Neslyn Watson-Druee

Chapter 9: Neslyn Watson-Druee

Herbert Mensah has a wonderful presence when you meet him and through all his achievements, he has a huge amount of humility which is infectious. I witnessed the same feeling when I met Neslyn Watson-Druee for the first time on 15th November 2017 in Market Square in Kingston at Patisserie Valerie where they do a great afternoon tea.

I knew that she had been the Chairman of NHS Kingston, managing to turn around a £21.5 million deficit in two years and to finish with a £5 million surplus. She had been awarded an MBE for Nursing Leadership and a CBE for Health Service Innovation. This is impressive by anyone’s standards, but there is more to her than you could imagine.

Neslyn Watson-Druee was 70 years of age in 2020 and I immediately connected with this extraordinary lady; as Linda Thomas, Former Editor in Chief, RCN Publications said, “Everybody needs someone like Neslyn in their life. She is serene, strong, courageous and successful – everything that I have seen put to good use through her actions. Always thoughtful and generous of spirit, Neslyn has achieved extraordinary things in her life, yet she remains humble and grounded. I adore her, admire her and respect her – I’ve learnt so much from her and I’m blessed to have her in my life.”

The picture I want to paint is an image of this lady at the back of a gospel choir, radiating love but when she opens her mouth, she has the oratory skills of Obama and Mandela combined. Sadly, what we miss when reading her CV is the back story to this amazing woman who is now a most sought-after high profile executive coach, author and speaker. Neslyn lives her life with a higher purpose and her story is extraordinary.