Following the decision of current Devon Air Ambulance chief executive Heléna Holt to step down in the New Year after her 17 years of stewardship, the board has appointed Greg Allen to lead the UK aeromedical charity.

Allen is an experienced CEO, chair, non-executive director/trustee and advisor, with a career of over 30 years. His board and consultancy roles have spanned the commercial, public, third and academic sectors, in addition to his experience as a senior civil servant. He has spent the last 20 years in board and executive roles across the health and care sector in the UK and internationally.

Allen has overseen a range of operational medical and clinical services as well as research and policy initiatives linking business, startups, national policymakers and academia in the UK and overseas. He is also a Professor of Practice at the Exeter University Business School, and he is currently the interim chief executive of the national Point of Care Foundation and a board trustee of the national Shaw Trust.

Chairman of the Devon Air Ambulance board of trustees, Will Matthewman, comments that in addition to his impressive credentials, Allen will provide the perfect personality for the direction the organisation is currently heading: “There was a unanimous sense from the board and staff members involved in the interview process that Greg was the person we needed to lead the next chapter for Devon Air Ambulance and I am delighted that he has accepted the appointment. There are some exciting challenges ahead of us, and we need to ensure we’re in the best position to grow and develop our services for our patients, families and communities. We look forward to welcoming Greg to Devon Air Ambulance and working with him to help us continue to deliver critical care and lifesaving treatment to the people in Devon and beyond.”

Matthewman adds that Holt’s leadership has steered the charity through a period of enormous transformation and growth and has been instrumental in developing its iconic reputation and status across the county and nationally: “I know our board, staff, supporters and partners will join me in paying tribute to Heléna for her incredible legacy to Devon Air Ambulance, its patients, families and communities. When she joined DAA in 2007, we were deployed to 1,580 missions, employed 28 people and had an income of £4.9 million. Last year, we carried out 2,226 missions with around 158 staff, and our income has grown to more than £10 million.

“In 2019 we became the UK’s first fully independent air ambulance, with responsibility for all aspects of aviation and clinical delivery, receiving an ‘outstanding’ rating from the Care Quality Commission on our first inspection.

“Heléna has also overseen the introduction of doctors on board and enhanced the clinical skills and knowledge of our team of specialist and advanced paramedics to ensure patients in Devon are now receiving expert, hospital-level care in their time of need. These outstanding achievements are testament to her passion and commitment, and she will leave Devon Air Ambulance in a very good place for the new chief executive to take over.”