Digital Leadership • Transformation • Health Informatics
Ben Sewell
Chief Digital Information Officer
Transformational Change Leader
Executive digital and technology leader with over 20 years' experience delivering enterprise-wide transformation across healthcare, local government and the charity sector.
Executive Profile
Digital, data and technology leadership focused on transformation, outcomes and sustainable change.
Chief Digital Information Officer | Transformational Change Leader
Executive digital and technology leader with over 20 years' experience delivering enterprise-wide transformation across healthcare, local government and the charity sector. Proven track record of leading large-scale digital, data and infrastructure programmes, modernising technology estates, improving customer outcomes and delivering multi-million-pound efficiencies.
Experienced board adviser and SIRO, with expertise spanning governance, cybersecurity, service redesign, information governance, programme delivery, enterprise architecture, data and organisational change.
- Location: South Yorkshire
- Experience: 20+ years
- Leadership: 200 FTE scale
- Current: Health Research Authority
- Programme: National Research Systems
- Membership: CHCIO, CDH-E, FedIP
Selected Impact
Evidence of delivering transformation, efficiency and organisational value.
Sustainability savings
Delivered through digital transformation in public, private and third sector organisations.
Revenue value
Executive sponsor for enterprise CRM transformation and value creation.
Digital Systems Transformation
Electronic Patient Record implementation, National Research Systems Programme, Local Authority and Third Section Systems modernisation.
Datacentre modernisation
Directed major infrastructure and technology estate modernisation.
Hours Saved
Via digital systems integration, shared records and strong business intelligence, predictive analytics and automation.
Leadership scale
Led multidisciplinary digital, data, infrastructure and service operations teams.
Leadership & Expertise
Strategic leadership across digital, technology, data, governance and organisational change.
Strategic Leadership & Governance
Digital strategy, SIRO and cybersecurity, board/member advice, governance and accountability.
Digital & Customer Transformation
Channel shift, user-centred design, public access, service redesign and ITIL v4 service management.
Programme & Financial Delivery
Multi-million-pound budget management, PMO leadership, vendor management and scalable agile delivery.
Data & Business Intelligence
Data warehousing, interoperability, performance frameworks, data governance and evidence-based decision-making.
Architecture & Infrastructure
Enterprise architecture, infrastructure and DevOps, systems consolidation and modernisation.
People & Organisational Change
Large multidisciplinary teams, culture change, operating models and stakeholder engagement.
Professional Experience
A career spanning national transformation, NHS digital leadership, local government and the charity sector.
Programme Manager – National Research Systems Programme
Health Research Authority | March 2025 – Present
- Directing a national digital transformation programme modernising research systems (120 FTE, £19m).
- Leading cross-functional agile teams, strategic programme governance, budget management and stakeholder engagement.
- Driving product development to Government Digital Service standards, digital modernisation, Target Operating Model, service integration and data governance.
- Delivered £200k cost savings and on track to achieve the government target to reduce setup and launch time for commercial clinical trials to under 150 days.
Assistant Director, Data and Systems (CIO)
Versus Arthritis (Arthritis Care UK) | October 2023 – March 2025
- CIO and Executive sponsor for an enterprise-wide data and systems transformation programme (80 FTE, £8m).
- Directed CRM, business intelligence, data governance and digital strategy functions.
- Delivered £5m sustainability efficiency savings and increased income generation.
- Implemented digital governance, change and security controls, disaster recovery and information governance protocols.
- Served as SIRO, advising the CEO, senior leadership team and board on digital and technology enablement.
Head of Informatics & Deputy CDIO
Sheffield Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust | June 2017 – October 2023
- Provided strategic and operational leadership for digital systems/development, strategy, IT operations, performance, information governance and business intelligence.
- Chaired the Information Governance Committee and served as EPR Director (£20m) and Datacentre Project Lead (£6m).
- Directed implementation of ITIL v4 and TOGAF principles, service desk frameworks and automated operations.
- Managed multidisciplinary teams of 120 FTE across software development, network operations, analytics and user support.
Acting Head of ICT Operations / IT Systems & Integration Manager
Sheffield Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust | June 2017 – December 2018
- Developed and delivered the Digital Systems Strategy and Implementation Roadmap.
- Managed infrastructure upgrades, server modernisation and automated maintenance across 60+ high-impact systems.
- Led enterprise data warehouse deployment and integration roadmaps.
Learning & Development Manager & IT Systems Manager
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals | 2011 – 2017
- Implemented a Medical Record system for 500 users and a Learning Management System in a 17k-headcount NHS provider trust.
- Listening into Action Champion; increased mandatory and job-specific training compliance to 90% within six months.
Training Manager
Sheffield City Council | 2009 – 2011
- Led Building Schools for the Future digital workstreams and technology-enhanced learning provision.
Systems & Information Officer / Data Officer / Local Transport Plan Officer
Barnsley Council | 2002 – 2009
- Implemented Adult Social Care and Education Management systems, delivering £500k recurring efficiency savings.
- Implemented systems for Planning and Transportation to improve parking services, traffic management and future highways improvement works.
Qualifications & Professional Membership
Professional credentials supporting digital leadership, health informatics and programme delivery.
Education
Professional Membership
Certifications
Let's connect
Digital leadership. Transformation. Better outcomes.
For executive opportunities, transformation leadership discussions or professional networking, please get in touch.