Simplyhealth: Rita Clifton

Healthcare firm Simplyhealth has appointed Rita Clifton as its new chair. Clifton will take over from Mike Hall subject to regulatory approval.

She said: “I’m excited to take up the position of chair of the Simplyhealth Group. Simplyhealth’s purpose to improve access to healthcare for all in the UK has never been more important and I am looking forward to working with the Board and helping the team drive the strategy forward. The organisation’s unique history, purpose and ownership model, with its strong values, has also been a great attraction.”

Clifton will join from March 2025. She is also currently deputy chair of the John Lewis Partnership, and brings her background in brand and customer strategy, as well as business and governance leadership on a number of high-profile boards, to the role.

Over the last 20 years she has worked across several sectors including retail, market research and financial services as well as healthcare. She was awarded a CBE in the New Years Honour list in 2014 and became a visiting fellow at Saïd Business School at Oxford University in 2019.

Those close to the company hope Clifton’s experience will aid Simplyhealth’s mission of making healthcare “simple, affordable, and accessible”, especially with the staggering 2.8m people off work on long-term sick leave.

Duane Lawrence, Senior Independent Director, who led the chair selection, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Rita to Simplyhealth as our new Chair of the Board. Rita is deeply experienced in building high growth organisations as both an Executive and Chair. She is a gifted strategist and brand expert and has an excellent understanding of, and experience with, commercially focused product led organisations. Critically she also brings a fundamentally purpose driven value system which aligns strongly with Simplyhealth.

“Rita’s extensive track record of success across a variety of market sectors makes her well placed to play a significant leadership role and help guide Simplyhealth forward as it works to improve the health of the nation. I also want to thank her predecessor, Mike Hall, for his leadership and service during his tenure as Chair and I look forward to continuing to work with Mike in a NED capacity for the foreseeable future.”

Clifton replaces Mike Hall, who had been on the board since 2011.

Simplyhealth also owns Denplan, which provides dentists with the tools to help patients budget and spread the cost of treatments, a field in which it is a market leader.

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