Meet our new team of Directors

Aqua’s Executive team has evolved in recent months, with new appointments and exciting new remits for our Directors. We are pleased to introduce:

• Cath Hill – Director Strategic Finance
• Dr Sonya Wallbank – Director People and Operations
• Stephanie Reid – Director Business

Our team of Directors will help to drive forward our strategy, co-producing true impact to make a tangible difference to patients, colleagues and communities. Working across three areas, our team of Directors channel the expertise at Aqua to deliver real impact:

• Governance, Regulatory and Well-Led
• Leadership and Organisational Development
• Improvement, Productivity, Innovation and Learning

Aqua’s Chief Executive, Dr Susy Cook said:

“2025 is already shaping up to be an exciting year for us and I am thrilled to introduce our new Executive Team. Together, Cath, Sonya and Stephanie will be instrumental in driving our strategy forward as we continue to deliver exceptional support and solutions to our customers across the NHS and beyond.”

An established Director at Aqua, Cath joined in 2013 leading the finance and business systems, and the Advancing Quality (AQ) programme. Now, as Director Strategic Finance, Cath is focused on the governance in the UK and internationally, analytics and evaluation, plus our financial strategy, consultancy and business systems.

“I relish the opportunity to continue to grow the services we offer and the value we provide to the NHS and wider health and care organisations. I am passionate about supporting organisations and individuals to develop their leadership and governance capability to support their regulatory outcomes.”

Sonya is a consultant clinical psychologist and specialises in workforce resilience and restorative approaches to wellbeing. She has worked in Director roles across the health service leading workforce change and improvement programmes at all levels.  As our new Director People and Operations at Aqua, Sonya will bring fresh thinking to Aqua’s ability to partner and build performance cultures focused on continuous improvement. Focusing on our commitment to impact and excellence,  we take our cue from Sonya’s expert steer and insight into how we can continue invigorating and shaping our work for and with our partners.

“It is great to join a team with such a stirling reputation for a range of delivery with the experience of patients and staff at the heart of the design. The knowledge and experience of the team delivering the work is clear to see and I am looking forward to working alongside colleagues to deliver first class improvement across both the NHS and our wider partners.”

Stephanie joined Aqua in 2023 as our Head of Improvement Methodology and Delivery and has recently been appointed as our Director Business. With over 25 years of experience in operational management, finance and transformation within the NHS, Stephanie is looking forward to shaping our business development approach. This means she’ll be strengthening partnerships, growing our consultancy practice, and enhancing relationships with our customers.

“I am delighted to step into the role of Director of Business – it’s a chance to contribute to an organisation that has consistently demonstrated excellence and profound commitment to supporting our customers to deliver high-quality care. The opportunity to work as part of the team at Aqua is inspiring and I’m committed to building on our strong foundations of collaboration and innovation to help shape the next chapter in our journey, unlocking the potential of our team and our partnerships to maximise impact for our customers.”

To find out more about the work that we do at Aqua, get in touch with us here.