After a variety of clinical, management and director posts, she was appointed as Chief Executive of University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) in 2006. She was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire in the New Year’s Honours 2012. In 2013, she was awarded an Honorary Chair at Warwick University, was included in the BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour list of the 100 most powerful women in the UK and was included in the HSJ lists of the most influential leaders and in 2014 as one of the top ten CEOs. She has Honorary Doctorates from the University of Birmingham and Birmingham City University.