The Medical Protection Society (MPS) has named Karen Miller as its new chief executive officer – the first woman to hold the position.

MPS provides protection and support on legal and ethical issues for more than 16,000 healthcare professionals in Ireland, and has 300,000 members worldwide.

Miller will join MPS in February 2024, taking over from Simon Kayll, who will retire at the end of 2023. Kayll has been at MPS for 30 years, spending 12 years as CEO.

Extensive experience

Miller has extensive experience from the insurance industry – including five years as CEO of ABSA General Insurance in South Africa, and most recently as chief operations officer (insurance) at Saga in Britain.

The new CEO said: “MPS has a long-standing history, and I am committed to continuing to build a sustainable future as the organisation best placed to meet the ever-changing needs of members around the world.

“Every healthcare professional needs a defence organisation that will fight their corner when they need it most and provide a reliable, quality service that protects them, their careers and their financial security long into the future,” she added.

Ian Eardley (chair of the MPS Council) said that Miller brought “a wealth of leadership experience and skills that align perfectly with MPS’s goals and values”.

He also described her appointment as “a significant milestone for MPS, with her becoming our first female CEO”.