Our trustees
Our trustees bring a diverse range of skills and knowledge. Find out more here.
John is the Director of the Centre for Health Communication Research at Bucks New University and Chief Executive of Freshwater UK, a communications consultancy and media group. John works with many NHS organisations on communication and engagement issues. Much of his work involves dealing with the impact of alcohol abuse both on the healthcare system and in the wider social economy. John is a former chair of the Management Board of Catalyst, a public policy think tank associated with Lord Hattersley and was a TV news reporter and presenter with ITV, ITN and the BBC.
Jane is Director of Communications for the London region of NHS England, having joined the NHS in 2003. During that time she has worked at two mental health Foundation Trusts, and therefore seen at first hand the impact that alcohol harm can have on people’s lives and health. Prior to her NHS career, she held senior communications and marketing roles in the private sector, working in the telecommunications and business analysis sectors in Europe and the USA. Her specific areas of focus are women in leadership, and mentoring young people who have an interest in communications as a career. She was voted one of the 70 Women Leaders in London by the London Leadership Academy as part of its celebrations of the NHS’s 70th birthday in 2018.
Mike worked in the NHS for over 30 years, 18 of which were as a CEO. During this time, he had extensive involvement in the development of mental health services. He has had a number of non-executive appointments being Vice Chairman of two university boards as well as having been on three NHS boards. Most recently he was Vice Chairman of Oxford Health NHS Trust and continues to meet patients who often have a dual diagnosis, as a Mental Health Act Manager. He has an interest in improving the well-being of older people particularly, being a Trustee of the Dunhill Medical Trust and is Chairman of the local U3A.
Helen spent 34 years at the BBC, starting in local radio and ending on the BBC Executive Board. She was an award winning radio reporter and Editor of the investigative series, File on 4. Helen left the BBC in 2017. She currently sits on the Shorenstein’s Advisory Board and is Chair of the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough where the internationally renowned playwright, Alan Ayckbourn, previews all his work. Helen also sits on the Council of the Royal Academy of Arts in London and is on the Board of the touring theatre company, Out of Joint. She is also a trustee of Dimbleby Cancer Care.
Emily is Clinical Director at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust - Southwark, Central Acute & Addictions Operational Directorate and Clinical Director, Addictions Clinical Academic Group. She is also Visiting Senior Lecturer at King’s College London. In her role as Clinical Director of the Addictions Clinical Academic Group (CAG), Emily has responsibility for Addiction services across Lambeth, Bexley, Greenwich and Wandsworth. She is currently clinical lead for the Alcohol Assertive Outreach Team and is also chair of the South Southwark Local Care Network. Emily is also responsible for quality for adult psychiatry service in Southwark and a member of the Trust Quality Centre.
Gareth leads the Client Services Team at Chelsea Football Club. Responsible for the account management and retention of all hospitality accounts, his background in sport also extends to rugby, where he spent six years as Sales and Debenture Manager at Harlequins FC. Here, Gareth developed sales strategies, compèred hospitality lounges and was integral in establishing the ‘Big Game’ at Twickenham as an iconic event in the sporting calendar. During his career in sport, Gareth has established an influential network of both sportspeople and sports fans – and has served on the fundraising boards for Chris Robshaw’s Testimonial Year and the UK Delegation for the 2018 Invictus Games.
Will is Senior Health Programme Advisor for alcohol and other drugs at Public Health Dorset, managing the team that commissions treatment services for people who have issues with alcohol and other drugs. He is also a Visiting Fellow at Bournemouth University. His PhD looked at how people understand their own – and other people’s – drinking, and how these understandings are shaped by and reinforce ideas of gender and class. Since completing his PhD, his work on policy related to alcohol and other drugs has been published widely in academic and more popular outlets. He blogs at http://thinking-to-some-purpose.blogspot.com/ and tweets @WilliamHaydock.
Derek is a Professor of Psychology at Edge Hill University. As a social psychologist with an interest in health behaviours, his primary research areas concern addiction and substance use and health and well-being. Derek is also Editor-in-Chief of Addiction Research and Theory, the leading outlet for research and theoretical contributions that view addictive behaviour as arising from psychological processes within the individual and the social context in which the behaviour takes place as much as from the biological effects of the psychoactive substance or activity involved.
Peter is the Chief Executive of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness which he joined from the OPM Group where he had been Chief Executive. Before that, he was Head of Strategy and Performance at the Royal National Institute of Blind People, and also worked as Director of Customer and Strategy for Personal Tax at HMRC. Peter has held a number of different roles at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, ranging from working on counter-narcotics policy in Afghanistan to international intellectual property policy.
Valerie spent ten years in corporate finance in the City before moving into venture capital, investing mainly in early stage, high growth businesses. She currently works part-time as a consultant to a number of early stage, high growth businesses.
Valerie has an MA in engineering from Cambridge University, an MSc Charity Accounting and Financial Management from Cass Business School and is a Chartered Secretary. She is also a trustee of the Imperial Health Charity, Practical Action and Beat.
Catherine has over 25 years’ governance, management and consultancy experience with high profile public and voluntary sector organisations. She provides strategic and specialist advice to central and local government, the NHS and charities in social and environmental sustainability, public health, health and social care, place-making, urban design and related areas. Catherine is currently a trustee of walking and cycling charity Sustrans and a lay advisor to the Association of Anaesthetists' Research and Environmental committees. She is also a member of the King's College/University College London Social Values and Health Priority Setting Group. Previously, Catherine was Lay Chair of NHS England’s Individual Funding Requests Panel and a non-executive director of primary care trusts in East London. She has been a trustee of mental health and substance misuse, environmental, and arts charities.
Tony is Professor of Addictive Behaviour Science in the Centre for Addictive Behaviours Research, and Director of Education and Student Experience in the School of Applied Sciences, London South Bank University. Tony’s research interests cover a broad range, with particular expertise in alcohol use, public health messaging, and addiction theory. He also holds the position of Governor and Director for a special educational needs school, which caters for the needs of children from 4 years, and young adults up to 25. This work reflects his particular passion for inclusivity and equality, which shapes his professional activities, his research, and his approach to teaching and learning in higher education.
Emmert is a clinical research fellow at the National Addiction Centre, King's College London and a practising psychiatrist specialising in substance misuse at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. Emmert's research focuses on population health studies of alcohol-related mortality, and hospitalisation, and he is also a trustee of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH).
Isabelle is Professor of Marketing and Deputy Dean of the Birmingham Business School at the University of Birmingham. Her research focuses on the interaction between consumer behaviour and public policy, with a particular interest in alcohol consumption, social norms and marketing. Her research into alcohol consumption has been funded by the ESRC, Alcohol Research UK and ERAB. She is a governor of Birmingham Universities Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust and was previously a member of the Portman Group’s Independent Complaints Panel.
