Profile
I'm Andrew Havemann — a healthcare chief executive and, at heart, a servant leader who believes strong numbers follow strong cultures, not the other way around.
Today I lead a 15,600-patient NHS general practice as CEO, accountable for its strategy, finances, governance and workforce. In my first year I grew operating profit by around 24% through internal efficiency alone — no new income streams — while reducing annualised staff turnover by 3% and lifting staff engagement by 12%. Those results weren't separate achievements: the financial turnaround was built on a deliberate cultural change programme and leadership development for the whole team. Look after the culture, and the performance follows.
Before general practice, I led operations in a large NHS teaching hospital, including its radiology and diagnostic services — redesigning workflows to lift imaging capacity, managing external imaging partners, and leading the digitisation of 1.6 million patient records in six months, a project whose accelerated delivery saved the trust £750,000. Earlier, I led national clinical-standards and quality-improvement work and managed multi-site clinical teams across the UK.
My path into healthcare leadership wasn't a straight line, and I've come to see that as a strength. I began in forestry, moved through sports science and physiotherapy, and found at each step that I was drawn to leading people and improving how organisations work. Physiotherapy taught me to treat the whole system, not just the symptom; operations leadership let me do that at scale. An MSc in Innovation, Leadership and Management from the University of York gave that instinct a formal foundation.
How I lead owes a great deal to a few people. My father taught me to see the potential in everyone. Derek Howe showed me the value of working smart and questioning every process. Mark Nel gave me a love of learning and the confidence to think independently. Brian Good taught me that making people feel valued — and giving feedback with honesty and care — changes what a team can achieve. I try to lead the way they led.
This blog is where I think out loud about all of it: practical leadership, culture and change, the lessons that only come from getting things wrong, and the ideas worth passing on. I write it in the same spirit I try to lead — honestly, and from experience.