Sam is the Chief Executive Officer of LifeArc - an innovative not-for-profit which convenes and collaborates to turn science into impact for patients with rare conditions. Prior to this she was the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Francis Crick Institute - a world-leading biomedical research organisation which she joined from a career in the NHS as a noted healthcare leader. Sam was CEO of the Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and before that, established and led the South Devon and Torbay CCG. Sam was a past National Advisory Council Member of the King's Fund. She is a Non-Executive Director of Assura plc and York Health Economics Consortium and sits on the innovation advisory board of British Land. She was awarded the CBE in 2014 for services to healthcare.