Welcome to our new non-executive directors
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Ebele Akojie, James Watson-O’Neill OBE and Dr Iram Sattar MBE as non-executive directors.
All three bring wide ranging skills, knowledge, experience and commitment to public service and will make an invaluable contribution to helping shape the future of mental health services in South West London.
Ebele Akojie, non-executive director
Ebele Akojie is a corporate leader with significant strategic financial management, corporate finance, governance and risk management experience. She has over 25 years’ experience at Board level within the charity and housing regulated sector, setting and monitoring the delivery of strategic and corporate objectives against a backdrop of effective governance, financial sustainability and strategic risk management.
Ebele is well versed in serving as a key stakeholder representative with investors, funders, credit rating agencies, regulators, strategic partners and other stakeholder partners. Ebele's career has been in Finance mainly within the housing sector, where she has held a number of Chief Financial Officer and Finance Director roles.
James Watson-O’Neill OBE, associate non-executive director
James Watson-O’Neill has been Chief Executive at the deaf health charity SignHealth since 2016 and was awarded an OBE for services to deaf people in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours 2022. He has worked in the charity sector since 2001, including a variety of roles at Scope and the NSPCC. James is a qualified Non-Executive Director and has fifteen years’ experience on boards of various charities, including the British Society of Mental Health and Deafness and he is currently a trustee of the Voluntary Organisations Disability Group, a membership body representing organisations within the voluntary sector who work alongside disabled people, particularly in social care.
James is also a Fellow of the RSA and a Leadership Fellow at the Society of Leadership Fellows at the College of St George at Windsor Castle. James co-chairs a cross-sector Civil Society working group focused on equity, diversity and inclusion, with a particular focus on anti-racism.
Dr Iram Sattar MBE, associate non-executive director
Iram Sattar is an experienced NHS GP with a specialist interest and passion for mental health and addressing health inequalities. Her commitment extends beyond clinical practice; she serves as a trustee at three charities focused on addressing health inequalities in marginalised communities, particularly within the homelessness and women’s rights sectors. Iram has dedicated over 15 years of her career to the charity sector. Currently, she holds the positions of co-chair and treasurer at Muslim Women’s Network UK, trustee at The Passage, and trustee and treasurer at Nisa Global Foundation.
Iram’s contributions were recognised with an MBE for services to the Health and Wellbeing of Vulnerable People in 2022. As an expert consultant in culturally competent mental health care for Muslim communities, Iram has a proven record of strategising and implementing solutions to enhance mental health access and outcomes. Recognised for her advocacy, Iram has played an active role in local NHS initiatives, including delivering mental health workshops in the Muslim community. She understands the importance of high-quality disaggregated data to provide assurance and shape effective solutions. Iram recognises that spirituality is key to recovery, especially for Black, Asian and minoritised communities and advocates for faith and culturally sensitive health care, aiming to embed spiritual care within mainstream services.
Photo caption: Ebele Akojie, Dr Iram Sattar MBE and James Watson-O’Neill OBE.
