Private Healthcare
Chief Executive of BUPA

Val Gooding is Chief Executive of BUPA, a position she has held since 1998. BUPA is the UK’s leading independent health and care company with interests in health insurance, hospitals, care services for the elderly and mentally infirm, health screening, workplace health, fitness and childcare, as well as healthcare businesses overseas.

BUPA employs 45,000 people and has a turnover of £3.8 billion. BUPA is the UK market leader in health insurance and care of the elderly where it operates 298 homes. It owns and operates a nation-wide network of 26 hospitals.

BUPA has other business activities based in Spain, Ireland, and Saudi Arabia and in several locations in Asia as well as Australia.

Val joined BUPA from British Airways where she held a number of key positions including Director Asia Pacific and Director of Business Units, overseeing BA's subsidiary companies. She also headed up the marketing department and was for three years responsible as Head of Cabin Services for BA's ten thousand cabin crew. She was extensively involved in BA's transformation to a customer led business.

Val is a non-executive director of J Sainsbury plc (since January 2007) and of Standard Chartered Bank plc (since January 2005). She is a member of the Council of Warwick University and of the Advisory Board of the Warwick Business School. She is a Trustee of the British Museum, and a non-executive director of the Lawn Tennis Association.

Val was awarded the CBE for services to business in the 2002 New Year’s Honours list.