South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb) is pleased to announce the appointment of two new Independent Non-Executive Directors.

Suzanne O’Brien and Peter Schild begin their three-year terms on 9 June 2025.

Suzanne is an experienced non-executive director with extensive senior leadership experience. She is a qualified accountant and tax consultant with more than 30 years’ experience in business, primarily financial services.

Peter’s most recent full-time role was as Chief Financial Officer at the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, an arm’s length body of the Department for Education, a position he held for four years.

As a non-executive director at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust, Suzanne chairs the finance and performance committee and is chair of the Fifth Trust, a Kent-based charity supporting adults with learning disabilities. Suzanne is also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and lectures part-time at Canterbury Christ Church University. In her new SECAmb role she will chair the Finance and Investment Committee.

Peter has enjoyed a long financial and audit career that began at J Sainsbury plc, where he qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant. He moved to BT plc where he held various senior financial management roles, before joining the Department for Work and Pensions as Deputy Finance Director responsible for finance, audit and security.

He was promoted to Finance Director in HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), where he held numerous financial directorships including audit, assurance and security. Since October 2023, Peter has been a non-executive director and deputy chair for the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB). At SECAmb, Peter will chair the Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee.

SECAmb Chair, Michael Whitehouse said: “I’d like to warmly welcome Suzanne and Peter to SECAmb and look forward to working closely with them both.

“They each bring significant experience to their roles and I know the knowledge and skills they have developed throughout their careers will bring real value to SECAmb.”

Suzanne said: "I’m honoured to be joining SECAmb, which plays a vital role in delivering urgent and emergency care across an extensive geographic region. I’m also excited to support the Trust’s commitment to valuing our teams, and to saving lives. I look forward to working with colleagues to ensure our financial decisions continue to enable high-quality care for the communities we serve."

Peter said: “I am looking forward to joining SECAmb and to chairing the Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee. I look forward to being able to contribute to the future of SECAmb, as it continues to transform services, strengthen public confidence, and improve outcomes for the diverse communities it services.”