The trust is a high performing centre for clinical care and patient experience, running the UK's most digitally developed hospitals and making award-winning use of digital systems to improve patient care. From 2018 to 2021, he was the accountable officer for the integrated care system in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. The integrated care system and the hospital trust are focused on innovation and improvement, working alongside universities and industry to deliver this.
Aligned with these roles, Roland chaired the Shelford Group of ten teaching hospitals from 2020–2023; and in March 2023 was appointed as the NHS England National Director for Life Sciences. This position works alongside the Innovation, Research and Life Sciences (IRLS) team in NHSE to engage national innovation partners, local systems, industry, and research charities to develop a clear blueprint for how the NHS can best support, and benefit from, a strong life sciences ecosystem. During March 2023 Roland became a Governor of The Health Foundation, focussed on innovation and life sciences.
Before joining CUH, Roland was Chief Executive, Chief Operating Officer and Strategy Director at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. He began his career in the field of corporate law at Linklaters, based in London and Hong Kong, and later moved to McKinsey to work in strategy consultancy.