Public Appointments case study: Farzana Mohammed

Farzana is a pharmacist who has worked in a roles in primary, secondary and urgent care across NHS Wales. She has also played a role in developing the skills of the pharmacy workforce with Health Education Improvement Wales.

Farzana became a member of board member of the Life Science Hub Wales as part of a shadowing opportunity which has now concluded. She wanted to gain Non Executive Director (NED) experience to improve the representation of ethnic minority women and in turn increase the diversity of thought at board level. Following this opportunity Farzana applied to join Pharmacy: Delivering a Healthier Wales (PDaHW) board and secured a position on the Developing The Pharmacy Workforce working group.

Farzana said:

“I applied for the role on the board because I am committed to championing the voice of ethnic minority communities and wanted to ensure they receive services tailored to their specific needs. 

By advocating for these communities, I wanted to ensure that their unique circumstances are considered in policy and strategy development, leading to more effective and equitable outcomes.”

Her experience as a board member with Life Science Hub Wales has been incredibly rewarding. She received a warm welcome from the organisation and the other board members made me feel valued and included. 

She was encouraged to actively participate, check and challenge and provide positive scrutiny in her areas of expertise. She also received mentoring from the chair of the board and felt that her voice was heard and contributions were appreciated. 

The experience of being a board member has not only allowed her to grow professionally but also to contribute positively to the organisation's mission and to help deliver equity of access to innovation

Farzana added:

“If you want to experience the benefits of board membership, including personal growth, professional development, and the satisfaction of making a meaningful impact then I encourage you to apply to become a board member.”