Introducing Michelle Ford – Compaid’s new CEO
On 28th May, we will be welcoming our new CEO, Michelle Ford!
Michelle has a wealth of experience and has led organisations that focus on improving services
and supporting people’s wellbeing, which fits perfectly with our mission. We’re excited to see
the direction she’ll take Compaid in.
As we get ready to welcome her, we have asked Michelle a few questions so you can get to know her better.
Here is what she said:
Q: Please could you introduce yourself to everyone?
Michelle: Hi everyone! I’m Michelle Ford, and I’m excited to be joining Compaid as
the new CEO. I’ll be starting at the end of May, and I can’t wait to get to know all of you
and start working together.
Q: What experience do you have with charities, or working in this sector?
Michelle: Well, I am a clinician by background. My career started when I was 18,
when I became a registered nurse, midwife, and health visitor with the NHS. For the past
30 years, I have worked with various health and social care services across Kent,
such as being the Care Director at Hospice in the Weald and Interim CEO of Age UK
North West Kent. Currently, I am the CEO of FCS Talking Therapies.
Q: That’s amazing! From all of your experience in the health and social care
industry, what would you name as your top priority?
Michelle: My priority is the service users and their wellbeing, in and outside of the
services provided.
I am committed to the improvement of support services and am passionate about ensuring
that everyone is supported to reach their maximum potential. I believe everyone can achieve this
and be able to do the things that they want no matter their age or ability.
Q: Compaid’s mission definitely aligns with your values. What are you most looking
forward to as Compaid’s incoming CEO?
Michelle: I am really eager to meet and get to know the service users of Compaid, the passengers
and those who are supported with digital skills training. I want to find out their thoughts and views
on what Compaid delivers and use that insight to see what else we can support them with.
I’m also looking forward to building on the strong foundation that Steve has created during
his year as CEO. The charity has seen significant growth and development under his leadership,
and by working with the passionate teams across the organisation, I’m confident that we can
continue to grow and reach even more service users across Kent.
Q: We are confident that working with you will generate excellent results. To wrap things up,
we’d love to learn a bit more about you—what are some activities or hobbies you enjoy
in your spare time?
Michelle: I enjoy going to the gym and being outside. I’m passionate about fitness, so staying
active is important to me. Besides that, I do some photography too, which also gets me outdoors.
Thank you so much for these answers, Michelle!
We can’t wait to learn more about you and start working with you in the coming weeks.