Southend Hospital's head of operations and service development, Andrew Pike, has been named new chief executive of troubled Mid Essex Hospital Services Trust.
The journey to the top post started when Andrew joined a hospital management training scheme at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital after leaving the University of Kent with a degree in history.
Since then he has worked at Oldchurch Hospital, Romford, Chase Farm in Enfield and Greenwich District Hospital before coming to Southend in 1989, when he was initially medical services manager.
Andrew, 38, who lives in Chelmsford, will find it a wrench leaving Southend.
He said: "It has been totally rewarding. I would say we have transformed the place and Southend is now recognised as one of the best and the most efficient hospitals in the country."
The hospital also has a special place in his heart for the care and treatment his wife Jackie received there before her death from cancer in 1998.
She left him with two young daughters, Hannah, six, who has Down's syndrome, and Sarah, four.
Mr Pike - sad to leave
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