Health Shield has appointed David Maddison as its new chairman, as David Allen steps down after 25 years’ service with the friendly society.
Maddison was previously deputy chief executive and managing director of RPMI Ltd, the executive arm of the railways pension trustee company, looking after railway workers’ pension arrangements. He brings over 30 years’ operational and strategic experience to Health Shield, which was originally established over 140 years ago to meet the everyday healthcare needs of railway workers in Crewe.
Maddison has worked with Health Shield in a non-executive capacity for the past few years, providing support during various company acquisitions and in the development of the society’s new wellbeing offer, including workplace health screening, occupational health and employee assistance programmes.
Maddison says: “I have great respect for the outgoing chairman David Allen and I was honoured to be chosen.
“Health Shield represents the perfect cultural fit for me after working for RPMI. Both are mutuals and therefore have a strong social purpose as well as a commercial purpose. This is what drew me to the society in the first place, along with the fact that it knows where it’s heading by moving into the wider health and wellbeing space, yet staying true to its mutual society ethos and investing in those that really matter – its current and future customers, clients and employees.
“Health Shield is currently undergoing a major digital transformation, something that I have also been through at RPMI. I’ve had the pleasure of lending my experience here, along with drawing upon my leadership experience.”
Health Shield CEO Courtney Marsh says: “It’s fantastic to have David officially on board. He shares our commitment to mutuality. He’s also strongly supportive of our direction of travel, having worked with us for some time now. He’s already provided invaluable expertise at a time when the society is designing and developing a new vision and strategic direction, underpinned by the digital transformation. The announcement of his appointment coincides with the culmination of that work, as we reveal next month how we intend to help more employees lead happier, healthier and more productive lives and more businesses – of all sizes – to be in the best of health.
“In the meantime, we want to thank our outgoing chairman David Allen for all his hard work and support over a period of unprecedented success for the society. In his time as Chairman, the society introduced many market first products and benefits and David always encouraged the team to grow and develop the society while fully understanding its mutual ethos.”
