Sir Julian Hartley joined the Care Quality Commission as Chief Executive in December
2024, with a focus on serving people who use services and working with CQC staff and
stakeholders to deliver high quality regulation and drive improvement across health and
social care.

Sir Julian was previously the Chief Executive of NHS Providers from February 2023 to
November 2024. Prior to leading NHS Providers, he has had a distinguished career as chief
executive of several organisations, including 10 years as Chief Executive of Leeds Teaching
Hospitals NHS Trust, where he led a major programme of culture change and staff
engagement to deliver improved quality, operational and financial performance. In 2019 Sir
Julian was managing director at NHS Improving Quality and was asked to be the executive
lead for the development of the interim NHS People Plan.

He has served as a non-executive director on the board of the Department of Health and
Social Care and is an Honorary Professor of Health Leadership at Leeds University.

In 2022 he was awarded the Knights Bachelor for his services to healthcare in the Queen’s
Birthday Honours