Dean Royles' Profile

Dean Royles has been a highly regarded, leading figure in Human Resources (HR) within the NHS for nearly two decades. He now works independently and provides strategic advice and leadership development to organisations and boards. He is President of the HPMA. Former Chief Executive of NHS Employers, Dean joined Leeds Teaching Hospitals in 2014 as Executive Director of HR and OD. Leeds is one of the largest Trusts in the country employing over 18000 staff. Other notable positions have included Director of Workforce and Education at NHS North-West and Deputy Director of Workforce for the NHS in England at the Department of Health. He started his career working in a local authority.

Dean has an MSc in Human Resources and is a member of Sheffield Business School’s Advisory Board. He is former national Chair of the Board of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and was awarded Companionship of the CIPD in 2015. He has an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Bradford for his contribution to health services management.

He is a regular conference speaker, published in a number of journals, on the editorial board of HRMJ and the International Journal of Human Resources Development, a social media advocate and provides expert opinion in the national media. His easy style, expertise and high energy approach to HR ensured he was voted UK’s Most Influential HR Practitioner three years running. His book, with Oxford University Press on Human Resource Management was published in February 2018.

Dean chairs the Workforce, Organisation and Development Board sub-committee. Dean also attends the Quality Committee, Finance & Investment, Mental Health Legislation Committee and Remuneration & Nomination Committees which are Board Sub-Committees

Dean is also the Trust lead as the Wellbeing Guardian, Freedom to Speak Up (FTSU) Non-Executive Director champion and Doctors’ Disciplinary Non-Executive Director champion/independent member.