Prerana Issar is the first NHS Chief People Officer.
Since joining the NHS in April 2019, Prerana has created and published the first ever NHS People Plan, covering 1.4 million staff. The aim of the People Plan is to “to have more people, working differently, in a compassionate and inclusive culture”, to help deliver the NHS long term plan. Since March 2020, Prerana has led the national workforce function for the Covid-19 response for the NHS.
Prior to joining the NHS Prerana was Director for Public-Private Partnerships at the United Nations and prior to that she was the Chief Human Resources Officer for the United Nations World Food Programme (she is very proud her ex-colleagues were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2020). During this time Prerana led the development of the United Nation's first strategic human capital approach, as well as the reform of many key policies. Her work took her to many of the world’s war zones and areas of conflict, as she does her work in service of the front line.
Before the United Nations, Prerana worked for over 15 years at Unilever Plc, starting with them in India and then for several years was in global roles at Unilever's headquarters in London. Her last role in Unilever was Vice-President HR for the Global Foods business.
Prerana gets her strong service ethos from her parents who were both in the Indian Administrative Service in the Government of India for close to 40 years. A proud mother to a teenage son and daughter, she says they keep her grounded with timely performance feedback on a variety of topics. One of the happiest days of her life was when her daughter was born at the Royal Free hospital in London, giving her first-hand experience of the NHS staff who every day deliver outstanding care to patients.