Who we are

Our background

 
FMLM was established by the UK Medical Royal Colleges in 2011. It was formally endorsed by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC). Initially based within the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) in London, in Jan 2019, FMLM became an independent charity registered with the Charities Commission and FMLM Applied was registered with Companies House as the charity’s commercial trading arm.

The late Professor Sir Neil Douglas, Founding Chair of FMLM, former president of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) of Edinburgh, and former chair of the UK’s Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, was instrumental in establishing FMLM. 


Meet the team

Jen Happe
Jen Happe
Membership Manager
She / Her
Kirk
Kirk Wakefield
Executive Officer
He / Him
Luke
Luke O'Reilly
Head of Marketing, Communications & Policy
He / Him
Mary
Mary Howard
Marketing & Communications Officer
She / Her
Natasha Esdale
Natasha Esdale
Programmes & Events Manager
She / Her
Rich
Rich Withnall
Chief Executive Officer
He / Him
Yasmin
Yasmin Ali
Chief Operating Officer
She / Her
Zoe Seed
Zoe Seed
Executive Officer
She / Her

 


Meet the board

 

The Board of Trustees carries responsibility for the statutory aspects of FMLM, including the management and audit of the organisation, directing the affairs of the organisation, and ensuring that it is solvent, well-run, and delivering the charitable objectives, which are to advance: 

"education and knowledge in the field of medical leadership and management and promote research in all aspects of the subject and to publish the useful results; and health through setting the highest professional standards and competences for medical leadership, management and quality improvement." 

 

Celia Ingham Clark - Interim Chair of the Board of Trustees

Celia Ingham Clark qualified from Cambridge and undertook postgraduate training in surgery in London. She was also deputy chair of the BMA Junior Doctors Committee with responsibility for education. She was appointed as a consultant surgeon at the Whittington Hospital in 1996. Alongside her surgical work she took opportunities to develop her leadership experience as Director of Medical Education, Clinical Director, Associate Medical Director and interim Director of Operations before being appointed as Executive Medical Director in 2004. Celia gained experience as National Clinical Lead for colorectal cancer and National Clinical Director for Enhanced Recovery. At London region Celia worked as Associate MD for revalidation and quality. In 2012 Celia was honoured to receive an MBE for her contributions to the NHS. 

In 2014 Celia was appointed as National Director for Reducing Premature Mortality for NHS England; effectively one of the deputy National MD roles. Later as MD for Clinical Effectiveness and interim National Director for Patient Safety she led work with Royal Colleges and others to improve the prompt detection and management of sepsis.  As MD for Professional Leadership Celia provided line management to groups of National Clinical Directors and FMLM Clinical Fellows. Celia is a Founding Senior Fellow of FMLM.

X: @CInghamClark

Professor Colin Melville - Clinical Trustee

Professor Melville is the Medical Director and Director of Education and Standards at the General Medical Council (GMC), a position he has held since 2017. He previously led Lancaster Medical School and held senior roles at Warwick and Hull York medical schools. A registered doctor and former consultant in intensive care medicine, he began his clinical career in 1983. In 2018, he was appointed Honorary Professor of Medical Education at Manchester University, and in 2022, Visiting Professor at Anglia Ruskin University. Professor Melville has announced his retirement from the GMC, effective June 2025. 

X: @drcolinm

Professor Jacky Hayden CBE - Clinical Trustee

Professor Hayden is a distinguished medical educator and leader, she is a Non-Executive Board Member and Senior Independent Director at Sirona Care and Health. She served as Dean of Postgraduate Medical Studies for Health Education England in the North West, becoming the first general practitioner in England appointed to this role, and has held roles here for over 20 years. 

Jacky has also led the development of medical education nationally. In 2012, she completed four years as the Chair of the Committee of English Deans and was an inaugural member of Medical Education England. She has experience as a Non-Executive Board Member and Senior Independent Director at Plymouth Hospital NHS Trust, as a member of the MPTS Committee and the Suitable Person, and is an Ambassador for the College of General Dentistry. 

Immediate Past President of the Academy of Medical Educators, Jacky has a particular interest in ensuring that future doctors and dentists can provide compassionate, patient-focused leadership. Her contribution to medical education has been recognised by honorary doctorates, honorary fellowships and as one of the HSJ’s 50 most inspirational women. She was awarded the CBE in 2013.

X: @HaydenJacky

Professor Margaret Ikpoh - Clinical Trustee

Professor Ikpoh is a GP Partner at Holderness Health. She is the current Royal College of General Practitioners Vice Chair for Professional Development and Training Standards.

She is the practice lead for research and has had previous roles with the NIHR Yorkshire and Humber as a research champion for First5 GPs and AITs.

She is the current National NIHR Settings lead for Primary Care 

She is the former Associate Director for Primary Care for Hull York Medical School and is a GP Trainer.

In 2021 she was voted the Fellow of the year at the RCGP Inspire awards.

She is the former co-Chair for the regional Primary Care Workforce Group with NHS England & Improvement for the North-East and Yorkshire Regional People Board and is still an active member.

In 2022 she was voted one of HSJ’s top 50 most influential Black, Asian and minority ethnic figures in health.

In 2024 she was awarded the Caribbean and African Health Network Special Recognition Award for Leadership in Primary Care. 

X: @docmagsy

Professor William Roche - Clinical Trustee

Professor Roche is an emeritus Professor of Pathology at the University of Southampton, appointed in 1997. He holds multiple degrees, including Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery, Doctor of Medicine, and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists. His research focuses on lung disease, pleural disorders, and medical management, while his clinical expertise includes lung pathology and complex autopsies.

Professor Roche has held key leadership roles, including Clinical Director of Pathology, Medical Director, and Deputy Chief Executive at Southampton University Hospitals, and Medical Director of the South East Coast Strategic Health Authority. He has extensive experience in strategic planning of healthcare delivery, clinical governance and serious incident reviews, and the analysis and management of healthcare-associated deaths at the individual, institutional, regional and national level.

He has previously served as FMLM’s Revalidation Advisory Group Chair and since 2016, he has been a senior appraiser for NHS England South, conducting the annual appraisals of Medical Directors and Responsible Officers.

Jane Ingham - Lay Trustee

Jane retired from the CEO role at Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership in September 2023.  Prior and relevant to this Trusteeship, she was at the Royal College of Physicians, as Director of its Clinical Standards Department, roles at Imperial College school of Medicine and a Research Fellow with the MRC.  

Jane has a wealth of experience working in healthcare quality improvement from developing standards of care, measuring care through to using this data with teams to improve patient services. Additionally, Jane has extensive expertise in organisational leadership and bringing about system wide change. Jane was part of the original team which helped establish HQIP in 2008 and established and led one of the original collaborating centres to develop NICE guidelines. She has been a Trusttee at the Royal College of Anaesthetists. 

At the heart of her career is multi professional collaborative working with a strong patient focus. 

Jessamy Bagenal - Lay Trustee

Jessamy is Senior Executive Editor at The Lancet, where she leads on clinical content and strategy and is part of the journal’s senior leadership team. With 15 years of experience in the health sector since qualifying in medicine in 2009, her career spans clinical practice, health policy, academic publishing, and medical education.

She holds degrees in medicine, public health, and medical anthropology, and has worked nationally and internationally across a span of roles. Her focus areas include women and health, technology and health, and building sustainable, resilient health systems in the context of the climate crisis. Jessamy leads a range of high-profile series and Commissions. At The Lancet, she champions a range of topics including policies on generative AI, health and technology, and open access across the group. She is an experienced people manager and mentor, and contributes regularly to thought leadership through writing, commissioning, public speaking, and convening conversations on emerging health issues. As a trustee of FMLM, she brings experience in inclusive leadership, systems thinking, and strategic communication. She is particularly interested in how health workers can shape clinical leadership and build cultures that enhance care for all, foster trust, and enable both healthcare professionals and users of health systems to flourish.

LinkedIn profile

X: @JessamyBagenal

Dr. Lisa Knight - Lay Trustee

Dr Lisa Knight is a senior academic and experienced Non-Executive Director with a career dedicated to strengthening leadership capability within complex systems, particularly across the health, housing, and social care sectors. She is currently Head of Management Development & Innovation at Liverpool Business School, Liverpool John Moores University, where she leads strategic engagement with industry and public services, including a flagship partnership with University Hospitals Liverpool NHS Trust.  

Lisa has significant governance experience, holding board-level roles across the NHS and the housing and charity sectors. She is a Non-Executive Director at Mersey & West Lancashire NHS Teaching Hospitals Trust, where she chairs both the Strategic People Committee and the Employee Relations Oversight Committee, and serves as the organisation’s Wellbeing Guardian. She also serves on the Board of Prima Housing Group, where she leads on safeguarding and is a member of the People and Governance Committee. 

Her academic research explores the development and implementation of systems and place-based leadership within the public sector, alongside the pedagogical approaches that underpin effective leadership development. Lisa is a Fellow of Advance HE, a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, and a Certified Management & Business Educator.

LinkedIn profile

Neil Newman - Lay Trustee

Neil Newman is Executive Director of Commercial at The Chartered Governance Institute (CGIUKI). With over 20 years’ experience in the professional membership body sector, he is responsible for driving forward CGIUKI’s overarching commercial strategy and for increasing brand visibility, ensuring that it broadens its reach and impact. Prior to CGI, he worked as Executive Director of Development at the Institute of Paralegals and Executive Director of Communications and Membership at the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, where he was responsible for the strategic leadership on all aspects of commercial development, communications and a global network of branches. Neil also holds non-executive positions in the regulatory and private sectors.

LinkedIn profile

 

Articles of Association

The Articles of Association (currently under review) set out the rules governing the running of the charity. 

Code of conduct  

FMLM have adopted the Nolan principles which are the basis of the ethical standards expected of all office holders and all persons working in an official capacity on behalf of FMLM will adhere to, including Trustees, committees, members and staff. 

The Nolan Principles, also known as the Seven Principles of Public Life, were established to provide a framework for the ethical standards expected of public office holders. These principles are Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty, and Leadership.

You can read more about the Nolan Principles on the UK government's official website here or the Committee on Standards in Public Life page here.