Leading the way

The untimely passing of our former president Tony Whitfield is an absolute tragedy, not only and most obviously for his family, but also for the HFMA. His enthusiasm and energy for our agenda was unrivalled. At 61, he leaves us at a relatively young age, but he has left his mark indelibly on us. I, for one, will never forget him.

Tony was, in a sense, similar to many of us ‘working class boys and girls’ (to use one of his phrases). From a solidly working class background, his first big break was passing the 11 plus and attending Altrincham Grammar School – a big deal in those days. My uncle did a similar thing in Birmingham and my grandmother had to go back to work just to pay for the uniform and other ‘essentials’.

Tony’s life was full of examples of him taking opportunities, first to qualify as an accountant then to be a director of finance. He led the finance teams at three trusts in his NHS career and became president of his professional body and an OBE to boot!

But the bare facts of Tony’s career don’t sum him up. Tony’s energy and creativity meant he became a national NHS treasure, a go-to person, always there to be consulted. At the very end of his life, before Christmas, I travelled to the hospice in Warrington to see him. I spent a wonderful three hours there. He was keen to learn about the annual conference, which he had missed for the first time since becoming a finance director. He was annoyed that a back injury had prevented him from hearing Bill Gregory’s speech, as he had encouraged him to get involved in HFMA many years before. 

I told Tony about the opening panel session, when René Carayol interviewed three prominent role models on the wider subject of diversity. I talked about the concept of ‘imposter syndrome’, about which NHS Improvement’s Elizabeth O’Mahony spoke so elegantly. That’s where, in the middle of doing something, you suddenly ask: how did I get in this job and is this really me? I certainly recognised this feeling and Tony did too. We agreed it was the result of being brought up with expectations low.

Our new president’s theme of Value the opportunity hits this nail firmly on the head. Many of us will not have had a ready packaged career laid out ahead of us. However, the system – through work and our association – offers us opportunities we must take. And it is by grabbing hold of these chances and pushing hard into them that we can achieve real success. 

The aspiring finance directors programme, run by FFF, has provided opportunities for our future finance leaders. And our excellent suite of qualifications and other professional development opportunities are also helping people become the best they can be.

As a member of our Quality Assurance Committee, Tony argued strongly for the HFMA to enter the qualifications arena. Hard work took him from being a working class boy in Warrington to one of the most respected finance directors in the NHS. We should all follow in his footsteps and value the opportunity.