As is well known across the region, CIPHER Medical constantly strives to provide a high-quality service to all our patients and users and, as such, we are always on the lookout for the best people to supply, lead and oversee our services. It is our pleasure, therefore, to introduce our latest member of #TeamCIPHER: our new Chief Operating Officer, Stuart Green.
Stuart comes to us with a wealth of healthcare and military experience, both in the UK and overseas, having served in the Royal Air Force for twenty-seven years. He has held senior managerial positions in Pre-Hospital Emergency Care, and most recently held the post of Deputy Chief Ambulance Officer and PHC Regional Manager for the Sovereign Areas within Cyprus. It is clear that this level of experience and knowledge makes Stuart an excellent fit with CIPHER Medical and our mission to excel above standards.
Stuart has enjoyed a full, varied and very active career in the forces, deployed in some of the world’s danger zones. He has served in Northern Ireland, undertaking search and rescue duties, and has also seen duty in Iraq, working on Immediate Response Teams (helicopters) in response to seriously injured personnel. He has also served as part of the Critical Care Air Support Teams during Operation Herrick in Afghanistan, transporting the most seriously injured and wounded back to the UK to received definitive care.
The one posting that stays with Stuart beyond all others is South Sudan. Deployed to the country as the Hospital Warrant Officer and Operations Officer in support of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Stuart found this part of the world one of incredible natural beauty: home to vast wetlands, rolling hills, and sprawling savannas teeming with wildlife. However, South Sudan has also been held within the grip of a brutal civil war. It was this mixture of rich natural spectacle and the terrible violence that has caused Stuart’s emotions to be conflicted by his time in the country – it must be difficult to reconcile such natural beauty with the savagery of war and the trauma suffered by so many people. However, willing and able to make a difference, Stuart took the opportunity to work with the United Nations, providing healthcare to a multinational peacekeeping force, during his time there. He speaks highly of “the amazing work that Médecins Sans Frontières do in providing care to thousands of displaced nationals.” Humbled and appreciative of his experiences, he says, “I can only describe it as experiencing the best and worst of what humanity can offer.”
Although not all Stuart’s military experiences have been in danger zones, some of his duties closer to home have carried their own potential hazards. During the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Stuart was responsible for a team which undertook the flag raising as part of the medal ceremonies. “We were doing a ceremony,” Stuart says, “and I marched the flag bearers onto the stage and marched to the rear of the platform.” So far, so good. However, on coming to a halt, Stuart about turned “and caught my foot in some cabling where I then fell from the back of the stage.” Although this could have ended with a nasty injury, it resulted in just a bit of hurt pride: “Thankfully there were only about 3,000 people there to witness this!” says Stuart, cringing still from the memory.
Stuart found that the decision to join CIPHER was an easy one to make as his goals and ethos clearly align with those of the company. Passionate about delivering quality service, Stuart believes strongly in investment in people: get the right people and you can deliver a safe quality service to patients. He says, “I always find that people are what make a place.” Stuart’s own personal work philosophy is one of “an open an honest culture where no problem or issue is insurmountable if we commit to the solution collegiately and with an open mind,” ensuring that the #OneTeam will warmly welcome Stuart as a passionate and like-minded individual. As his long military career will testify, Stuart is no stranger to challenge, and he firmly believes that all challenges can be met “if you are surrounded by well-motivated, trained and adaptable people.” As we all know, CIPHER Medical ticks all those boxes!
Stuart’s own dedication and commitment to duty and to those around him is evident, and he is intensely proud of his long service and achievements in the British forces. However, he equally takes enormous pride in the achievements and success of others, particularly if that success is the result of people working as a team, striving for the same outcome, showing adaptability and mutual support. It’s clear to see Stuart’s personal ethos and philosophy as he repeatedly refers to the value and efforts of others around him, and he modestly states that he has always taken pride in the fact that he “may have been a small part” of a team’s success. Naturally, though, his proudest moments always come from being a father and watching his children make their own way in the world.
Away from the stresses of work and military duties, and, of course, a move to the North East, Stuart does manage to find some time to relax. He is an avid reader of novels, enjoying crime novels mostly, with Tess Gerritsen and Ian Rankin among his favourite authors. A keen science blogger, he also enjoys books by Stephen Hawking, Brian Cox, Andrew Cohen, and Neil deGrasse Tyson. And, if that wasn’t enough, Stuart also enjoys rugby; he’s a spectator rather than a player and is currently looking out for a local team to support – on Teesside he should have plenty of choice! Originally from Manchester, he confesses that he hadn’t really considered the North East an area to settle upon leaving the Air Force, but he is already finding that he has a growing fondness for the place, saying, “I have found the community to be brilliantly welcoming and I look forward to being part of this and making new friends.” He certainly sees his future here, stating that over the next few years, “having settled here, I hope to have made this my home and formed strong ties in the area.” We hope so too, Stuart.
CIPHER Medical CEO, Andy Thomas, says of the company’s latest recruit, “having had the previous pleasure of working with Stuart in my time in the RAF, I know he brings with him a wealth of global health care experience. He will be a huge asset to our team, our people and our patients. Welcome to the team Stuart.”
Finally, when asked what motivates him, what gets him up in the morning and makes him look forward to the day ahead, with typical energy and enthusiasm, Stuart answered, “I am a positive person by nature and look forward rather than backwards. Every day is a new adventure that should be met with an open mind and with each challenge to be embraced.” He may find plenty of challenges to embrace in his new role with CIPHER, and we can safely say that he will be a very welcome addition to our growing #OneTeam. Welcome, Stuart – we’re delighted to have you with us and we look forward to the positive impact you’re sure to make!
