Paul Fenton MBE

Paul Fenton MBE is a Chartered Electrical Engineer, having extensive experience over the last 30 years within the Building Services and Facilities Management industry in both the public and private sectors, in the UK and European markets. He was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in Her Majesty the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list in 2021 for services to the NHS in the United Kingdom.

Paul is the immediate Past President of The Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Estate Management (IHEEM) and previously held the position of National Chairman of the Health Estates and Facilities Management Association (HEFMA). He is also a Fellow of The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), a Fellow of The Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Estate Management (IHEEM) and a Fellow of The Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM).

Starting his career with Eastern Electricity he swiftly moved into Facilities Management following its acquisition by Texas Utilities (Europe) and was responsible for their building portfolio of around 130 properties in the UK and Europe. After leaving TXU in 2000 he then commenced his career with the NHS at Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust. He has held senior positions in four acute hospital trusts and a mental health and community foundation trust in the East of England, and the during Covid pandemic worked with the NHSEI National Estates and Facilities team on Operation Nightingale and on estates ‘surge’ planning for the East of England.

Paul has recently ‘semi-retired’ as the Executive Director of Estates and Facilities for East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT), a position he held following the merger between Ipswich and Colchester Hospitals in July 2018 having previously joined The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust in September 2015. Paul held board responsibility for the Trust’s Estates and Facilities services, property and land acquisition and disposals, its £200m capital development programme including delivery of major new construction and refurbishment schemes and was also the board Accountable Officer for Emergency Preparedness Resilience and Response (EPRR).

Following his semi-retirement, he undertook a position as the Strategic Estates Advisor with the Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB). He is also Director of PNFM Consulting Limited, providing Estates and Facilities and Engineering Consultancy Services to the NHS and to Private Sector Organisations.

He is married with three children and seven grandchildren and enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf, walking and taking weekend breaks with family and friends amongst other hobbies and activities.