Bupa, the international healthcare company, has announced the appointment of Penny Dudley as Group Chief People and Legal Officer. Penny takes over from Nigel Sullivan who has retired after more than eight years in Bupa’s executive leadership team.
Penny will lead Bupa’s global People function, ensuring its alignment with the business’ overall strategic agenda. With over 100,000 employees in more than 12 countries, Bupa’s people play a critical role in meeting the healthcare needs of the company’s 68 million customers worldwide.
Penny will continue to serve as the firm’s Group Chief Legal Officer, a role she has held since 2016. Her remit spans legal, privacy, financial crime, corporate Insurance, responsible business conduct, information security and operational resilience. She continues to report into Iñaki Ereño, Group CEO, and is part of the executive leadership team. Having joined Bupa in 2010, she has held various roles within the organisation across different markets.
Iñaki Ereño, Group CEO, said: “I look forward to working with Penny on our future people strategy as I know how strongly she believes in developing talent and supporting people through change. Together, we will ensure our people remain at the heart of Bupa, helping them go further and faster. That’s because when our people thrive, they accelerate our ability to deliver on our ambition to be the most customer-centric healthcare company in the world.”
Penny Dudley, Chief People and Legal Officer, said: “I am delighted to start this new chapter as Chief People and Legal Officer. Bupa’s people stand out for their expertise and their commitment to our purpose: helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives and making a better world. My focus is on supporting our colleagues around the world to learn, grow and do their best work, so that they can deliver outstanding care for our customers, patients and residents.”
Penny takes on the People agenda at a time when technology and employee expectations are rapidly evolving the world of work. Bupa is focused on supporting development and helping its people build future-ready skills. In 2025, it launched a multi-site Bupa Campus, to further equip its people with the skills and capabilities to drive transformation of healthcare through learning, education and innovation. The organisation also has created global mobility programmes, enabling employees to apply for opportunities in different countries, which further supports their development and in turn benefits their careers.
Dudley continued: “I am looking forward to continuing to work closely with other members of Bupa’s executive team and our colleagues to accelerate delivery of our business strategy and plan for the future of a global healthcare organisation in a rapidly changing world. Bupa’s people are the foundation of our organisation, built over almost 80 years, and we have an even more exciting road ahead.”
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About Bupa
Established in 1947, Bupa's purpose is helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives and making a better world. We are an international healthcare company serving 68 million customers worldwide. With no shareholders, we reinvest profits into providing more and better healthcare for the benefit of current and future customers. Bupa has businesses around the world, principally in Australia, the UK, Spain, Poland, Chile, Hong Kong SAR, India, Türkiye, Brazil, Mexico and New Zealand. We also have associate businesses in Saudi Arabia.
