Our Kind Care Management Team

James Tugendhat

Chief Executive

James joined as Chief Executive in September 2020; he cites one of the key reasons for joining was HC-One’s commitment to being the Kind Care Company. He is working with the team to foster a culture that actively encourages simple kindness in everything we do, and to deliver the company’s ambitious mission of being the ‘first choice’ care home, for Residents, Relatives and Colleagues in every community served.

James has worked across a wide range of sectors, having started his career in consumer and financial services, before holding leadership roles in healthcare and the broader care sector. Most recently, he led the European and international division of US-based Bright Horizons. Prior to that, he spent a number of years with Bupa where he worked across several parts of the group, including leading Bupa’s NHS commissioning effort. He has also been President and CEO of Boston-based Health Dialog, a ground-breaking health analytics and disease management business acquired by Bupa. James is also Non-Executive Director of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.

David Smith

Chief Financial Officer

David has been part of HC-One since the company’s inception in 2011; as Chief Financial Officer he has held a prominent role in all HC-One’s acquisitions and re-financings as well as being a key part in the company’s ever-increasing financial resilience.

David is a charted accountant with a degree in physics and over ten years’ experience in the care sector. He has a wealth of financial expertise from a number of senior finance positions and working for Price Waterhouse Cooper in the UK, United States and Middle East.

Stephen Butterworth

Executive Director - Operations

Having started his career in manufacturing, Stephen transitioned to the care sector to become part of an industry that makes a real difference to people’s lives every single day. Stephen has taken the lead on many high-profile projects since joining HC-One in 2012 and believes that in order to deliver the kindest possible care, you must be considerate, genuine and friendly; qualities that he adopts in every decision he makes.

As Executive Director for Operations, Stephen supports all our homes and domiciliary care services, as well as leading our company vision to be the first choice for all Colleagues, families, and commissioners. While being a dedicated football fan and Middlesbrough Football Club season ticket holder, Stephen is first and foremost a family man and is happiest when spending quality time with his loved ones.

James Ilesanmi

Managing Director - London and South East England

After beginning his career as a Care Assistant more than 20 years ago, James progressed to director level with a fellow care provider and obtained vital first-hand experience and knowledge of the care sector, prior to joining HC-One as a Managing Director in May 2019. In his role, James is responsible for the quality, regulatory compliance and performance of HC-One’s care homes in London and South East England, ensuring we provide the kindest possible care, and subsequently a high quality of life, to our Residents.

To James, kindness is achieved by ‘being the change you wish to see in the world’, a concept which he extends to all Colleagues and Residents he works with at HC-One. He believes that happiness is the key to a good life. In his spare time, James is passionate about continuously enhancing his knowledge, with reading being his favourite pastime.

Liz Whyte

Director of Standards and COVID 19 lead

Liz Whyte is a Registered Nurse with over 30 years’ experience working at many different levels in the Care Home industry. Liz began her career with Ashbourne Senior Living as a Nurse, so fully understands the daily delivery of high-quality care.

Liz is passionate about the care of older people and has a proven track record in turnaround of services, delivering on both quality and financial results.

Rachael Junge

Managing Director - Lincolnshire, Sheffield and North West England

Rachael has worked in the care sector from a young age and is passionate about helping older people to live a very good life. After completing work experience at Secondary school, Rachael felt a natural calling to help people and she therefore started her career as a care assistant, working her way up both the academic and career ladder before joining the HC-One family in 2018.

As Managing Director, Rachael leads our homes in Lincolnshire, Sheffield and North West England to achieve the best possible outcomes for Residents and their loved ones, by regulating compliance, empowering her team and building performance within each home. Kindness is at the heart of every decision Rachael makes, which has helped to build the foundation of her management technique. She believes that even the smallest acts of kindness can make the biggest difference and supports Residents and her team to follow their dreams in any way she can.

John Kirk

Managing Director - Scotland

After starting his career in financial services, John is of the opinion that fate brought him to the care sector, as he cannot imagine doing anything else now. As Managing Director, John leads and inspires our teams in HC-One care homes across Scotland. He believes that kind care is treating people the way you would like to be treated, with a warm smile and willingness to help anyone in need.

John is dedicated to upholding our reputation as the most inclusive and supportive care provider in the country. His HC-One name badge says: ‘Teribus and Corriechollie’, as they were the first two tunes he learned to play on the bagpipes aged seven.

Ruth Yates

Managing Director - North West, Wales & South West England

Ruth is a Registered Nurse with almost thirty years’ experience in the care sector; in her role as Managing Director she is responsible for optimising the strategic and operational performance for care homes in her portfolio.

Ruth has dedicated her life to supporting others and has held numerous positions within hospitals and care homes including working as a Home Manager for six years prior to transitioning to operational roles.

Karen Johnson

Clinical Director and Chief Nurse

Karen trained at Fife College of Nursing and Midwifery and has been privileged to support people as a carer, nurse, manager and now as clinical director and chief nurse to our care homes. Prior to joining HC-One, Karen worked at Southern Cross.

She is a practicing registered nurse and has worked in care homes for more than 20 years.

Gary Reed

Property Director

Since joining the care sector more than 16 years ago, having worked with two other major care home groups before joining HC-One, Gary’s focus is to deliver world-class estate management services to our care homes across the UK. To Gary, kind care is considering the needs of the home before anything else, even in challenging situations, and he instils this into his team.

Gary is motivated by his desire to provide the safest possible environment for Residents, Colleagues and Visitors, ensuring that all HC-One care homes are compliant, functional and safe, that the business begins its journey to Net Carbon Zero, and that refurbishments and other projects are delivered through professional and sensitive project management. His HC-One name badge says: ‘Loves to travel’, as Gary enjoys experiencing new places and cultures, as well as scuba diving, cooking and going for long walks with his family and dog, finishing off in a nice pub.

HC-One is proud to introduce some of our leadership team, The Kind Care Company leadership team share a wealth of experience in health and social care having worked in senior roles with independent care sector providers.