The National Autistic Society is the UK's leading charity for autistic people and their families. Our goal is to help to transform lives, change attitudes and create a society that works for autistic people. In December 2022, following extensive consultation with autistic people and their families, we proudly launched our Moonshot Vision. This is a comprehensive and transformative vision of what a society for autistic people really looks like. Our new Vision to Reality Strategy 2023-2026 outlines the role that the NAS will play in delivering the Moonshot Vision.Our team of 2,700+ employees (plus over 2000 volunteers), across four UK nations, provides support, advice and guidance which includes:• Our 100+ residential, supported living and community services.• Provision of four specialist independent schools.• A growing portfolio of Cullum Centres in mainstream schools.• Five million users on our website for autism information and advice. • 520,000 people use our online community.• 17,600 people are supported by 117 local branches.• Our specialist helplines advise 5,130 families.• Training and conferences for 18,000 health, social care and education professionals.• Our Autism at Work Programme.• Diagnosis and assessment services.• Accreditation and autism friendly awards.• Consultancy and training services.Autistic people face inequality, misunderstanding and isolation. The National Autistic Society and our supporters campaign to protect the rights and interests of autistic people and their families. Recent successes include:• A new Autism Strategy for England includes measures to help autistic children.• Lobbying Scottish Government to introduce a commissioner for autism.• Shaping the new Autism Amendment Bill in Northern Ireland.

Senior Independent Director (SID) for the Trust.Member of the Finance & Investment Committee and Operational Performance Committee.NED representative on the Disability and Wellbeing Network.

Regular meetings with Ministers for education, health, social care, work and disablity in order to influence policy development; lobbying of the UK Government to drive positive change in the sector.

KIDS is a national service delivery charity which for over 50 years has supported disabled children, young people and their families. Their support is pan disability, from birth through to 25 years. Each year during my tenure they supported over 15,500 disabled children and young people.Under my leadership KIDS had a team of 1,000+ employees, sessional workers and volunteers delivering 120+ projects and high quality services for 80+ local authorities. Many of these services were regulated by CQC or Ofsted. These included: • Delivering over 85,000 hours of short breaks in the community. • Overnight short breaks in registered residential homes for disabled children.• Running regulated specialist nurseries, crèches and adventure playgrounds.• After school play schemes and holiday clubs.• SEND mediation for over 70 local authorities.• Independent Supporters during implementation of SEND reforms.• DfE strategic partner for participation of disabled young people (in partnership with CDC).• Home learning (Portage). • Key working.• Youth clubs, Young Carers Groups and Relationships and Sexuality Groups.• Transition/employment support.• Support for parents and siblings.

Chaired CDC Partnership Board and CDC Council meetings for its members throughout the disabled children's sector.

Deputised for the CEO. Acting CEO throughout summer 2012.• Leadership and strategy development for activities and services throughout England, Scotland, Wales and NI. Management responsibility for administration, IT, facilities and research• Overseeing the network of 240+ support groups (16,500 volunteers) and 5 five regional teams in England (London, Liverpool, Newcastle, Bristol and Leicester) plus national teams based in Glasgow and Swansea• Chairing committees including the Department of Health Patient Group, National Heads and the ITC Strategy Group• Awarding multi-million pounds of research grants each year.

• Executive lead for the charities trading subsidiary BLF Services Ltd• Strategy development for both the charity and its trading subsidiary• A national role representing the BLF throughout the UK• National liaison, negotiation and contract development with commissioners and private sector providers• Development of new innovative clinical services and products to help patients with lung disease. New areas of service development include lung cancer and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA)

AUDH was a start up commercial and research hospital specialising in ophthalmology, 3T MRI and other diagnostics. It was awarded the Medi-Link Best Medical Start Up Business Award.• Day to day management of all hospital activities and a multi-disciplinary team of senior clinicans. Executive Board member.• Responsible individual for the Care Quality Commission leading numerous successful CQC audits.• Business planning and strategy development including the creation of new innovative services enabling year-on-year income growth.• Contract development and mulitple negotiations with local commissioners and private sector providers including BUPA, Ultralase and Optimax. The ophthalmic business has now been taken over by Optegra.

A complex management role leading a team of 56 peri-operative practitioners in a busy clinical environment supporting 120 consultants surgeons to deliver high quality services.

Prior to 2002 - Consultant Pharmacist and Store ManagerBoots The ChemistVarious locations across the East Midlands