Chris Ham took up his post as Chief Executive of The King’s Fund on 6 April 2010.

He has been professor of health policy and management at the University of Birmingham, England, since 1992. From 2000 to 2004 he was seconded to the Department of Health where he was director of the strategy unit, working with Ministers on NHS reform. Chris is the author of 20 books and numerous articles about health policy and management. His work focuses on the use of research evidence to inform policy and management decisions in areas such as health care reform, chronic care, primary care, integrated care, performance improvement and leadership.

Chris has advised the WHO and the World Bank and has served as a consultant to governments in a number of countries. He is a non-executive director of the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust. He is an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London and of the Royal College of General Practitioners, a companion of the Institute of Healthcare Management, a senior associate of the Nuffield Trust, and a visiting professor at the University of Surrey.

In 2004 he was awarded a CBE for his services to the National Health Service.