Dame Jackie Daniel, Chief Executive Officer of Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust closed this year's Masterclass Series, in partnership with NatWest, on the 8th May.

Dame Daniel captivated the audience of business leaders from across the region, who came to hear about her past NHS experiences and her role as Chief Executive across several sectors. She provided an insight into the things that will be increasingly important in guaranteeing the future of our health and care system.

Her NHS professional career began as a nurse before moving into NHS management and has now been a CEO for 17 years. In 2017 she was recognised in the Queen's New Year's Honours for her services to health care.

Dame Daniel presented on how the NHS is facing some of its most significant challenges since its inception over 70 years ago, and that we need radical innovation and transformation to underpin its future. She highlighted that to create a more sustainable NHS it is essential that;

• We create an environment for people to flourish
• The governance framework aligns priorities
• We must value diversity and network activity
• It is vital that 'relational fabric' is built at all levels

Professor Angus Laing, Dean of Lancaster University Management School, said: "We were delighted to welcome Dame Jackie back to Lancaster, she provided the perfect closing lecture to this year's series. Jackie demonstrated the importance of being creative, innovative, and collaborative. The audience asked a wonderfully diverse range of questions, and we will look forward to welcoming you all back for next year's series."

The event was part of a masterclass series run by Lancaster University Management School and supported by NatWest, which involves inspirational speakers with a passion for business sharing their knowledge and expertise to inspire SMEs. Lancaster University Management School has been running business masterclasses for more than ten years as part of their business engagement programmes and has drawn audiences in the hundreds from across the North West's SME networks.