Practice Plus Group
Commercial Consultant
HC-One
The Client
The Position
Chief Digital & Strategy Officer
Introduction
HC-One, the UK’s largest care home operator, engaged Rinnova to appoint a Chief Digital & Strategy Officer (CDSO) to help lead the organisation into its next phase of growth. Reporting directly to the CEO and sitting on the Group Executive Committee, the CDSO would play a pivotal role in shaping HC-One’s corporate strategy while delivering an ambitious digital transformation agenda across a 300-site, 20,000-strong workforce. This was a newly created role with significant scope: spanning strategy, digital, data, and change.
01
The context
The brief required an individual who could:
-
Translate strategy into structured, executable programmes of change
-
Embed digital thinking into a people-based, operationally complex organisation
-
Use data analytics to inform decisions across care, workforce and commercial performance
-
Lead with humility while galvanising transformation across all levels of the business
02
The solution
Working closely with the CEO and Chair, we developed a rigorous advisor-led search strategy designed to uncover senior leaders who had delivered meaningful transformation in complex, regulated service environments whether from inside or outside the care sector.
Our approach combined:
-
Deep stakeholder engagement to define the role and its success profile
-
Extensive outreach via our advisory network and direct search
-
Evaluation of strategic, digital, and cultural alignment through structured interviews
-
Targeted EDI efforts to ensure a diverse and high-calibre shortlist
The search team included advisors with experience across healthtech, care, and digital strategy allowing us to test the role definition with sector experts and reach candidates not active in the market.
03
The impact
We successfully appointed Julian Ashworth, a seasoned transformation leader with deep experience in FTSE companies, private equity ventures, and regulatory environments. Julian brought:
-
Strategy leadership experience from Bain, BT, ITV, RELX, and Ofcom
-
A proven track record in digital product development, data strategy, and M&A
-
Hands-on transformation delivery, including doubling online users and revenue growth
-
A clear personal motivation to apply his commercial expertise in a high-impact social care environment
Julian’s appointment was well received by the HC-One leadership team and reflects Rinnova’s commitment to delivering thoughtful, high-impact appointments that align with our clients’ values and ambitions.
Other recent projects:
Voyage Care
Interim Partnerships Director
NHS Frimley ICB
Interim Programme Manager
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) NHS Trust
Interim Data Analyst
Smilepod
Interim Managing Director
Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
Service Design Consultant
DHU Healthcare
Director of People & Organisational Development
HC-One
Marketing Director
Private Equity Group
Board Advisory