East Coast Community Healthcare (ECCH) has appointed former BT Transformation Director Ian Hutchison as its next chief executive.

He will take over from current chief executive Jonathan Williams when he retires in April after six years running the social enterprise, which provides NHS community health services across Norfolk and Waveney.

Prior to working with BT, Mr Hutchison was Consulting Director with PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) and a senior Army officer, which included policy roles in the Ministry of Defence, operational leadership in the UK and overseas, and leadership development roles. He was awarded an MBE in 2004 for his part in the formation of a new Army regiment and leadership on operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Married to a nurse for nearly 30 years, Mr Hutchison has four children and has lived in Woodbridge in Suffolk for the past 15 years.

Mr Hutchison said: “I was really attracted by the core values of ECCH. It seems to have built its reputation and way of working around those. The energy of the team members and their willingness to deal with challenges by looking for a solution that draws on all the skills of the team, rather than individuals, makes me very excited about joining them.

“ECCH sits in quite a unique position in that it is a community interest company, not an NHS organisation, and therefore has far greater freedom in which to work. Government policy has an increasing focus on bringing together health and social care, and providing health care focussed on the individual much closer home. I am looking forward to addressing the challenges of achieving that and helping to relieve pressure on the acute hospitals and GPs.”

“The fact ECCH is an employee owned organisation means all staff have a vested interest in its future so it’s not just about what the company is doing, but about how it’s doing it. It gives the organisation energy and resilience to overcome challenges.”

ECCH Chair Tony Osmanski, who led the recruitment process, said: “We had a very strong field of candidates who were interviewed by panels of ECCH shareholders, external stakeholders and our Non-Executive Directors. Ian stood out for his wealth of experience, working across public and commercial sectors, and for his strong leadership and entrepreneurial spirit.

“Ian also recognises that, as our new Chief Executive, he will not only have responsibility for leadership, transformation and implementing the organisation’s strategic plan but, in doing so, will also champion our core principles and values.”