Jonathan Gardner, Shane Gordon and Michelle Arrowsmith will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the James Paget University Hospitals (JPUH), Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals (NNUH) and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn, respectively.
Michelle Arrowsmith has been appointed as Executive Managing Director of The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn and will join the Trust on 19 January.
Interim Exec MD Chris Bown will remain in post until 12 January.
Michelle brings more than 30 years of leadership experience to QEH, including her clinical background as a dietitian in the NHS and senior strategic and operational management roles with the NHS in England and with healthcare organisations in New Zealand and Australia.
Prior to becoming Chief Strategy and Delivery Officer and Deputy Chief Executive for NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board two years ago, Michelle spent six years in New Zealand and Australia, where she was chief executive of a health charity.
As a qualified dietitian, Michelle is passionate about the roles of allied health professionals. Before leaving England for Australia in 2016, Michelle served as chief operating officer of South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust and as director of operations at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust.
She is currently on secondment as Interim Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust.
Dr Shane Gordon will join NNUH as substantive Executive Managing Director (EMD) on 8 December following a six-month secondment as Executive Managing Director at James Paget University Hospitals (JPUH).
Dr Gordon previously served as Director of Strategy, Research and Innovation at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) and has 18 years of senior NHS management experience in transformational change, regional and local commissioning and acute hospital leadership.
He’s also a founder member of the East of England Clinical Senate Council and a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Surgeons.
Jonathan Gardner has been appointed as Executive Managing Director of the JPUH. He joins us on 12 January 2026 from Whittington Health NHS Trust.
At Whittington Health, Jonathan was Chief Strategy, Digital and Improvement Officer, responsible also for neighbourhood working, communications, and corporate affairs as well as the Whittington Health Charity.
Prior to this role, he worked on cancer programmes and strategic development projects at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Jonathan’s previous NHS roles include operational management in specialist services at UCLH, followed by surgery and then the A&E and Medicine divisions at North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust. He has a varied background in both private and public sectors, having previously held several roles at the Department of Health as well as working as a management consultant and in business as a conference organiser.
Jon Barber will be acting Executive MD at JPUH between 8 December and 12 January.
Prof Lesley Dwyer, Group Chief Executive, said: “I am delighted to be making these appointments, which bring a wealth of healthcare expertise and leadership to our newly formed hospitals group. This is an exciting time for the Group – Shane has already been working in Norfolk and Waveney for the last six months and we look forward to welcoming Michelle and Jonathan to our Group.”
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