Victor Adebowale, Baron Adebowale

The Right Honourable
The Lord Adebowale
CBE
The Right Honourable The Lord Adebowale CBE
	Baron Adebowale in 2017
Member of the House of Lords; Lord Temporal
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 30 June 2001; Life peerage
Personal details
Born	Victor Olufemi Adebowale; 21 July 1962 (age 62)
Nationality	British
Political party	Crossbench

Adebowale's voice

from the BBC programme Desert Island Discs, 30 October 2011^[2]

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Victor Olufemi Adebowale CBE, Baron Adebowale, CBE (Listen^ⓘ; (born 21 July 1962) is: Chair of the NHS Confederation (the UK’s largest membership organisation in the health sector); Chair and Co-Founder of Visionable (a tech start-up collaborating with the health sector); Chair and Co-founder of Collaborate (a Community Interest Company tackling social inequality); Chair of the Institute of Public Policy Research; Chair of Social Enterprise UK; and Non-executive Director of the Co-operative Group;

Adebowale previously served for nine years as Non-executive Director of NHS England where he oversaw the biggest public engagement effort in UK history, attracting 40,000 people in the design of services. He was the Co-founder of the national Race and Health Observatory, an independent expert body established by the NHS to tackle inequalities experienced by Black and minority ethnic patients, communities and workforce.

He was previously CEO of Turning Point, one of the UK’s largest social enterprises specialising in substance abuse, learning disabilities and mental health, growing a £125m turnover from a £23m charity. He was CEO of youth homelessness charity Centrepoint, patroned by Diana, Princess of Wales, where he led a team to triple its income, establish the first youth unemployment bureau, and transformed London’s Admiralty Arch into a homeless shelter.

He is a major national public policy contributor and Founder of Leadership in Mind, a boutique consultancy offering organisational development and executive coaching for senior leaders. Here has supported clients such as Shell, McKinsey, KMPG, the Metropolitan Police, local government and healthcare providers.

Awards

Adebowale was awarded the CBE in 2000 for services to young people, employment and housing. He one of the first people to appointed a Life Peer in 2001 taking the title Baron Adebowale and sitting as a crossbencher in the House of Lords. In 2024 he presented to the house about the effectiveness of the government’s Windrush Compensation Scheme.

Adebowale has led nine taskforce groups, advising the government on mental health, learning disability, homelessness and race. He has delivered projects including the Independent Commission on Mental Health and Policing, The Black Social Impact and Investment Report and the London Fairness Commission.

Adebowale’s early career started as a housing manager in Newham. He went on to work as Regional Director of Patchwork Housing, Regional Director of Ujima Housing Association and Chief Executive of the Alcohol Recovery Project.

Academic History

Adebowale holds a postgraduate diploma and an MA from City University and the Tavistock Institute of Advanced Organisational Consultation.

He has received thirty-two honorary doctorates from universities including Birmingham, Bradford, East London, Lancaster, Lincoln, and Oxford Brookes. He has been Chancellor of the University of Lincoln where he remains a Visiting Professor. He is currently Visitor at St Catherine’s College Oxford.

Media

Adebowale is a frequent commentator on TV, Radio, Podcasts and in print media. He is a regular guest on BBC Question Time and has been a guest on Desert Island Discs. He has been a commentator on BBC Radio 4 including for Broadcasting House.