David Bennett (consultant)
David Bennett | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 3, 1955 |
| Occupation(s) | Consultant, analyst, public policy specialist |
| Known for | Former Chief Executive and Chair of Monitor (NHS regulator) |
David William Bennett (born 3 August 1955) is a consultant and analyst specializing in public policy, as well as the former Chief Executive of Monitor, the regulatory body overseeing the National Health Service (NHS) in England. He assumed the positions of Chief Executive and Chair in February 2011, having initially served as Interim Chief Executive from March 2010.
Before his tenure at Monitor, Bennett led the Policy Directorate at Number 10 Downing Street between June 2005 and July 2007. His departure coincided with Gordon Brown succeeding Tony Blair as Prime Minister. Prior to his involvement in government, he accumulated two decades of experience at the management consulting firm McKinsey & Company.
In April 2011, Bennett was recognized as the highest-paid individual within the English NHS, earning £282,500. His remuneration continued to rank among the top salaries in the NHS, recorded at £230,000 in 2013 and ranging from £230,000 to £234,999 in 2015. The Health Service Journal identified him as the eighth most influential figure within the English NHS in December 2013.
The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee criticized Bennett’s concurrent roles as Chair and Chief Executive of Monitor from March 2011 until January 2014, citing violations of established corporate governance standards and Monitor’s own recommendations for NHS foundation trusts.
Following the consolidation of Monitor with the NHS Trust Development Authority to form NHS Improvement in 2016, Bennett resigned from his post. Subsequently, in February 2016, he took on the role of chairman at Viapath, a pathology outsourcing firm led by Serco.