The client
Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and Barts Health NHS Trust – a leading academic and clinical partnership serving one of the UK’s most diverse urban populations.
The role
Three Professorial Chairs for the Academic Centre for Healthy Ageing (ACHA)
The brief
Veredus was engaged to appoint three world-class Professors to lead the newly established Academic Centre for Healthy Ageing (ACHA), a £6.6 million initiative funded by Barts Charity. Each role would head one of the Centre’s core research themes – Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Cognition & Mental Health, and play a critical role in translating research into improved clinical outcomes for older adults. The client sought senior academic leaders with an outstanding track record of interdisciplinary research, healthcare impact, and the ability to shape ACHA’s long-term strategy from inception.
The process
Veredus delivered a comprehensive international executive search campaign, tailored to the distinct academic and clinical context of ACHA. We began by facilitating detailed scoping discussions with leadership at QMUL and Barts Health to clarify the strategic ambitions of the Centre, define each professorial role, and shape a compelling candidate proposition. This co-created briefing formed the foundation of our targeted outreach.
We then activated our global network to identify senior academics and clinician-researchers with expertise in ageing, orthopaedics, dementia, and rehabilitation. Our campaign focused on individuals with a demonstrated track record of driving research into policy and practice, with experience in securing significant grant funding and publishing in leading journals such as The Lancet, Nature, and New England Journal of Medicine.
The search strategy blended:
• Direct headhunting across top-tier UK and international institutions
• Advertising on sector-leading platforms and social media
• Engagement with specialist academic and clinical networks
• Inclusive sourcing practices to broaden reach and encourage applications from underrepresented groups
We assessed potential candidates against clear leadership criteria, including academic profile, strategic alignment, collaborative ethos, and capacity to contribute to ACHA’s translational mission. Shortlisted individuals progressed through a rigorous selection process, including psychometric assessments conducted by Veredus. Our in-house psychologist provided bespoke assessment reports for each finalist, offering the panel targeted insights into leadership style, interpersonal dynamics, and organisational fit to support robust, evidence-based decision making.
Throughout, we maintained close communication with the client, provided regular market insight, and supported candidate engagement to ensure alignment and momentum at every stage.
The results:
Three internationally recognised Professors were appointed:
• Professor Adam Gordon, MBE, President of the British Geriatrics Society, to lead Rehabilitation.
• Professor Liz Sampson, a globally respected authority on dementia and cognitive frailty, to lead Cognition & Mental Health.
• Professor Hamish Simpson, FRSE, incoming President of the International Combined Orthopaedic Research Societies, to lead Prevention.
Each brings a proven ability to drive innovation and influence national and international health policy. Their appointments have helped establish ACHA as a leading hub for ageing research, bringing immediate momentum to its mission of transforming care for older adults through world-class, translational research.
Take-aways:
• Veredus’s global network and tailored strategy enabled the appointment of high-profile academic leaders aligned to a unique clinical-academic vision.
• Deep collaboration with academic and NHS partners ensured alignment across organisational priorities.
• Diversity and inclusion were embedded throughout the search, supporting equitable access and broad engagement.
• The campaign demonstrates Veredus’s strength in delivering complex, multi-role academic searches that drive sector-leading innovation and impact.
Veredus is proud to support clients building bold, future-facing academic initiatives that change lives.
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