Jess Piper appointed as substantive Chief People Officer

Published: 5 May 2026

We are pleased to share that we have appointed Jess Piper as our substantive Chief People Officer, following an interview process.

Jess has spent her whole career working in health and care, beginning on the frontline in social care and going on to roles across community and acute hospital services. She joined us in 2005 and has held a range of operational and corporate roles during that time, giving her a deep understanding of the organisation, its workforce and the communities it serves. Over the past 15 years, she has worked in senior leadership positions spanning people services, education, workforce development, quality and corporate functions, most recently covering the Chief People Officer role on an interim basis.

Welcoming the appointment, Joe Teape, Chief Executive, said: “I’m delighted that Jess has been appointed substantively as our Chief People Officer. She brings a combination of frontline experience, deep organisational knowledge and strong values led leadership. Jess understands what it takes to support our people well, and she has already had a positive impact during her time in the role. I’m confident she will continue to play a vital role in shaping our culture and supporting colleagues across our organisation.”

Jess brings more than a decade of executive and senior leadership experience across people services, education and workforce development, with experience working across community and acute organisations locally, regionally and nationally. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and holds postgraduate and master’s level qualifications in business and clinical education.

Speaking about her appointment, Jess said: “I’m really pleased to be taking on the Chief People Officer role on a substantive basis. I feel proud to work alongside such committed colleagues and I’m looking forward to continuing our work to support our people, strengthen our culture and deliver the best possible care for our local communities.”