HSE Chief Operations Officer to take up senior leadership role in Vhi

The Chief Operations Officer of the HSE Ms Anne O’Connor is to leave the organisation in June to become Managing Director of Vhi Health and Wellbeing.

Ms O’Connor has been a key figure in managing the health service response to the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the cyberattack on the HSE in May 2021.

Having trained and worked as an occupational therapist in the UK, Ms O’Connor has worked in the Irish health service since 1995. In 2014 she was appointed National Director for Mental Health and in 2018 became National Director of Community Operations. She was appointed as Chief Operations Officer later that year and spent five months as Interim Director General in 2018-2019, pending the permanent filling of the post.

CEO of the HSE Mr Paul Reid said: “Anne has made an extraordinary contribution to the health service during her time with us.  She has not only led the operations of the health service through a period of great challenge and pressure, but she has done so while retaining an unwavering commitment to high quality and continuous improvement. The HSE is facing into a time of significant change, and the fact that it is in a position to do so with confidence owes an awful lot to Anne’s work.

“She has been a great colleague and is highly respected and admired throughout the health service.  I am very glad that she will be continuing to contribute to healthcare services in Ireland in a very senior role and on behalf of the HSE I want to wish her very well in her new position.”

In a separate statement, Vhi said it was pleased to announce the appointment of Ms O’ Connor as Managing Director at Vhi Health and Wellbeing. From August she will lead Vhi’s Health and Wellness business and will join Vhi Group’s Senior Leadership Team.

Vhi Health and Wellbeing, a subsidiary of the Vhi Group, delivers health and wellbeing services to 1.1 million customers through a network of healthcare facilities.

Welcoming the appointment Mr Declan Moran, CEO of Vhi Group, said: “Anne will work in tandem with the Vhi leadership team to ensure that we continue to deliver on our mission of helping our customers live longer, stronger, healthier lives. 

“Her clinical background and extensive management experience as well as her in-depth understanding of the Irish healthcare system and of integrated health service delivery will be invaluable to Vhi as we execute our strategy in the years ahead.”