With the departure of Ray Messom as CEO of WentWest, we are pleased to welcome Michelle Quinn to the role of Interim CEO. Michelle has been at WentWest for over four years, leading the Strategic Commissioning and Insights directorate as Executive Director. She has vast experience working with staff and stakeholders beyond her portfolio and the Board has every confidence that Michelle will be able to grow these existing relationships and continue to drive WentWest towards its vision during this interim period.
Michelle has over 30 years of experience in the Australian and UK health and social care systems. Before joining WentWest, she spent 10 years commissioning new and innovative services across health and social care in and around London, taking learnings from delivering direct care provision for a London borough, leading a team of 600 people across 15 teams and nine sites. She is highly experienced in direct clinical service delivery and is known for developing collaborative partnerships that share best practices and working with the community to co-design sustainable services that respond to their needs. Michelle holds a Master of Science in Human Communication in Acquired Neurological Disorders and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Speech Pathology. She is also a Prince2 registered practitioner.
She currently manages nine teams spanning the commissioning cycle, mental health system reform, data intelligence and insights, IT support, and organisational project, risk and quality management. She is also the Executive Lead for the national PHN Digital Intelligence program.
“I started out as a Speech Pathologist and I loved the interaction with my clients and their families. Yet, when I started to lecture and lead teams and discovered the scale of impact that could be made in commissioning services, I was hooked. Working with others, with different knowledge and experiences to design services that deliver better outcomes for people with limited resources is what drives me. I’m incredibly fortunate to work with staff and partners who are constantly envisaging how to achieve more equitable health outcomes. In the coming months, my primary focus will be to ensure that this innovation and our operations continue smoothly and to prepare us for the exciting opportunities that lie ahead.”
Further information about the appointment of a permanent CEO will be announced in the coming months. In the meantime, please join us in welcoming Michelle into this exciting role.
Information correct as of 22 February 2024