Executive Directors

Sam joined the Royal Devon as Chief Executive Officer in January 2024. Sam brings extensive experience to the role, having worked in and around the NHS for the last 20 years across strategy, finance and operational roles. Most recently, Sam supported the national work on elective recovery and was chief executive at Norfolk and Norwich University NHS Foundation Trust from 2019-2023.

Vanessa holds the core Chief Medical Officer responsibilities, including operations, strategy, safety, pharmacy, medical education, clinical scientists and being the Trust Responsible Officer.

Vanessa is a practising Consultant Anaesthetist with a special interest in intensive care medicine and brings over 30 years’ experience in the NHS, most recently at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust as Chief Medical Officer.

She trained in the South West and spent seven years as a consultant anaesthetist at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, before briefly living in Australia and then working in a number of leadership roles at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust. She is a fellow of the Royal College of Anaesthetists and the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine.

Vanessa is a graduate of the NHS Leadership Academy Nye Bevan programme, and has been awarded the NHS Leadership Academy Award in Executive Healthcare Leadership.

Adrian leads the Trust's digital transformation and research agenda. He also has clinical and service transformation within his portfolio. 

Adrian was previously the Trust's Chief Medical Officer, a role he held since 2015. In this role Adrian led the introduction of Epic, our comprehensive electronic patient record, across all of our sites, and has since focused on how we make the most of the opportunities provided by digital to transform the way we deliver care. Adrian also led on great developments in research in his previous role, including recently launching a health technology research centre in Exeter and achieving funding to open a clinical research facility in North Devon. 

Adrian studied medicine at the Royal Free Hospital and graduated in 1986. He originally joined the Trust as a consultant emergency physician in 1996. He has held a number of leadership roles in his time with the Trust, including Associate Medical Director for the Surgical Services Division and Director of the Emergency Department at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital for 12 years, during which time he directed the Emergency Department of North Devon District Hospital for two years. 

Adrian has seen healthcare from both a primary and secondary care perspective, having originally trained as a GP before moving into the field of emergency medicine, training at St Marys Hospital in London, University Hospital Southampton and Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital in Western Australia. 

Adrian undertook the NHS Leadership Academy Executive Fast Track Programme in 2014 and has previously sat on the Council of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine. He is an honorary associate professor in healthcare leadership and management at the University of Exeter Medical School, and is an independent member of the University Of Exeter Council, which is the governing body of the University.

Chris joined the former Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust as chief financial officer in September 2017, having worked in a number of senior NHS roles in the West Midlands across Acute, Mental Health and Commissioning sectors and as director of delivery and Improvement for NHS Improvement. Chris was appointed deputy chief executive officer for the Royal Devon in January 2021. Chris took his first CFO position in 2005 at South Birmingham Primary Care Trust before joining Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust as director of resources and leading them to FT status in 2008. Chris joined Worcestershire Acute in 2011 as director of resources / deputy CEO.

Chris has taken on strategic change projects, including major PFI hospital moves, EPR and IT change programmes, and developing strategic clinical partnerships with neighbouring providers. Chris has been part of the NHS Top Leaders programme and was also HFMA Chair for the West Midlands in 2015.

Hannah joined the Trust in August 2019, coming to the NHS from Flybe, the Exeter-based airline, where she was director of people. Prior to her Flybe role, Hannah also held top strategic posts for the Church of England and global educational provider Pearson, helping both organisations develop key culture and organisational growth programmes. As well as strategic and business acumen, Hannah brings a strong voluntary and charitable ethos to the Royal Devon.

Carolyn joined the Trust as Chief Nursing Officer in January 2021. Carolyn is an experienced nurse whose career in the NHS spans over 30 years, including working in the acute, community and academic sectors. Previous to joining the Royal Devon, Carolyn worked for Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Trust, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Assistant Chief Nurse positions and was Director of Nursing at NDHT between 2005 and 2014.

From 2014 to 2021, Carolyn was Chief Nurse at University Hospitals Bristol & Weston NHS Foundation Trust, where she had experience of merging together University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and Weston Area HealthTrust.

Angela joined the NHS in 2003 following a number of years in the private sector. Angela has held a variety of accounting and financial leadership roles across provider, commissioner and regulator organisations gaining a wealth of experience across the sector and qualifying as a chartered management accountant along the way. Angela moved to the former Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust as director of finance in 2018 and was appointed as Chief Finance Officer for the Royal Devon in January 2021.

Phil Luke joined the NHS in 2000 through the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme. He has held various operational and strategic roles at the Royal Devon, including most recently the Director of Operations (Eastern) and Director of Transformation. He was appointed Interim Chief Operating Officer in August 2025.