The Care Quality Commission checks whether hospitals, care homes and care services are meeting government standards. Visit our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Our people

Dame Jo Williams

Chair of the Care Quality Commission

Jo was the former Chief Executive, Royal Mencap Society. She is also the former president of the Association of Directors of Social Services and a champion for social care services throughout a career in local government. She has recently been appointed to the Commission on the Funding of Care and Support. She is a trustee of Everychild and the Dartington Hall Trust.

Jo Williams is Chair of the Remuneration Committee (a board sub-committee).

Declaration of Interests

For details of Jo Williams's professional and financial interests that relate to the CQC, download her Declaration of Interests (below).

Dame Jo Williams's Declaration of Interests

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Cynthia Bower

Chief Executive of the Care Quality Commission

Cynthia graduated from Birmingham University and began her professional life in social care. She spent a number of years working with children in a variety of settings and managing social care services for children. She moved to the Health Service in 1995 to work for Birmingham Health Authority, working as Director of Primary Care at the time of the establishment of Primary Care Groups and the first wave of Primary Care Trusts (PCTs).

In 2000 she became Chief Executive of Birmingham Specialist Community Health NHS Trust and in 2002 Chief Executive of South Birmingham PCT.

At that time South Birmingham was the largest PCT in the country, commissioning for almost 400,000 patients and providing a wide range of local, city-wide and regional Services.

In August 2005 she became Managing Director of Birmingham and the Black Country SHA and in July 2006 she became Chief Executive of NHS West Midlands.

In July 2008, Cynthia Bower was appointed Chief Executive of the Care Quality Commission, which took up its duties as the regulator for health and social care on 1 April 2009.