30 November 2023

Eleanor Marks has been appointed as the Vice Chair of Hywel Dda University Health Board and will take up her role in February 2024.

Eleanor is an experienced leader and has, over the course of her career, held several senior positions across a broad range of public sector organisations in Wales. She is currently Director Wales at Ofcom, a role she has held since 2018.  

Her previous roles include senior positions within the Welsh Government, the Welsh Development Agency, and the Wales European Funding Office. During her time at Welsh Government, she supported a panel of experts in their parliamentary review of health and social care in Wales.

Eleanor is a Welsh-speaking resident of Carmarthenshire and is a member of the Institute of Directors, a trustee at Prime Cymru, and a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce (RSA).

Congratulating Eleanor on her appointment, Judith Hardisty, interim Chair at Hywel Dda said: “I am very pleased to welcome Eleanor to Hywel Dda and look forward to working with her. This is an important leadership position on our Board, and I am confident that it is safe in the hands of an experienced professional who has the wellbeing of our communities at heart. In addition to her professional experience that makes her an excellent candidate, Eleanor is also a member of our local community and has first-hand experience of our services. I wish Eleanor all the best in her new role.”

Eleanor adds: “The health and wellbeing of our communities is particularly important to me, and I am delighted that I will be able to play a part in shaping how we meet the current and future needs of our local communities of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, and Pembrokeshire. I look forward to stepping into the role in the new year and working alongside the Board’s experienced Independent Members for the next four years.”

Eleanor succeeds Judith Hardisty in the post. Judith held the role of Vice Chair from 2017 until 1 November 2023 when she was appointed as interim Chair of the Health Board following Maria Battle’s retirement as Chair. Judith’s tenure as a Board member and interim Chair is due to come to an end at the end of March 2024.

Judith continues: “I am also pleased to share that Rhodri Evans, currently the Independent Member (Local Government) is appointed as interim Vice Chair until Eleanor joins the Board in February. I am very grateful to Rhodri for taking up this role and ensuring that we provide a continuity of leadership on our Board and its committees.”

The Board plays a key role in shaping the strategy, vision, purpose, and culture of health boards. It holds the Health Board to account for service delivery, delivery of strategy and value for money, and strategic development and implementation. It is also responsible for ensuring that risks to the Health Board, staff, and the public are managed and mitigated effectively. Led by an independent Chair and comprising of a mixture of both Executive and Independent Members, the Board has a collective responsibility for the performance of the Health Board.

Independent Board Member appointments are for an initial term of up to four years, which can be extended to a maximum of eight years, upon approval by the Minister for Health and Social Services.