Ben Bridgewater

Chief Executive

Ben Bridgewater is Chief Executive of Health Innovation Manchester, an academic health science system that brings together health, academia and industry. The mission is to accelerate innovation into practice at pace and scale, so to transform the lives of Greater Manchester’s 2.8 million citizens.

He is a leading expert on health informatics, national clinical audit, clinical governance, healthcare transparency, patient experience measurement and digital transformation in healthcare, publishing numerous high profile academic outputs and delivering innovative IT tools for disseminating clinical outcomes to professionals and the public.

Prior to joining Health Innovation Manchester, Ben worked for global technology company DXC Technology as the Director of the Healthcare and Lifesciences Global Build Advisory Team. Until January 2016, he was a cardiac surgeon at the University Hospital of South Manchester for nearly 18 years.

Ben also provided clinical leadership for the UK national cardiac audit programme, as well as leading analyses that provides UK hospital and cardiac surgery mortality rates to the public. The programme is world-leading and associated with a 50% reduction in risk-adjusted mortality over 10 years.

Laura Rooney

Deputy CEO/Chief Strategy Officer

Laura Rooney is Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Strategy Officer at Health Innovation Manchester, where she leads on commercial development, strategic partnerships, system engagement, codesign and external affairs. With over 17 years’ experience across the NHS, digital health and life sciences, she plays a central role in shaping the organisation’s strategic direction and positioning Greater Manchester as a globally recognised centre for health innovation.

Laura has been part of Health Innovation Manchester’s executive leadership team for the last five years, leading the development of the HInM strategy and execution, as well as a portfolio of nationally significant innovation and adoption initiatives. She has led the design and delivery of several major system-wide programmes, including the design and deployment of England’s largest virtual wards programme, a £30 million diagnostics accelerator, and multiple partnership projects with industry to deliver population health and economic benefits to the GM system, with particular focus on cardiovascular-renal-metabolic diseases and obesity.

With a background in both NHS leadership and strategic communications, Laura brings a unique blend of system insight, policy expertise and stakeholder engagement. Prior to joining Health Innovation Manchester, she held senior communications roles in NHS commissioning and provider organisations across Greater Manchester, with a particular focus on community services, mental health and digital transformation. She began her career in public relations, specialising in business-to-business communications and issues management.

Laura is passionate about innovation that delivers tangible benefits for patients and populations, and is committed to building trusted, inclusive partnerships that enable long-term impact across the health and care system.

Claire Macconnell

Chief Operating Officer

Claire Macconnell, formerly the Group Director of HR and OD at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, sits now in the role of Chief Operating Officer, at Health Innovation Manchester.

With her extensive experience overseeing group HR functions and leading teams in complex programs across primary and secondary care, Claire plays an integral role in the seamless execution of program delivery aligned with Health Innovation Manchester’s vision and strategy.

Gareth Thomas

Digital Innovation Director (interim)

Gareth Thomas joined the Greater Manchester health and care system early 2023 as Digital Innovation Director. He joined as part of a joint appointment between Health Innovation Manchester, and NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care.

Gareth’s previous role was Deputy National Chief Clinical Information Officer (CCIO) within the Transformation Directorate at NHS England, where he brought clinical leadership to national policy, strategy, systems liaison, and workforce development initiatives.

He is a Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine and Anaesthesia, and worked as Clinical Director at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust. Prior to his national role he was the Group Chief Clinical Information Officer at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust.

Paula Bennett

Chief Nurse & Clinical Director (interim)

Paula is a Registered Adult and Children’s Nurse and has had a long clinical career leading innovation in Advanced Practice, Paediatric Emergency Care and Clinical Informatics. She completed a Doctorate at the University of Salford in 2014 undertaking research into the effectiveness of computerised decision support.

Paula is currently the interim Clinical Director & Chief Nurse and provides senior clinical leadership across the Health Innovation Manchester portfolio acting as Senior Responsible Officer on a number of complex system-wide innovation projects. She leads the Clinical Team at Health Innovation Manchester who work across the GM system supporting the adoption and spread of innovation

Paula is passionate about innovation and the role it can play in creating healthier communities as well as making healthcare better for the people of Greater Manchester. Paula is a champion for the clinical voice and its fundamental role in both the development and deployment of innovation.

“ At Health Innovation Manchester we have deep commitment to engage with staff and communities throughout the whole innovation cycle. We know this creates the best environment for sustainable change.”