Professional Services Conference
About this Event
Everyday Impact: The Power of Professional Services: A day of connection, collaboration and celebration. With keynote speakers, workshops, networking, discussions and more, this is an event celebrating all things Professional Services at the University of Chester.
We are delighted to welcome two amazing keynote speakers to the event this year:
Jane Tomkinson OBE
Chief Executive Officer, Countess of Chester Hospital
Jane Tomkinson OBE is Chief Executive Officer of the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. She first joined the Trust as Acting Chief Executive in December 2022, before being appointed to the substantive role in February 2024. Alongside this, she has also provided senior leadership support to Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, where she served as Chief Executive for over a decade.
Jane has worked in the NHS since 1990 and has held a number of senior executive roles during that time. Earlier in her career, she was Director of Finance at the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, where she was recognised as Finance Director of the Year by the Healthcare Financial Management Association. She later held a senior finance leadership role at the North of England Strategic Health Authority.
In recognition of her significant contribution to NHS finance, Jane was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours in 2016. In addition to her executive role, she chairs the North West Coast Clinical Research Network and is an independent governor at Liverpool John Moores University.
Jane is also a Governor of the University of Chester. As part of her keynote, she will reflect on recognising when change is needed, maintaining a future-focused approach, and leading with strong values, integrity, and a commitment to excellent service.
Jacqueline Devonish
His Majesty’s Senior Coroner for Cheshire
Jacqueline Devonish is His Majesty’s Senior Coroner for Cheshire, with a distinguished career spanning law, public service, and the judiciary. She began her professional journey with a business studies background before converting to law and qualifying as a solicitor in 1991, practising in civil litigation, family law, and conveyancing. Early in her career, she became a managing partner in a London law firm, where she established and led a litigation department.
She went on to build extensive experience across both disciplinary and criminal law, including serving for 14 years as a chair of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and working as a criminal prosecutor for a government agency. She was appointed as an assistant coroner in 2011, combining her expertise in legal analysis with leadership of complex cases and hearings.
In her role as Senior Coroner, Jacqueline leads investigations and inquests to establish the circumstances of a death, with a focus on understanding what has happened and identifying lessons that may help prevent future deaths. Her approach is widely recognised for its professionalism, clarity, and commitment to public service.
Jacqueline received an honorary Doctor of Laws (DLaws) from the University of Chester in 2025 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the county of Cheshire. As part of her keynote, she will share her perspectives on leadership, improvement, and the role of values in driving effective and meaningful change.
The event will comprise keynotes, in conversations, networking (with optional quiet space), development opportunities, info stands and more! We will also have a range of workshops and informal round table discussions to choose from, topics including:
- Coaching
- Making the most of development opportunities
- Enhancing use of technology (Power BI, Adobe Creative and JISC Discovery tool)
- Resilience
- Conference updates
- Apprenticeship successes and their impact
- Kindness
Agenda
🕑: 09:15 AM - 09:30 AM
Arrival and networking
🕑: 09:30 AM - 09:45 AM
SET Welcome to the day
🕑: 09:45 AM - 10:05 AM
Keynote: His Majesty’s Senior Coroner for Cheshire, Jacqueline Devonish
🕑: 10:05 AM - 10:25 AM
Keynote: Chief Executive Officer of the Countess of Chester Hospital, Jane Tom
🕑: 10:25 AM - 11:00 AM
Dr Helen Galbraith in conversation with Jacqueline Devonish and Jane Tomkinson
🕑: 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Break
🕑: 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Small Group networking (with optional quiet space/s)
🕑: 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
What AHEP can do for you - Amanda Owen-Meehan, AHEP Consulting
🕑: 12:30 PM - 01:30 AM
Lunch and networking
🕑: 01:30 PM - 02:00 PM
Round table discussions
🕑: 02:30 PM - 03:30 PM
Workshops
🕑: 03:30 PM - 04:00 PM
Celebration of the day
🕑: 04:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Close
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 0.00
