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Chair
Tom, Arthritis Action's Chair since February 2025, has held leadership positions in the public, private and third sectors, specialising in government relations and broader communications, and was a senior diplomat in Japan for four years. His last career role was a 15-year stint as Managing Director at global management consultancy Accenture. Tom has epilepsy and a spell in ICU served as the catalyst to take early retirement and focus instead on causes that matter most to him. Also a Trustee of Epilepsy Action, Tom joined our Board in 2022 some years after his ankylosing spondylitis diagnosis. His particular interests include: the time it can take after the onset of symptoms to receive a diagnosis (in his case 16 years); the need for a holistic approach to care; and the impact of arthritis on mental health. Tom is also Trustee at The Orpheus Centre Trust, an independent specialist college that uses the arts to inspire and empower young disabled students. Most recently he was elected a Governor at CNTW, the NHS Foundation Trust that provides mental health, learning disabilities and neuro-rehabilitation services across Cumbria, Northumberland, and Tyne and Wear.
Trustee
Colin has 31 years’ experience in rheumatology nursing and a wide range of nursing management at ward, outpatient, and clinical nurse specialist levels. He is proud to work with a team of dedicated and expert nurses, doctors, physiotherapists caring for patients with a wide range of Rheumatological diseases. Colin is committed to ensuring good patient and staff experience and to the development of the nursing. Over Colin's Rheumatology career he has developed an extensive network of national and international health care professionals to utilise as a support network to ensure that he maintains knowledge about evidence-based care.
Rick is the Managing Director, Financial Regulation, at Thentia Cloud, an industry-leading technology platform built for regulators in different jurisdictions. Previously Rick was Director of Strategy at the Financial Services Culture Board (FSCB). He started his career at the UK Department of Health, in the Private Office of a Minister of State, then worked for the National Information Governance Board for Health and Social Care, in the Private Office of the Director General (DG) for NHS Informatics (as the DG’s Private Secretary) and at the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care where he was responsible for a programme to improve standards of behaviour and competence of healthcare practitioners. Rick also acted as an advisor on professional standards and regulation to several organisations in the UK and internationally, including the Press Recognition Panel (set up following the Leveson Inquiry in the UK), the Government of Ontario, Canada, and the administration of Hong Kong. In 2017, he was part of the Regulatory Expert Group advising the UK Department of Health and the Department for Education in setting up Social Work England (the social work regulator in England). He spent seven years as a trustee of National Voices, a coalition of 200 health and care charities in England. In the final two years of his tenure, he chaired the Audit and Risk Committee and was the Treasurer of National Voices. Rick has a Masters in law (LLM) and a postgraduate diploma in law in the UK.
Caroline joined the Trustee Board in August 2024 and brings extensive experience across healthcare and professional membership societies. Caroline is currently Chief Executive of the British Cardiovascular Society, a charity and membership organisation that promotes excellence in cardiovascular care through education and leadership within the cardiovascular community. She has previously been Chief Executive of the British Psychoanalytical Society and before that, Director of Education at The Royal Society of Medicine. Prior to working in the charity sector, she held managerial positions in NHS Trusts and Primary Care Trusts for 18 years. Caroline has a degree in Combined Arts and a Master’s degree in Health Services Management. She has held a number of school governor and trustee positions and has been a Trustee of South Bucks Hospice since 2018. Caroline is keen to bring her experience of working in healthcare across the NHS and in the charitable sector to Arthritis Action and is especially interested in the promotion of self-care.
Rob, an experienced business leader and Industry Business Advisor at Google, joined the Arthritis Action board in 2023. Diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis at 21, Rob is passionate about helping others manage their arthritis and brings a unique blend of personal understanding and professional expertise to the Charity.
Matt joined the Arthritis Action Trustee Board in 2023. He has worked in the higher education sector for 12 years and is currently the Deputy CEO of South Bank Students’ Union, with responsibility for managing engaging and inclusive services for diverse student populations. He was diagnosed with gout and chronic kidney disease when he was 18 and is passionate about supporting others to better manage their health.
Elizabeth joined Arthritis Action as a Trustee in 2023. She is a podcast presenter, lecturer, neurodiversity storyteller, and a Neurobox Ambassador. After being diagnosed with dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and Irlen syndrome, Elizabeth set up charitable organisation Aspire2inspire Dyslexia CIC, after identifying a gap in services to support adults with dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties. Aspire2inspire Dyslexia have won numerous awards for the work they are doing for dyslexics in Wandsworth and around the country. Elizabeth is a public and inspirational speaker, where she motivates others with her journey as a and how she hasn’t allowed her dyslexia to hold her back. Elizabeth holds a combined BA Hons in Human Resource Management and Sociology and has a Professional Graduation Certificate in Education. Elizabeth watched her mother suffer chronic pain of osteoarthritis along with the mental anguish of living with its pain and has since learnt it is a familial trait going back as far as her great-grandmother. However, her own diagnosis in 2021 still came as a surprise to her despite seeking various treatments for back, knee and hip pain that had troubled her for many years.
Sarah joined Arthritis Action as a member in 2014 and joined the Board of Trustees in 2021. She is a Professor of Work and Employment in the Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice at the University of Kent. Sarah is an internationally recognised sociologist and researcher into paid work in later life. In the last 20 years her research on older workers and retirement has been funded by research councils, charities and the UK Government. She is Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. She has a particular interest in equalities issues. As someone with osteoarthritis who has been able to carry on working she is very keen that we enable people to benefit to the fullest extent from self-management whilst also pushing for good treatments and accessible environments to allow people to live their best lives.
