Raz Mohammed, Divisional Operations Lead on Community, Connection and Care
When Raz Mohammed begins to describe his work, he doesn’t start with the scale of his responsibilities but with the lives transformed. He tells of a grandmother who quit smoking after nearly five decades and with the money saved took her grandchild abroad for the very first time. It is stories like these, he says, that give him purpose.
“Every success story we hear is a reminder of why we do this.”
As Divisional Operations Lead for Healthy Lifestyle Services at ABL Health, Raz oversees 18 services from Durham to Torbay, stretching across the East Midlands to Merseyside. His remit covers everything from smoking cessation to weight management and integrated lifestyle services. At its heart, though, his role is about people — supporting them to adopt healthier lifestyles, improve their health outcomes and most importantly, to believe change is possible.
“I’m in the world of prevention and behaviour change,” he explains. “Every success story we hear — whether it’s someone quitting after 50 years of smoking or losing just 5% of their body weight to stave off diabetes — is a reminder of why we do this.”
Discovering a professional calling
Raz’s passion for helping people make positive changes began as a youth worker, when he led groups for teenagers in local communities, broadening horizons and raising aspirations. He recalls one trip vividly — taking young people to London to “play the Monopoly board in real life.” A 15-year-old girl, on her first journey down the M1, asked him if they had crossed into another country. For her, the world had been limited to Leeds, Bradford and Dewsbury.
“That moment has always stayed with me,” Raz reflects. “It showed me the profound impact that creating opportunities and changing perspectives can have. It’s what’s kept me in this line of work ever since.”
Building trust through belonging
For Raz, reputation and trust are built not on grand strategies, but on micro-moments of connection.
“When I was a youth worker, I used to say you’ve got three seconds on an estate with young people to know if they’ll talk to you. It’s the same now. Whether it’s vulnerable families or adults in need of support, trust comes from rapport.”
At ABL, that ethos translates into creating safe spaces where people feel seen and respected. Staff are trained not only in the healthcare knowledge required for their roles, but also in facilitation skills, enabling them to break down barriers quickly.
“We put the person at the centre of everything we do,” he says. “It’s about walking in their shoes, understanding life from their perspective. That’s how you build reputation — by being relevant and authentic.”
What makes ABL’s culture inclusive?
Inclusivity, Raz insists, is not a slogan but a lived practice.
“In the words of our CEO, Denise Leslie, we don’t sell widgets. Our biggest asset is our people. Without them, we couldn’t make the difference we do.”
From reflecting local demographics in recruitment to investing in staff development, ABL aims to be an employer where everyone belongs. The results speak volumes: in the past year alone, there have been 43 internal progressions within Raz’s team.
“That shows people aren’t just coming to ABL for a job – they’re building careers and growing with us. That sense of belonging is fundamental to how we support clients to succeed.”
Why ABL?
Raz’s path to ABL was as much serendipity as strategy. After a successful career in youth and charity leadership, he was looking for his next challenge when a chance encounter changed everything. Meeting ABL’s Head of Stakeholder Partnerships at a community event, opened a dialogue that deepened over time.
The timing was poignant. During the pandemic, Raz lost a mentor to COVID while expecting his first child.
“It really made me think about what was important to me and the direction I wanted my career to take,” he says.
ABL offered the opportunity to transfer his community engagement expertise into health – a sector that aligned perfectly with his commitment to behaviour change and prevention. He hasn’t looked back since.
What does success look like?
For Raz, ABL’s success is achieved through excellence in service delivery and enabling staff to flourish and grow.
“We’ve got to keep developing people, sharing our successes and celebrating the impact we make,” he notes.
He is particularly passionate about communicating clients’ and colleagues’ achievements more widely.
“If we want to shape reputation and trust at scale, we must celebrate the stories of lives changed and the staff who make it possible.”
Belonging isn’t just a feeling
Asked about his proudest achievement, Raz doesn’t cite awards or promotions. Instead, he circles back to stories — the grandmother who quit smoking after half a century, the teenager who thought London was another country, the members of staff he now sees grow into leaders.
“These moments remind me why belonging matters,” he says. “When people feel they belong — whether that’s in a community group, a health service or a workplace — they trust, they grow and they thrive.”
“Belonging isn’t just a feeling — it’s the secret ingredient that transforms lives and organisations. And if reputation is built on trust, then trust is built on belonging. That’s the real legacy I want to build — one story, one person, one community at a time.”
