Practice Plus Group
Commercial Consultant
Exemplar Health Care
The Client
The Position
Regional Director of Operations
Introduction
Exemplar Health Care is one of the UK’s fastest-growing providers of specialist nursing care for adults living with complex needs. Following a change of ownership and an ambitious organic growth plan, Exemplar appointed Rinnova to recruit a Regional Director of Operations to lead a large portfolio of services across the North West.
The role required a dynamic operator with strong clinical governance knowledge, commercial and regulatory experience, and a people-first leadership approach. The successful candidate needed to navigate CQC oversight, grow operational capability, and embed Exemplar’s digital-first care model all while contributing to a fast-paced, values-led executive team.
01
The context
The role required a dynamic operator with strong clinical governance knowledge, commercial and regulatory experience, and a people-first leadership approach. The successful candidate needed to navigate CQC oversight, grow operational capability, and embed Exemplar’s digital-first care model all while contributing to a fast-paced, values-led executive team.
02
The solution
Rinnova’s advisor-led model allowed us to calibrate cultural and operational fit quickly. Working closely with the Managing Director and the wider Exemplar leadership team, we developed a high-impact search strategy focused on:
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Identifying operators with regional accountability in regulated, multi-site care
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Prioritising leaders with experience in turnaround, new service mobilisation, and CQC excellence
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Engaging clinicians-turned-operators with a grounded understanding of quality-led care
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Ensuring alignment with Exemplar’s values, including inclusion, compassion, and innovation
We leveraged our advisory team to benchmark candidate suitability, engage the market quickly, and pressure-test motivation, cultural fit, and leadership capability.
03
The impact
We successfully appointed Barry Swire, a dual-qualified mental health and adult nurse with an exceptional track record across military, NHS, and private sector healthcare.
Barry brought:
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Turnaround leadership experience across CareTech, Cygnet, The Priory, and the Royal Navy
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Outstanding CQC improvement record, including raising multiple sites from Inadequate to Good
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Strong strategic and financial acumen, backed by an MBA and an MSc in progress
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A values-led approach, underpinned by his clinical background and voluntary sector leadership
Barry chose Exemplar for the culture, the quality of care, and the long-term growth opportunity.
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