Nicola King, Director

Nicola has a reputation as one of the country’s leading experts in the legislation that set up CCGs and its implications for their governance and decision making arrangements. She acquired this reputation during 2011-13 when she took a secondment from her role as a PCT Assistant Chief Executive to work at the Department of Health on setting up the new NHS commissioning organisations that were later to become known as CCGs. Nicola was involved in writing much of the formal guidance as they were setting up and in 2018 was commissioned by NHS England to update and re-write the model constitution for CCGs in the context of changes to the legislation, guidance policy and CCGs working more closely together.

In the early days of NHS England she established and led a team which set up the successful network of Chief Clinical Officers, commissioned the Good Governance Institute to co-develop the governance toolkit for CCGs and delivered the Commissioning for Value programme for CCGs.

Nicola provides a unique blend of skills and experience drawing on her 26 years’ experience in the NHS as a clinician and clinical leader in the pharmacy profession as well as a senior manager and leader in the NHS. She now provides independent support to boards in the public and charity sector supporting them to improve their organisations.

Nicola also enjoys being a non-executive director.  She is currently a trustee of a national charity and has previously been on boards in social housing, education and a community interest company supporting troubled young people.

Nicola describes herself as a career butterfly and has actively sought new experiences and challenges over the years, constantly broadening her portfolio. She wants to continue her personal and professional development through thiNKnow.

Outside of work Nicola enjoys music and has recently started to learn  to play the flute and is taking singing lessons. She’s enthusiastic but challenged!

Nicola’s success is based on a commitment to her principles and values. These are consistent in her work whether that be with clients, partners, associates or other affiliations. Clients who work with thiNKnow will experience these in the relationship that they have with us and the way in which we undertake our work.

• Fairness is important; we will always be honest and open in our dealings with others.
• It’s really important not only to do the right thing but to also do it in the right way; we will always strive to uphold this.
• No person is more or less valuable than another; we will act in ways that recognise this and we will challenge discrimination and injustice.
• We know from experience that success is more likely when people collaborate rather than compete or act in isolation. We consider our contracts with clients to be collaborative relationships and we also collaborate with others to benefit our clients. We support others to achieve their goals in addition to inviting them to support us.
• A happy client is what we seek. We will help you, from the outside-in, to achieve your goal.