Naaz Coker runs her own management consultancy practice and is Chair of St George's Healthcare NHS Trust, one of London's premier undergraduate teaching hospitals. She has spent 20 years in the NHS in many leadership roles ranging from Clinical Director to General Manager of an acute hospital in London. She worked for 10 years at the King's Fund, the well-known health and social care foundation, where she was the Director of the Race and Diversity programme and Senior Fellow in Leadership Development.

Until November 2008, she was Chair of Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity and from 1998 to 2006, she was the Chair of the British Refugee Council. She has held many other voluntary appointments and is currently a trustee of the RSA and Council member of St George's University of London.

Naaz grew up in Tanzania and completed her University studies in the UK. She graduated with an Honours degree in Pharmacy and gained a Master's degree from the University of London.

She completed her MBA in 1991. She was awarded 'Asian Woman of the Year' in 2000 and 2003 and winner of the 'Asian Woman of Achievement' award in the Public Sector category in 2004. She was awarded honorary doctorate degrees by Leeds Metropolitan University in 2005 and the University of Central England in 2007.