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Refl ecting back, what qualities do you think led to your success?
Networking - luckily this comes fairly easily to me. From an early age I made sure I was clued up on job interviews by seeking the views of incumbents and other relevant people. I have accumulated over 2000 LinkedIn contacts and keep up with friends, colleagues and associates, either in person, by phone or email.
Having a good mentor really helps – someone who supports and pushes you on your journey.
Leadership style - I pride myself on being accessible and have a good relationship with working teams, which enables me to bring out the best in people. But as an extrovert I need to check in at times to make sure that we are all on the same page.
What is it like to be a senior woman in healthcare?
Once I attained senior positions, I started to notice the lack of female peers. There were relatively few female hospital CEOs ten years ago and there is still no female CEO of a major life sciences company and few Board members, so we have a long way to go. Gender diversity is a major issue and we’re losing too many good women from the sector. We (KPMG) actively support the HBA (Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association) and are corporate partners in the US and Europe.
What is the most important issue in healthcare?
Patient activation is the single most important issue in healthcare. We’re still mired in the old ways of patronising patients and making decisions
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People need to be encouraged to step up, take responsibility for their own health and actively participate in care
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for them. People need to be encouraged to step up, take responsibility for their own health and actively participate in care.
What is your biggest frustration?
There aren’t enough hours in the day. Twenty-six would be ideal to allow me to keep up my current lifestyle and get just a little more sleep.
What is your biggest achievement?
My biggest achievement has been bringing up two well-balanced daughters. I’m pleased that they are able to pick up on and address everyday sexism, but disappointed that it still exists.
What was the last book you read and why?
The last book I read was My Struggle by the Norwegian writer Karl Ove Knausgaard. I’m now on the second volume and remain fascinated by his ability to make mundane domestic situations so compelling.
Hilary advises on all clinical matters, keeping abreast on new developments, and networking across public and private sector health organisations, the life sciences industry, regulators and government.
Hilary combines her understanding of the changing health landscape with the strength and depth of KPMG’s global capabilities to bring innovative solutions to help our clients solve their most challenging issues across the entire health eco-system.
To fi nd out more, please contact: Prof Hilary Thomas
Chief Medical Adviser KPMG in the UK
+44 (0)20 7311 4154
hilary.thomas@
kpmg.co.uk
HILARY THOMAS
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