Former Irish Health Minister Stephen Donnelly joins CF as partner
Stephen Donnelly has joined healthcare consultancy CF as a partner. The former minister for health in Ireland, Donnelly brings extensive public and private sector experience to the role, as a former McKinsey & Company consultant.
Hannah Farrar, CEO of CF, commented, "Stephen brings something truly unique to our health systems transformation work – direct experience designing and implementing the exact type of comprehensive national health system reform that the UK government in particular is now prioritising. Stephen’s time in office saw him deliver major improvements across waiting times, productivity, and patient outcomes, bringing with him invaluable strategic and operational insights and learnings."
CF is a consultancy dedicated to making an enduring impact on health and healthcare, working with leaders and frontline teams to improve health, transform healthcare, embed life science innovation and boost growth through investment. As well as working to help providers adapt to changes in the market, CF also works to create “policy conditions for healthcare advancements”, according to the firm’s release.
Donnelly has major experience when it comes to setting policy conditions – having served as Ireland’s minister for health from 2020 to 2025. In that time, he designed and led one of the largest programmes of investment and reform in Ireland’s public health service in decades – while also leading the national response to Covid-19, and its drive for vaccination and immunisation.
Catherine Skilton, managing partner of CF’s health systems practice, remarked, "Stephen’s experience of implementing community focused healthcare reforms in his time as Irish Health Minister, will provide unique insights to our work supporting the NHS as it embarks on an ambitious 10-year transformation plan – and in particular its emphasis on neighbourhood health as the key to achieve the shift to prevention, digital and community based care. His understanding of how to redesign incentive structures, improve productivity and integrate care between settings addresses exactly the challenges our UK NHS clients face. I am really excited to have him join the team."
Public and private
Donnelly also oversaw Ireland’s roll out of the RSV vaccines for infants in the winter of 2024 which resulted in 94% reduction in severe RSV-related illness – as well as the roll out of the HPV vaccine catch-up programme, which was recognised with the Laura Brennan award in 2024. But prior to his life in politics, he also accrued notable experience in the consulting sector with McKinsey & Company.
Ben Richardson, managing partner of CF’s life sciences and health investing practices, said to this end, "Stephen’s leadership experience, track record of delivery in health systems and in partnership with life sciences industry, combined with his experience in EU policymaking, will bring valuable insights to clients across the whole health sector.”
During his time with McKinsey, Donnelly worked across Ireland, the UK and the Middle East – where CF is currently expanding rapidly. His extensive European networks and policy experience will also support CF’s further growth across the UK, Europe and the Middle East.
Donnelly concluded, "As minister for health I had the honour of designing and leading a comprehensive healthcare transformation plan that moved beyond policy aspirations to deliver real results for patients, healthcare workers and taxpayers. I’m excited to be joining the CF team and to continue working to improve health services in the UK, Europe and the Middle East.”
