The Judges

Growth and Debt Strategy Adviser (Owner)

AP Adviser Ltd

With over 36 years’ experience in the finance industry at NatWest Group, the principal of AP Adviser Ltd specialises in growth and debt strategy for hotel, healthcare, and real estate owners and developers. He supports clients in structuring finance for acquisitions, refinancing, and developments, sourcing funding against UK trading assets. Leveraging deep sector knowledge and available market options, he has built a reputation for delivering reliable, personalised solutions tailored to clients’ current and future financing needs.

Partner

KPMG

UK Head of Health & Life Sciences M&A
Anthony Ball is a Partner at KPMG and leads the Firm’s UK Health & Life Sciences M&A practice. With over 25 years of corporate finance experience, he advises institutional investors, multinational corporations and entrepreneur-led businesses on complex strategic transactions across the Health & Life Sciences landscape.
Recognised for his deep sector expertise and pragmatic approach to delivering outcomes for clients, Anthony is often invited to speak at Industry events and has been recognised on multiple occasions as a leading M&A Health & Life Sciences advisor.
Anthony has led numerous high-profile assignments, including business disposals, corporate carve-out divestments, mergers, acquisitions, and capital-raising mandates. He works closely with his clients to deliver on transformational opportunities, unlock value and support them achieving their strategic objectives in an evolving market environment.
He is committed to the sector and supporting organisations that are shaping the future of healthcare and passionate about helping clients drive innovation, growth and investment in the sector, ultimately contributing to the wider goal of improving the accessibility, quality and affordability of healthcare for communities around the world.

Head of Environmental Social Governance and Innovation

Hallmark Care Homes

Claire is an experienced ESG, sustainability and innovation leader at Hallmark Luxury care homes, with a strong track record of turning strategy into practical, measurable action. She brings extensive experience across environmental, social and organisational change, combining commercial awareness with innovation to develop solutions that deliver meaningful and lasting impact.
Claire is skilled at engaging teams, building shared ownership and inspiring positive change. Her collaborative, practical approach helps turn ideas into action and creates solutions that make a lasting difference.

Consultant

Casson Consulting

Daniel is a digital transformation and partnership building consultant. He works with social care organisations, local authorities and health to enhance digital strategy. Daniel’s area of interest is value creation at the heart of innovations in care.
He is part of the Digital Social Care Team working on the NHS Digital-financed programme to support care providers on their digital journey, and digital transformation advisor at Care England.

Non Executive Director

CWC Group

David is a seasoned NED and healthcare adviser, with over 30 years’ experience supporting UK health and social care businesses through investment, growth and transformation. A former Deloitte Partner, he built and led one of the UK’s most respected healthcare M&A teams, advising PE-backed operators, corporates, regulators and purpose-driven founders across the sector.

CEO

Scottish Care

Dr Macaskill is the CEO of Scottish Care, the representative body for care providers in the independent sector, namely private, charitable, and employee-owned care organisations which includes care home and home care organisations. He serves on several Scottish, UK and international charities and boards related to health and social care.

CEO

Homecare Association

Jane is CEO of the Homecare Association (formerly known as UKHCA). She has extensive experience in the social care, health, housing and technology sectors. Chairman of Kraydel; formerly CEO Somerset Care Group; and Chairman YourLife (JV with McCarthy & Stone). Jane’s first career was in international leadership roles in research and development in ICI, AstraZeneca and Syngenta, where she was Global Head of Bioscience Research. She then established her own business providing consultancy and training on the link between lifestyle factors and public health, working with private individuals and public sector organisations.

Investment Director

Downing

Edmund sits in Downing’s Private Equity investment team and is responsible for sourcing, evaluating and executing private equity deals, as well as ongoing portfolio management. Having qualified as a chartered accountant, Edmund moved into private equity pursuing a range of asset-backed and growth capital investment strategies. He has more that 10 years of direct investing experience, sitting on the boards of various companies and helping them to grow and ultimately to exit.

Chief Executive Officer

St Mungo’s

Emma joined St Mungo’s as its Chief Executive in November 2022, bringing with her a wealth of experience supporting people who have been displaced and marginalised.
Prior to joining the sector Emma worked in central government for almost two decades. As Director General for Asylum and Protection in the Home Office she was responsible for running the UK’s asylum system and refugee resettlement programmes. Previously she led delivery of child maintenance, pensions and working age benefits in the Department for Work and Pensions. Emma sits on the Government’s Expert Panel on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping. She has a doctorate in international relations from the London School of Economics.

Founder

We Are Eden

Fari is a multi-award-winning global speaker and founder of We Are Eden, an AI-native innovation addressing the UK’s £20 billion reproductive health at work support gap. After 13 years in corporate insurance specialising in regulatory compliance and operational resilience, she now focuses on making sustainable reproductive health an actionable priority for the UK and global workforce. A lay advisor to the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, she advises on policy and health equity. With a biochemistry background from Queen Mary University, she combines scientific literacy with practical experience working with multinational insurers, universities, and women’s networks. Featured on Insurance Business UK’s Elite Women list and shortlisted as a Women in Banking and Finance technology leader, Fari is passionate about equity, ethical AI, and the intersection of health and legal duty. As a speaker, she translates complex themes into actionable insights that strengthen the business, legal, and human case for supporting reproductive health.

Head of Consultancy – Healthcare

Christie & Co

Hannah is Head of Consultancy at Christie & Co, leading projects for healthcare clients across the UK. She has extensive experience supporting some of the country’s largest independent healthcare providers and medical businesses, and has played a key role in many of the firm’s most significant healthcare transactions. Drawing on deep market and transactional expertise, she advises providers, investors, and operators on growth and acquisition strategies, benchmarking, and commercial due diligence. Her work delivers clear insight into the trends shaping the sector, including policy direction, provider performance, investment activity, and the opportunities facing independent healthcare organisations.

Consultant

LaingBuisson

Hugh is currently managing director of Latchmore Healthcare Associates LLP, a healthcare strategy and advisory boutique which supports both public and private sector healthcare organisations. He also writes LaingBuisson’s UK Diagnostic and IVF market reports. He has held various healthcare leadership roles including CEO of synlab UK, Commercial director at Guy’s & St Thomas, CEO of Interhealth Canada in Europe, Business development director of United Health Europe, CEO of BUPA Dental and CEO Aid-Call. His early career was in strategic consultancy with Bain & Co. He is an engineering graduate from Cambridge University.

Managing Director

Almond Care and Almond Care Children’s Services

Julia Senah, founder and Managing Director of Almond Care and Almond Care Children’s Services, is a registered nurse whose personal experience of critical care following the birth of her son inspired her to transform home care. Driven by empathy, she has grown Almond Care into a leading provider with consistent growth in turnover, profits, and scale. Her leadership prioritises human connection, independence, and dignity while setting new standards in complex care through professional expertise and compassion. Guided by the values of empathy, empowerment, and excellence, she fosters high-quality service and continuous staff development. This year she received the Excellence in Health & Wellbeing Award at the Ladies First Awards. Julia continues to shape the future of home care through innovation, leadership, and advocacy for people with complex needs.

CEO

Care Workers Charity

Karolina has been a care worker for twelve years alongside being an experienced Director in several capacities within the non-profit sector. She is passionate about social care and social justice and never misses a chance to advocate for care workers.

Another passion of hers is women’s rights and she is currently also an Advisor for the Women’s Equality Party. Karolina has been invited to participate in many media experiences as a voice for care workers to raise awareness of their under-valued hard work.

She loves working at The CWC because the determination, commitment and sacrifice of the care workforce deserves recognition.

Chief Executive

Disability Initiative

Lucy Brown is a visionary Chief Executive whose career spans the public, private, and voluntary sectors. Combining entrepreneurial drive with a deep commitment to social impact, she unites people around a shared mission and inspires teams to innovate and deliver exceptional results. With a proven ability to interpret, influence, and implement policy, she has created services that improve outcomes for disadvantaged and marginalised groups, including ethnic minority communities, socially excluded young people, and people living with disabilities. Accountable to Boards throughout her career, Lucy is recognised for building high-performing teams, forging impactful partnerships, and raising organisational profiles. Her leadership continues to shape national and international conversations on equity, health, and social care.

Managing Director

Oppenheimer

Martin Chamberlin is a Managing Director and Head of European Healthcare at Oppenheimer. Previously, Martin was a Managing Director in the European Healthcare Investment Banking team at RBC Capital Markets.

Senior Partner

Candesic

Dr Michelle Tempest worked as a hospital doctor for over a decade. She is partner in a strategy consultancy company, Candesic, who deliver R&D level insight with CEO level clarity in specialist sectors – life sciences, healthcare, digital, medtech and education. She edited a book called ‘The Future of the NHS’ and is author of ‘Big Brain Revolution: Artificial Intelligence – Spy or Saviour’. She is a Cambridge Angel investor, mentors Femtech and Ed-tech start-ups and is on the digital council at the Royal Society of Medicine.

Chairman

National Care Association

Nadra has been involved in the field of Social Care for over 40 years. Her background is in training and education, which has been the passion that drives her towards quality services, underpinned and provided by a skilled and valued workforce.

She has been the Chairman of NCA since 2001 and is a trustee of Royal British Legion Industries and Governor at Canterbury Christchurch University. She is also the Co-Convenor of the Cavendish Coalition, formed to work with the NHS and Unison to support workforce issues in Health and Social Care pre-Brexit. She is currently the Chair of the Care Provider Alliance which brings together 11national representative bodies in the sector.

Additionally, Nadra holds various positions within voluntary organisations delivering services to vulnerable people in the community. These include Vice President of HiKent a charity supporting people with hearing loss, Patron of Rockdale Housing supporting older citizens through a pathway of care and support, Vice Patron of Kent Autistic Society and a trustee of Spadeworks which is a charity to support younger adults with learning disabilities to learn skills and run a garden centre.

She has been a member of a number of Government advisory committees in the DHSC including at Ministerial level and Government Taskforces. Through the Covid pandemic Nadra was the respected voice of care providers consistently both privately with DHSC and publicly.

Nadra is a regular contributor to journals and conferences and is frequently called upon by major media networks to represent the views of Social Care providers both nationally and internationally.

In 2006 she was awarded the OBE for her services to Social Care and the following year was appointed Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Kent and a Kent Ambassador.

Nadra has been the recipient of many awards within the care sector from ‘Care Personality’ to ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Business Community’.

In 2023 Nadra was awarded the CBE for her continued services to Social Care.

In March 2023 Nadra took over the role of High Sheriff of Kent. The role of High Sheriff has adapted over a long history and today is a non-political Royal appointment for a year. The High Sheriff represents His Majesty the King within their county to support the Judiciary in Maintenance of law and order, delegated in the main to the Chief Constable. Other responsibilities conferred by the Crown include the wellbeing of High Court Judges, attending Royal visits in the County and various other ceremonial tasks. The office is independent, non-political and unpaid which enables the High Sheriff to bring together a wide variety of individuals across the county.

Head of Public Sector and Healthcare

Barclays

Paul Birley was Head of Public Sector and Healthcare at Barclays until 2018. Since retiring he has continued to be involved in supporting various businesses in the Healthcare sector with their growth ambitions and plans whilst also acting as a Trustee for Adopt a Grandparent – a charity combatting loneliness in Care Homes

NHS Professionals

Stephen has spent his career in public-sector and private-sector health and care. He is executive Chair of HCRG Care Group, the national primary and community health provider; Chair of Healthcare Purchasing Alliance, which purchases private healthcare on behalf of Vitality and Aviva; and Senior Independent Director and Chair of Workforce at St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

He is also a senior advisor to investors and operators and was a sector specialist within the Paterson Inquiry team.

Stephen practiced as a barrister before moving into healthcare.

Partner, Head of Healthcare and Life Sciences M&A

EY UK

Sylvester is Head of EY’s UK Healthcare and Life Sciences M&A practice. He advises founders, corporates, and financial investors on sell-side and buy-side transactions across a wide range of healthcare sub-sectors. Recent experience includes advising the shareholders of Apollo Home Healthcare on its sale to Sovereign Capital, advising LDC on the sale of PAM OH Group to Optima, and advising the shareholders of Renovo Group on multiple sale transactions.

Partner and Head of Independent Health & Social Care

Bevan Brittan

Vincent is a highly experienced health, social care and senior living lawyer, specialising in commercial, corporate and regulatory law. He is recommended by Legal 500 and ranked in Chambers and Partners. Vincent has extensive experience of advising operators, investors, funders, developers and providers in healthcare, social care, and the senior living sectors on a diverse range of commercial, corporate and regulatory transactional matters.