does not exist.

Owen, said: " I’m pleased to be listed in the BAME 100 Business Leaders index and agree with its stated purpose of challenging the age-old myth that diverse talent does not exist. I’m also clear that half-decent leadership is never about one person, so I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the great people who I work with at CHFT and I remain humbled by their relentless commitment towards providing Compassionate Care.”

Owen has been CEO here since May 2012 and we are his third Chief Executive role across Local Government and the NHS during a career which has spanned both the public and private sectors. He is a Trustee and Vice Chair of the NHS Confederation, a national body that brings together, and speaks on behalf of, the whole health and care system.

As we all know he is passionate about providing compassionate care built on CHFT’s Four Pillars of ‘We put the patient first; We go see; We work together to get results and We do the must-dos’.

The BAME 100 leaders were identified from a list of over 600 diverse leaders who were scored on  professional experience and governance expertise,  The top scoring individuals were evaluated by the independent assessment panel  overseen by Green Park’s Chairman and the founding Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Trevor Phillips.

The assessment panel comprised: Sir Ken Olisa, Chief Executive Officer of Restoration Partners; Chris Cummings, CEO of the Investment Association; David Tyler, Chairman at J. Sainsbury Plc; Peter Cheese, Chief Executive, CIPD; Iqbal Wahhab OBE, entrepreneur; Lord Victor Adebowale, CEO Turning Point;  Colleen Harris, Founder, Colleen Harris Associates and journalist and campaigner June Sarpong MBE

Green Park have acted as exhibition catalysts for the landmark exhibition Get Up, Stand Up Now, celebrating the 50 years of Black creativity in Britain and beyond.

Trevor Philips, added: “Despite the clear, long-established evidence that organisations which are diverse and inclusive perform better than those that aren’t, the UK’s private, public and third sector boards remain overwhelmingly white. Some claim this is due to a shortage of board-ready BAME individuals. But as this year’s BAME 100 list clearly demonstrates, the talent is out there – and in greater numbers than ever.

“What these leaders bring to their organisations cannot be under-estimated. Their experience and perspective act as a counter-point to homogenous, ‘group-thinking’ that many existing boards can fall prey to - making them ideal candidates for wider leadership roles.”