Phil Kennedy Announced as Interim Chair of ABHI
After 27 years, Neil Mesher will be retiring from his role at Philips this summer. Subsequently, he will be stepping down as ABHI Chair, and the Board have agreed that the position will be undertaken on an interim basis by Phil Kennedy, Managing Director, Eschmann Technologies. The changes are effective as of 31st August, and duties will be transitioned during this period.
In the second quarter of 2024, the Board will enter its next cycle of elections, and I look forward to providing you with more details on that process nearer the time. As ever, your input on the future direction of our Association would be incredibly valuable.
Neil has been an active member of the Board since 2014 and has provided leadership on a number of national initiatives on our behalf. In February 2022, he was elected as Chair of ABHI, and he has also provided exemplary leadership as co-Chair of the Health Technology Partnership, our formal interface with government, and through his representation on the Secretary of State led Life Sciences Council. To ensure their continuity, Neil will continue in these roles in the immediate term.
Neil Mesher said, “It has been an enormous privilege to represent the ABHI membership these past nine years, and in particular in the role of Chair. When I think back to how far we have come as an Association in that time, the change has been remarkable. Not just in terms of the number of members, which have more than doubled, but our impact for that membership, the breadth of activity, and perhaps most importantly, ABHI’s ability to be nimble and lead with authority in the face of huge external factors, like Brexit and covid. I cannot think of a better time to be an ABHI member and, on a personal note, I cannot think of a more fulfilling industry to have had the pleasure of spending my career. I now look forward to taking this experience into my non-executive commitments, continuing to support British HealthTech businesses.”
Phil Kennedy added, “Neil has been one of the UK’s exceptional HealthTech leaders, and I would like to recognise his tremendous advocacy on behalf of our industry. As the immediate past Chair of ABHI, I have also had the pleasure of supporting the Association’s work over many years, and I remain honoured to do so once again on your behalf. Regulatory uncertainty, procurement structures that do not fully recognise true value, and a difficult trading environment, are just some of the areas we need to address in the months ahead. Alongside the Board of Directors, I am fully committed to helping ABHI’s team tackle these challenges, so that the business environment in which we all operate is conducive to supporting the growth of our industry and the patients we all serve.”