Liverpool, England, United Kingdom
Haris Sultan is a board-level healthcare leader and strategist operating at the intersection of governance, policy, and system transformation. He is driven by a clear objective: improving patient outcomes while securing the long-term sustainability of healthcare systems through rigorous governance, strategic clarity, and future-focused leadership. Locally, Haris is the youngest Non-Executive Director in the NHS, currently serving on the boards of Wirral University Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust. In this role, he provides independent challenge and strategic oversight across acute and community services, with a focus on quality, workforce, digital transformation, and system collaboration. Previously, he served as NeXt Director for Citizens and Future Generations on the NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, contributing across a £6bn system serving 2.7 million people, with a portfolio spanning workforce sustainability, prevention, climate resilience, digital transformation, and financial stewardship. Nationally, Haris has played a substantive role in shaping health policy through membership of multiple national boards and advisory groups. As a member of NHS England’s National Children and Young People’s Board, he supported delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan and helped launch CORE20PLUS5 for children and young people. He has also worked with the Department of Health and Social Care through the NHS 10-Year Plan Oversight and Accountability Working Group and advised on the COVID-19 vaccination programme for children and young people. His expertise is further recognised through advisory board roles with the Centre of Young Lives and the Centre of Health Economics REAL Supply Unit. Haris is a regular national and international speaker, having spoken at over 100 conferences and events on leadership, governance, health inequalities, and system transformation. He has received multiple national and international awards. Alongside his board-level work, he is a fourth-year medical student and has completed an MBA with Distinction at UCL.
Appointed Joint Non-Executive Director providing independent oversight and constructive challenge at Board level within a large acute NHS Foundation Trust with an annual turnover of c.£600m. Contribute to assurance across quality, finance, workforce, digital transformation, and system performance, supporting the Chair and Executive Team on strategy, governance, and risk in a complex operational environment. Bring a future-focused perspective to Board discussions, informed by system leadership experience, with an emphasis on transparency, accountability, and long-term sustainability.
Appointed Joint Non-Executive Director providing independent oversight and constructive challenge at Board level within a community and specialist services NHS Foundation Trust with an annual turnover of c.£200m. Contribute to assurance across quality, finance, workforce, digital transformation, and system performance, supporting the Chair and Executive Team on strategy, governance, and risk across community, mental health, and integrated care services. Bring a system-focused, future-oriented perspective to Board discussions, with an emphasis on population health, integration, accountability, and long-term sustainability.
Appointed to the Steering Committee for Healthcare Excellence Through Technology (HETT), one of the UK’s leading digital health conferences and innovation platforms. HETT convenes senior NHS leaders, policymakers, clinicians, academics, and industry partners to advance technology-enabled transformation across health and care. Contributing to the strategic development of the annual conference programme, helping shape discussions on key priorities including digital transformation, data and AI, interoperability, workforce innovation, and the practical adoption of technology to improve patient outcomes and system performance.
As a Steering Group Member for the BME Leadership Network (BLN), I help set the strategic direction for this member-led network dedicated to establishing truly diverse NHS leadership. Our mission is to strengthen the voice of Black and Minority Ethnic communities, driving sustainable change to ensure the NHS delivers high-quality universal care. My role supports overcoming strategic and operational barriers to achieving equality within the NHS.
I serve on the Advisory Board of the Centre for Young Lives, a pioneering think tank launched in 2024 by Baroness Longfield CBE. I help steer the strategic direction of the Centre, providing expert insight based on my experience in national children and young people's policy. Our work focuses on driving systemic reform across education, health, social care, and family support, directly addressing structural inequalities. We act as a bridge between evidence and action, amplifying children's voices, producing influential research, and engaging directly with government and sector leaders to secure policy change, with the ultimate goal of making the UK the best place in the world for children to grow up.