Becky Malby is the Director of the Centre for Innovation in Health Management. She has a track record in organisational and leadership development in the public sector, working primarily with the NHS and with local authorities, in the UK and Europe. Becky leads the International Shaping Health Systems Network with hub groups in Asia, North America, Africa and Europe.

Becky is a critical friend of the New Economics Foundation Coproduction Network, and an advisor to the Cabinet Office on the Choice Agenda. She is also a founding member of the More Leaders for Leeds Network, and an advisor to the Health Foundation on Networks.

Previously Becky led the European Health Management Association Special Interest Group on Management Development, was a critical friend of the NESTA People Powered Health programme, and she has been a Director of the Northern Leadership Academy Think-Tank, prototyping effective leadership interventions in the public and voluntary sectors.

Prior to CIHM, Becky was Director of Complex Systems Associates; Head of Corporate Development at the Nuffield Institute at Leeds; and a Fellow at the Kings Fund. She started her career in clinical work, moving into managerial, research and organisational change posts in the NHS, at Trust through to Regional levels. She has an MA in Public and Social Policy, and her most recent publication is Malby R & Fischer M: Tools for Change: and invitation to dance. Kingsham Press 2006.


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Mike Farrar is the Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation. He joined the organisation in May 2011.

Mike was Chief Executive of the North West England SHA from May 2006 to April 2011. He was previously Chief Executive of West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire Strategic Health Authorities, Chief Executive of Tees Valley Health Authority and Head of Primary Care at the Department of Health. During his time at the Department of Health, he was responsible for establishing primary care groups, primary care trusts and personal medical services (PMS).

Mike chaired the Strategic Health Authority Chief Executive's Group from 2002 to 2009. He chaired the NHS Confederation GP Contract negotiating team that successfully negotiated the new General Medical Service contract. He also worked as the National Programme Director of NHS Live. He previously chaired the Office for Life Sciences Innovation Delivery Board.

Mike is a board member of Sport England, where he has also acted as Interim Chair, and in August 2009 was appointed as National Tsar for Sport and Health. Mike was awarded the CBE in 2005 for services to the NHS and is an honorary fellow of the University of Central Lancashire.

Presentation: Transforming healthcare

The NHS is facing increasing demands and rising public expectations. It must meet these demands from within its current real terms funding, while at the same time improving quality. It is not an option to continue as before – the NHS needs to radically transform how it delivers services.

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Iain Smith joined the health service in 1997, working in performance and information where he became interested in improvement science. In 2006 he was part of a team that established a regional improvement collaborative in North East England that utilised lean principles to improve the quality and safety of healthcare (known as the North East Transformation System Coalition). Following three years of working to introduce lean into primary care, Iain returned to lead the development of the North East Transformation System in 2011 and is using a network approach to grow its membership and reach.

Presentation: Transforming culture: the North East Transformation System

The North East Transformation System (NETS) is a powerful model for organisational change. Within its simple framework of vision, compact and method, it comprises transformation and change techniques from international exemplars in industry as well as healthcare.

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Julia Manning studied visual science at City University and became a member of the College of Optometrists in 1991. Her career has included being a visiting lecturer at City University, a visiting clinician at the Royal Free Hospital, a Director of the UK Institute of Optometry, and working with primary care trusts. She also specialised in diabetes and founded Julia Manning Eyecare, a practice for people with mental and physical disabilities.

In 2006 Julia established 2020health.org, an independent think-tank for health and technology that seeks to both improve individual health and create the conditions for a healthy society. 2020health research publications have covered alcohol, telehealth, workability, pricing of medicines, biotechology, NHS reform and fraud.


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