Roland Sinker

Chair of the Inclusive Innovation and Growth Review
University of Cambridge

Roland is the Chair of the Inclusive Innovation and Growth Review for the University of Cambridge, considering actions to improve innovation and growth across all sectors in the Cambridge ecosystem and beyond.

Roland served as Chief Executive Officer of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for ten years from 2015 to 2025. The Trust is a high performing centre for clinical care, running the UK's most digitally developed hospitals; and a co-leader of Europe's largest life sciences cluster on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. From 2018 to 2021, he was the accountable officer for the integrated care system in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. The integrated care system and the hospital trust are focused on innovation and improvement, working alongside universities and industry to deliver this. Aligned with these roles, Roland chaired the Shelford Group of 10 teaching hospitals from 2020–2023; and in March 2023 was appointed as the NHS England National Director for Life Sciences. This position worked alongside the Innovation, Research and Life Sciences (IRLS) team in NHSE to engage national innovation partners, local systems, industry, and research charities to develop a clear blueprint for how the NHS can best support, and benefit from, a strong life sciences ecosystem. During March 2023 Roland became a Governor of The Health Foundation, focused on innovation and life sciences.