Dame Linda Pollard DBE DL Hon LLD

Chair

From 1 February 2013

Since Linda joined Leeds Teaching Hospitals as Chair in Feb 2013, she has led the Trust to a number of significant successes.

She Chairs the Leeds Innovation District Partnership, a partnership between LTHT, the University of Leeds and Leeds City Council, including the LEP and private sector. Linda has led the ambition to create a world-class hub for research, innovation and entrepreneurialism for the City. An exciting part of this will be the development of two new hospitals for Leeds, and the new Innovation Hub.

Linda is a member of the Finance & Performance Committee and Chairs the Innovation Committee.

In 2019, Linda was a winner of the Yorkshire and North East England regional Institute of Directors (IOD) awards and went on to receive national recognition by the IOD’s by winning the Dr Neville Bain Memorial Award for Excellence in Director and Board Practice, which was the first time this awarded to the public sector.

Linda advocates partnership working bringing together leaders from across the region and beyond to facilitate closer working between health and social care, building economic investment in Leeds and the wider City region, and the appropriate representation of women on Boards.

Linda is a Trustee of the NHS Provider Board, representing acute trusts and is a Trustee of Leeds Hospitals Charity, the charity partner of Leeds Teaching Hospitals. She is Vice Chair of the Citywide partnership; Health and Wellbeing Board to Board meetings, by rotation Chairs West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT). She Chairs the Yorkshire and the Humber Chairs network meeting with support from regional and national leaders. She is a member of NHSE/I Chairs Advisory Group and has a proactive contribution to the development of future Chairs in teaching and mentoring to support the NHSE/I programme.

Linda is also an active Deputy Lord Lieutenant for West Yorkshire and was awarded a CBE in 2013 for her work in the business community in Yorkshire and an OBE in 2003 for her work in Bradford. She was also awarded an Honorary doctorate by the University of Leeds.

In October 2020, Linda was awarded the honour of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her services to healthcare, which span almost 30 years, and in recognition of her unbroken contribution to the community. This honour also recognises her tireless commitment to address the under representation of women in senior roles across corporate Britain and in public services.