The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust (RFL) has appointed two non-executive directors to sit on its group board.

Wanda Goldwag and James Tugendhat have a wealth of experience to bring to the trust as it continues to embed its new group model.

The trust is one of four chosen nationally to set up and lead a group of NHS providers, who will share services and resources in order to improve services for patients and taxpayers. The RFL group model was established in July. 

Wanda, who started in her new role on 1 December, has strong commercial leadership experience and a track record of developing and growing customer service businesses.
 
She has a background in financial and travel marketing and was previously chief executive of British Airways Air Miles, the subsidiary responsible for BA’s loyalty programme.
 
Alongside her senior executive work, Wanda has also led on consultancy work for major clients.
 
She has also held a number of public appointments and is currently chair of the Office for Legal Complaints, the board which controls the legal ombudsman service for England and Wales.

Wanda said: “The Royal Free Hospital is my local hospital – members of my family were born there – so it’s special for me to be taking on this role. I am delighted to be joining the Royal Free London group and look forward to playing my part in helping to improve the services we deliver to our patients.” 

Meanwhile, the RFL will also welcome James Tugendhat to the group board when he joins as a non-executive director in January.

James has spent his career in the commercial sector as a chief executive officer and managing director. He has spent more than 10 years in healthcare, including three years based in Boston as chief executive of Health Dialog, a pioneer of population health management, and five years as a non-executive director of Islington Primary Care Trust.

James is currently managing director (Europe, Asia and international) for Bright Horizons Family Solutions, a global market leader in early years education.

James said: “It is a privilege to be joining the team at the Royal Free London and to be part of a leading institution advancing care across so many fronts.”

Dominic Dodd, RFL chairman, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Wanda and James to the Royal Free London at an important time in our development as an NHS group. 

“They bring new expertise and experiences to the leadership team together with a passion for the NHS and for what we are trying to achieve to make our services better for our patients. I know they will play important roles in helping us to achieve our goals.”