Speaker / Maria Wheeler

Maria Joined the NHS in 2001 and qualifying as an accountant in 2004, Maria spent her first 9 years at East and North Herts NHS Trust, before undertaking a wide range of roles within the NHS, including Chief Finance Officer at West Norfolk Clinical Commissioning Group, Thurrock Clinical Commissioning Group and Executive Director of Finance and Estates at Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. Maria is currently Chief Finance Officer at Queen Victoria Hospital in Sussex.

Maria is passionate about the inclusion agenda, plays an active role in Staff Networks across the East of England Region. As well as the Chair of the LGBTQ+ Rainbow network for the East of England, she also chairs the National One Finance LGBTQ+ network, and is the executive sponsor for the QVH staff network. She believes we need to build an environment where everyone can feel comfortable coming to work as their true selves.