Full Agenda and Speaker Bios | Talking Leadership

2026 Programme and Speaker Bios

Dr Helen Garr
Tuesday 17th March 12pm - 12:45pm

Dr Helen Garr is a GP, and founder of the ‘The Wellbeing GP’: supporting healthcare professionals to find joy, purpose and happiness at work. She is a recognised expert and leader in the field of wellbeing and mental health. She is known for her energetic and unique approach to wellbeing and has delivered her talks to audiences across the world and is a frequent guest on TV and Radio. Helen is also the Medical Director of NHS Practitioner Health, a National service supporting Healthcare professionals with mental health and addiction difficulties. Having worked for many years in student health as a GP at the University of Nottingham Health Service, Helen also continues to work in out of hours general practice. Helen also sits on a number of national expert groups and has contributed to many national mental health and wellbeing policies and guidance. She is a Nottinghamshire Medical committee member and is their Wellbeing lead.

Helen will open the programme with a welcome and introduction, setting the scene for what delegates can expect. She’ll share tips on how to get the most out of the programme, outline the themes and topics covered by other speakers, and provide an overview of both the virtual sessions and the in-person conference. As the chair of our September conference, this will also be a great opportunity for delegates to meet Helen early on and for her to begin getting to know the group.

Matthew Trainer
Friday 20th March 12pm - 1pm

Matthew was the Health Service Journal’s CEO of the year for 2024, in recognition of the progress BHRUT has made under his leadership. Before joining BHRUT, Matthew worked for three years as CEO of Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, which provides a wide range of mental health and community health care in south east London and parts of Kent. Matthew has also held senior positions at NHS England, the Care Quality Commission, and the MS Society.

In this 60-minute virtual session, Matthew will share his personal leadership journey and reflect on the insights he’s gained throughout his career in the NHS. He’ll offer his perspective on the evolving nature of NHS leadership, including what the next ten years may demand from those in senior roles. Delegates will hear his views on the skills, experiences, and mindsets that future leaders will need to thrive in a changing health system. There will also be time for questions and discussion, making this a valuable opportunity to engage directly with the 2024 ‘number 1’ NHS CEO!

Monique Carayol
Monday 27th April, 1pm - 2:30pm

Monique is an experienced and ICF accredited leadership coach, consultant and ex-NHS director. She’s an award-winning strategist and change agent and started her NHS career as in an admin role, navigating her way to a high-profile board executive director of strategy and transformation role. She supports people and organisations to build brave leadership capability and confidence and specialises in systemic coaching approaches. Alongside this, Monique hosts a leadership podcast ‘Be Yourself, Back Yourself and Make it Happen’. She co-founded the Bravery in the Boardroom movement in 2022 and hosts the #BITBPodcast, both of which focuses on increasing diversity in senior leadership, so boardrooms are more representative of the communities and staff they serve.

In her session, Monique will cover the realities of leadership in today’s NHS, focusing on how to lead bravely and authentically in challenging environments. Drawing on her experience as a Director in the NHS, she will explore three key themes: recognising and sharing your strengths, the power of listening to understand to empower others and the importance of leading by example to drive change. Monique’s session is designed to be interactive and reflective, encouraging participants to connect with their own leadership journeys and leave with practical actions to support themselves and their teams.

Dr Rachel Morris

Wednesday 20th May, 12pm - 1:30pm

Dr Rachel Morris is former GP who now helps doctors and other professionals in high stress, high stakes jobs beat burnout and work happier. Rachel is the host of the Apple Top 100 UK Business Chart podcast ‘You Are Not a Frog’ and creator of the Shapes Toolkit Resilience Training Programme. Rachel knows what it’s like to feel overwhelmed and one crisis away from not coping. She believes that you don’t need to dramatically change careers to thrive in your 9-5 (or 8-8) but by thinking differently, you can make deliberate choices to feel calmer, get some time and headspace and love what you do again.

Rachel’s talk will focus on practical strategies for managing personal wellbeing and workload in the pressured environment of the NHS. Drawing on her experience as a former GP and an executive coach and her work in medical education, she will challenge the myth that working harder always leads to success, and instead share tools for recognising your limits, prioritising what matters, and setting boundaries—even when it feels uncomfortable. Rachel will guide participants to identify what is truly within their control, embrace their human limits, and use ‘power language’ to make choices that protect their energy and effectiveness, helping leaders and managers to thrive rather than just survive.

Samantha Jones OBE
Thursday 11th June, 3pm - 4:30pm

Samantha started her career as a general and paediatric nurse. Having completed the NHS Management Training Scheme, she worked in a variety of operational management roles across the NHS including as a chief executive for 2 trusts. She has worked nationally at NHS England leading the New Models of Care programme before moving to run primary care services as chief executive of the largest primary care provider in England. Samantha was appointed as expert adviser to the Prime Minister for NHS transformation and social care in 2021 where she led on all elements of health and social care.

In this session, Samantha will draw on her extensive experience across senior NHS roles and her time at Number 10 to share reflections on leadership, resilience, and the future of NHS management. She’ll offer candid insights into the challenges she’s faced throughout her career, how she overcame them, and what she’s learned along the way. Samantha will also reflect on the advice she’d give her younger self starting out in NHS management, and explore how today’s leadership teams can align with the ambitions of the NHS 10-year plan.

Dr Asif Mazumder
Monday 6th July , 12pm - 1pm

Dr Asif Mazumder is a Consultant Neuroradiologist and Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at Guy’s and St Thomas’ - where he was also the Clinical Director for Clinical Imaging and Medical Physics (CLIMP), a department of nearly 800 staff that includes one of the UK’s largest Imaging services.

Dr Mazumder led the department through COVID recovery and the UK’s largest EPIC rollout as the Trust’s Diagnostics lead. He is also Clinical Lead for the Diagnostic Treatment Centre Programme and previously for the SEL Community Diagnostic Centre Programme. Committed to patient-centred care and transformation, Dr Mazumder drives the integration of digital innovation with efficient, compassionate pathways. His unique blend of clinical expertise, senior NHS leadership, operational delivery, and financial acumen underpins his success in leading complex change.