James Tugendhat

James Tugendhat is the Chief Executive of HC-One, the UK’s largest care home provider, with c.275 homes across England, Wales and Scotland. With over 20 years’ experience in health and care leadership, spent working across several countries, James is committed to leading essential services to deliver the very best care for residents, patients and communities. He is also a non-executive Director of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust and Non-Executive Chair of Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice. James was educated at Oxford University and originally began his career in finance, before branching into consumer services and later health. Prior to HC-One, James ran the international division of US-based Bright Horizons, before which he spent a number of years with Bupa, working across different parts of the group, including Bupa International, running Bupa’s commissioning, and as President and CEO of Health Dialog, a Boston-based health analytics and chronic diseases management pioneer, acquired by Bupa. Soon after James’ appointment as Chief Executive of HC-One in 2020, he led HC-One’s £540 million refinancing deal with Welltower, enhancing the organisation’s long-term financial stability and ability to invest in its services and people.

James is overseeing HC-One’s ongoing investment programme of over £263 million into the Kind Care Company’s workforce, home environments, innovation and technology, and quality of care. This programme represents the biggest investment in publicly-funded care in recent years and has already supported over 75% of HC-One’s workforce to now be rewarded at or above ‘Real’ or Foundation Living.