Len Richards receives CEO Today UK award
Cardiff and Vale UHB are proud to announce that Len Richards has received a CEO Today United Kingdom Award from CEO Today UK magazine.
Dedicated to recognising exceptional business leadership, the CEO Today United Kingdom Awards celebrates the achievements of industry-leading CEOs and entrepreneurs across Britain and Northern Ireland. As the nation slowly approaches an exit from more than a year of uncertainty, these individuals shine as examples of excellence in their respective sectors, even when faced with unprecedented challenges.
Like healthcare organisations around the world, this year Cardiff and Vale University Health Board has responded to the unprecedented challenge of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Steering such a large, complex organisation through this has been one of the most testing times of Len’s career. Under his leadership and through the commitment of the Health Board’s 14,500 staff, the organisation opened Wales’ largest field hospital, was a leader in the UK’s COVID-19 RECOVERY trial and kick-started a range of innovative projects to ensure services could continue to deliver vital care both now and for future generations.
Len has been recognised for committed to listening to colleagues from across the organisation and creating the space for them to innovate. Through this inclusive engagement, all health and social care staff have the opportunity to be part of the change happening across the Cardiff and Vale health and care system and to shape the future of its culture and leadership for those who matter most: patients.
Ben Collin, Projects Manager at the King’s Fund, said when reflecting on his interviews with staff across the UHB following the COVID-19 pandemic: “I have been struck by the language many staff used when describing Len’s leadership. One senior surgeon described Len’s impact after two decades working in the system: ‘Len was simply in another league, a bigger perspective and a genuine understanding of how to make things happen.’ A primary care leader said: ‘You just can’t overestimate what Len has done: his approach, the culture he is creating in the Health Board, the recognition he has given staff, and how he is bringing different parts of the system together.’”
Len Richards said: “I was delighted to learn that I had been awarded a CEO UK Award. This is, of course, an honour that I share with everyone who had worked in Cardiff and Vale UHB throughout my time here and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Your contribution was invaluable and I know that I could not have done it without you, whoever you are, wherever you’re based, and whatever your role is.”
You can read the article about Len in CEO Today Magazine here.