Our board

Lara Mott is the CEO and Co-founder of ImproveWell; the award-winning, real-time feedback solution for improvement and everyday innovation in the NHS. With an impressive array of experience in healthcare private equity, biotechnology and life sciences consulting businesses, Lara has a genuine passion for tackling key issues facing the NHS and other healthcare systems around the world. She co-founded ImproveWell in 2016 to empower frontline healthcare professionals to drive change. In November 2017 Lara was named a “rising star” among the top 50 female leaders in UK healthcare. In 2019, Lara was a finalist for ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ at the ‘Women in IT’ and Inclusive Tech Alliance Awards and became the British Medical Journal’s first Entrepreneur in Residence. ImproveWell has been nominated for several awards, such as the Nursing Time’s Workforce Summit’s 2023 Retention Shortlist and Health Service Journal’s ‘Workforce and Wellbeing Initiative of the Year’, while also winning ‘Major Project Go Live’ award at HTN’s Health Tech Awards and ‘Digital Solution of the Year’ in the Integrated Health Awards 2023. Lara holds a first class degree in Pharmacology from Bristol University where she was awarded the Hans Heller Memorial Prize for outstanding performance.

Dr Na’eem Ahmed BEM FRCR FRCP is a consultant radiologist, medtech and NGO founder, and health policy researcher.
In 2008, Na’eem founded Selfless, a non-governmental organisation working in Bangladesh, which supports healthcare delivery and global health leadership development through ‘skillanthropy’ in low-income settings.
In 2016, Na’eem noticed his colleagues on the frontline had the best ideas for improving an overstretched NHS, and his idea for a frontline feedback and quality improvement smartphone app went on to become ImproveWell.
Na’eem has held several health policy advisory roles including Senior Clinical Fellow to the NHS National Medical Director, Policy Advisor to the Secretary of State for International Development, Advisor to the former Chief Executive of the NHS, Sir Simon Stevens, and Senior Clinical and Policy Advisor to the Department of Health and Social Care, UK.
His most notable healthcare role was Director of Workforce Supply, Safety, Modelling, Oversight and Deployment, and NHS Staff COVID-19 vaccinations at NHS England during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing assurance on the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine for NHS staff and overseeing the NHS’s response to workforce challenges prompted by the pandemic.

John brings a wealth of technical expertise to ImproveWell with more than 20 years of experience in software development and product management. Most recently, he was Chief Operating Officer of ag-Grid, a fast-growing UK-based technology company, where he led the growth and support of a global customer portfolio and significantly expanded business operations. John holds a BSc in Economics and Finance from University College, Dublin.

Nicola McQueen was appointed as CEO of NHS Professionals, the largest temporary staff supplier to the National Health Service, in September 2019; she had joined NHS Professionals as interim COO in January 2019. She is passionate about workforce business issues, having spent the past 20 years supporting and creating effective staffing strategies across both the private and public sectors. McQueen is also CEO of Doctors Direct, the locum service from NHS Professionals. Most recently, she led NHS Professionals through the coronavirus pandemic, successfully attracting tens of thousands of healthcare professionals into the NHS.

Jason is a technologist with a 25-year track record, holding several leadership and board positions for both privately owned and publicly listed organisations. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Forge Technologies, a digital IT services business focusing on three technology pillars: future workplace, cloud optimisation and network transformation. Prior to this, Jason was Executive Director at Ocean Intelligent Communications, an IT managed services provider with a focus on cloud services, for seven years resulting in an acquisition by digital transformation company, CANCOM, in 2018. Jason previously spent 16 years with Bistech Group plc, the IT services provider, holding a variety of senior roles rising to Sales Director and member of the Executive Board.

Bernardus is a qualified finance professional with over 20 years of dedicated and results-orientated experience, providing strategic direction, financial management and advisory services to a variety of organisations from corporate to owner founders, start-ups and PE/VC backed businesses. He has a proven track record in fast growing tech, SaaS and digital environments with extensive experience in managing Finance teams, HR and operational functions associated with start-up and fast-growing businesses. In addition to being a qualified accountant Bernardus holds an honours degree in finance from the University of Pretoria.