New Sovereign boss promises continued investment

BRADFORD-based not-for-dividend Sovereign Health Care’s chief executive has announced plan to expand the organisation’s customer base and sales team.

Russ Piper, who takes over from outgoing chief executive David Lewis at the end of June, said he wanted to further expand Sovereign’s sales and marketing team to help develop it as a premium and reliable brand.

It recently appointed Carline Cundey as head of marketing and business growth and three additional telesales staff.

“One of our core strengths is our excellent and loyal workforce and I firmly believe the key to company growth is continual investment in every team member’s professional development.”

He said Mr Lewis had done an “incredible job” for more than 20 years and that he was delighted to be taking on the new role.

“David steered the organisation’s transition from the Hospital Fund of Bradford to Sovereign Health Care in 1988,” he said.

“He was also responsible for the biggest donations to health-related concerns in Sovereign’s history – including £227,760 to Yorkshire Air Ambulance and £500,000 to the Bradford Royal Infirmary lecture theatre.”

He continued: “We will of course continue to gift to health-related charities from across the region that fulfil the historical criteria agreed by the Charitable Trust.”

Sovereign exists solely for the benefit of its customers, business partners and the community and provides healthcare cash plans to more than 1,000 companies nationwide and in excess of 70,000 customers.

It was founded in 1873 as a local hospital fund and is one of the UK’s leading providers of healthcare cash plans in the UK.