Faculty
Dr Oscar Lyons
Founder and Director
Dr Oscar Lyons is a researcher, educator and doctor who specialises in healthcare leadership development.
Oscar worked as a doctor in Hauora Tairāwhiti (a rural NZ hospital), and Counties Manukau (Auckland) before taking up a Rhodes Scholarship. He has a DPhil in “Evaluating Medical Leadership Development Programmes” from Oxford University.
Oscar has designed, delivered and facilitated leadership development programmes for Oxford Master's degrees, certificates and colleges; UK NHS hospitals, summer schools, leadership development consultancies, and research centres. His teaching and research focus on real-world impact. Oscar has led a number of national research and evaluation projects, including a review of leadership development for doctors in the UK Royal Colleges, and a multi-year multi-site evaluation of conflict management training.
Alongside his teaching and research, Oscar is Associate Editor for BMJ Leader, the UK’s journal for healthcare leadership.
Mary Fenwick
Programme Director
Mary Fenwick is co-Programme Director of the Emerging Leaders Programme. Mary is a qualified executive coach, a Fellow of the Institute of Coaching, and an external examiner for Henley Business School in coaching. Her professional background is journalism, corporate public affairs, educational fundraising, and networking. Her interests and experience include the impact of gender, ethnicity, bullying, and neurodiversity. She is trained in Mindful Self-Compassion Core Skills, and Mental Health First Aid, and is currently developing her trauma-informed practice.
Oscar Mathew
Programme Director
Oscar Mathew is a qualified barrister and mediator, and Director of The Medical Mediation Foundation. He has a background in regulatory and public law.
Prior to his work with The Medical Mediation Foundation, Oscar was a senior legal adviser to the GMC, overseeing judicial reviews and statutory appellate work in the High Court, and had conduct of the Supreme Court case of Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board [2015] UKSC 11, one of the most significant medical law cases in the last 25 years.
Oscar is teaching lead for the Next Generation Leaders Programme
Dr Jordan Abdi
Non-Executive Director
World Economic Forum Global Shaper and Schwarzman Scholar passionate about preventative health. Jordan is a medical doctor by background, and has a decade’s experience working in the health technology sector.
Jordan is a passionate problem solver and has experience in implementing change in challenging environments. In 2013 he co-founded the London Forum of Science Policy, a think tank bridging the gap between academia and policy. Within the first year, the institute published 3 policy papers, and authors were able to present their work at London City Hall, the European Commission and on BBC. Jordan also founded pocketNurse, an award-winning company that was inspired by witnessing the inherent flaws within the current clinical education system.
Jordan has taken on new and different roles of leadership that has brought their own challenges and have required a different set of skills. From joining the British delegation to the G20 Summit in Hangzhou to becoming Managing Director at Knightsbridge Tuition, he tries to use his experiences to improve the world around him.
Dr Claire Pulford
ELP Organisational Lead (Medical Education)
Claire Pulford is the Director of Medical Education for Oxford University Hospitals.
Dr Jaason Geerts
Vice-President of Research and Leadership Development at the Canadian College of Health Leaders
Jaason Geerts, PhD, is an accomplished leader in the field of healthcare and education. He currently holds the position of Vice-President of Research and Leadership Development at the Canadian College of Health Leaders. With a PhD in Leadership Development for Professionals from the University of Cambridge, his career spans roles in leadership speaking, training, consulting, and academic teaching. Jaason is recognized for his expertise in public speaking and teaching, and he has contributed significantly to research and graduate-level teaching on leadership and expertise.
Dr Vasiliki Kiparoglou
NGLP Commissioner
Vasiliki is Chief Operating Officer of the NIHR Oxford BRC with a demonstrated history of working in the hospital & health care industry.
Vasiliki has a Master's level Diploma in Organisational Leadership focused in Leadership and an Executive MBA from the University of Oxford - Said Business School.
Vasiliki commissioned the Next Generation Leaders Programme and contributes to oversight, workshop delivery and guest speakers
Dr Aimee Manicom
ELP Lead (Coaching)
Aimee is a senior anaesthetic trainee at Oxford University Hospitals. She graduated from the Emerging Leaders Programme in 2020 while completing a Trainee Improvement Fellowship at HEE Thames Valley.
Her fellowship focussed on providing support for doctors who have taken time out of medical training for a variety of reasons. She has an interest in medical education, mentoring and quality improvement.
Aimee joined the ELP faculty in 2020 and is responsible for coaching and speaker engagement.
Dr Alex Bunn
ELP Lead (Projects)
Alex is currently undergoing GP training, following a 2 year fellowship in the Ambulatory Care Unit at Oxford University Hospitals.
Alex has attended several courses including; Emerging Leaders Programme, Value Based Healthcare (Harvard University Business School), Edward Jenner Programme (NHS Leadership Academy), OUH QI Hub and a Module in Professional Practice (Bucks New University).
Alex is currently a RCP Chief Registrar, undergoing the flagship leadership programme to develop into a future clinical leader. He is training to become a GP, after previously completing a dynamic two-year fellowship at the Ambulatory Care Unit within Oxford University Hospitals. Along this journey, Alex has been a continuous learner, seizing opportunities to expand their knowledge and skills through various courses and programmes.
Among these enriching experiences, Alex has delved into the Management in Medicine programme (Green Templeton College), as well as the Emerging Leaders Programme (Thrum Leadership) and Edward Jenner Programme (NHS Leadership Academy). In addition, he has completed a PGCert in Professional Practice (Bucks New University), as well as a 'Value-Based Healthcare' course at the renowned Harvard University Business School, refining their understanding of delivering high-quality care efficiently.
Alex has actively engaged in enhancing quality and innovation within healthcare through his participation in Quality improvement at several stages throughout his career, and continues to provide hands-on mentoring experience in driving quality improvement initiatives and fostering a culture of continuous enhancement.
These diverse experiences have ignited Alex's passion for Quality Improvement and Leadership within Healthcare. With a robust foundation built upon these experiences, Alex is poised to make significant contributions to the advancement of healthcare delivery, driving positive change and improving outcomes for patients and staff alike.
Dr Lorna Henderson
NGLP Commissioner
Lorna is a member of the senior management team at the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, a partnership between the University of Oxford and Oxford University Hospitals, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). She has an academic background in health services research with a particular focus on NHS patient experiences. She has held a number of leadership roles in academia, NIHR research operations and within the voluntary sector as a Junior Rowing Coach. She is an NHS Leadership Academy Mentor, and graduate of the NHS Leadership Academy Mary Seacole training programme . She is also a graduate of the University of Oxford Said Business School Executive Diploma in Organisational Leadership where she was awarded an International scholarship for outstanding female candidates. She is a visiting academic at the Radcliffe Department of Medicine and member of Kellogg College and Pembroke College University of Oxford. She is still active in research and currently leading some initiatives on equality and diversity at the NIHR Oxford BRC.
Dr Kerri Packwood
ELP Lead (Recruitment, Projects, Coaching)
Kerri’s career as a Clinical Scientist has migrated into facilitating clinical research and digital projects at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Currently SUWON Divisional Research and Development Manager, Kerri has a strong interest in project management and quality improvement.
Kerri graduated from the Emerging Leaders Programme in 2020 receiving the Chief Medical Officers award at the QIP symposium.
Dr Karen Bell
NGLP Programme Manager
Karen is the Training and Education Project Manager for the NIHR Oxford BRC.
Karen has a DPhil in Zoology and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education. She has extensive experience in teaching and in programme management.
Karen is the Programme Manager for the Next Generation Leaders Programme, and supports the faculty in organisation, development, delivery and evaluation.
Dr Anne Gordon
Director
Dr Anne Gordon has a clinical background in occupational therapy, is a post-doctoral clinical researcher and leader. Anne has developed and delivered education for clinicians and administrators across professions. She has experience in pan-professional operational and strategic leadership at executive level in the NHS and in regional and national policy contexts. She is also a trained executive coach and mediator. Anne has extensive experience of working clinically at consultant level and in transforming, creating and leading multi-professional regional services.
Dr Esse Menson
Programme Director
Esse became a consultant paediatrician in 2006 and accredited mediator in 2014. She gained a PhD in vaccine development research in 1989 before qualifying as a doctor from Bristol Medical School in 1994 then training in Melbourne, Australia and South East England to specialise in Infectious Diseases & Immunology. In 2012, she helped develop the Evelina Resolution Project with MMF while she was a consultant at the Evelina London Children’s Hospital.
Esse is one of the principal trainers working with MMF to deliver training and coaching in understanding and managing conflict to multidisciplinary health and social care professionals around the UK and internationally. She mediates conflicts in healthcare and workplace settings. Esse has been a course director for the Guy's & St Thomas' MRCPCH Clinical Examination Course in London since 2012 and is certificated in Compassion Training from the Centre for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, Stanford, USA (2019) and Mindful Self Compassion Training (Kristen Neff/Christopher Germer model), London, UK (2019).
Wendy Washbourn
Programme Manager
Wendy Washbourn is an administrator at the Oxford Simulation, Teaching and Research Centre (OxSTaR).
As the Emerging Leaders Programme Manager, Wendy makes sure that the programme runs smoothly.
Wendy is the primary point of contact for applicants, delegates and faculty, and is one of the few administrators to routinely feature in programme evaluations as a highlight of the programme.
Dr Juliette Phillipson
Researcher
Juliette is a medical doctor from Christchurch, New Zealand. She is passionate about research and medical education and has joined the Thrum team to assist with programme evaluation and wider research endeavours.
Dr Karandeep Nandra
ELP Programme Lead (Past)
Karandeep Nandra is a public health registrar and teaching fellow.
A graduate of the first Emerging Leaders Programme, Karandeep has been a programme director since.
He has been a full-time teaching fellow since 2018, and has delivered a wide range of sessions alongside the ELP.
He has received outstanding feedback for his teaching, facilitation, course direction and curriculum development.
Dr Abbas Sardar
ELP Lead (Workshops)
Abbas Sardar is a doctor currently completing a clinical fellowship within the Ambulatory Assessment Unit at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Abbas graduated from the Emerging Leaders Programme in 2020 whilst completing his foundation training in the Oxford Deanery.
He has a particular interest in quality improvement and medical education, and is currently completing a Post Graduate Certificate in Medical Education.
Abbas joined the ELP as a faculty member in 2020 and is responsible for speaker recruitment and course delivery.
Avneet Gill
NGLP Lead (Coaching)
Avneet Gill is a Diagnostic Radiographer by trade and now works within imaging research, specifically relating to Artificial Intelligence algorithm testing. She has previously worked coordinating imaging teams within busy Accident and Emergency departments and now has a focus on project managing commercial/non-commercial research studies in her field.
Her personal interest in leadership, coaching and mentoring has led her to write, present and disseminate pieces of work on these topics to her peers, as forms of Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
Avneet is a graduate of Next Generation Leaders Programme.
Dr João Galante
ELP Lead (Evaluation)
Joao Galante is a Clinical Oncology registrar at the London/KSS programme, and a MSc candidate at the Institute of Cancer Research.
Joao worked as an engineer in Poland, before studying medicine between there, the UK and the United States, and working at Oxford University Hospitals as a medical doctor.
Alongside his involvement in quality improvement, trainee representation, engagement and teaching, Joao has been a core faculty member, facilitator and tutor for the Emerging Leaders Programme since 2018, after graduating from the first edition of the ELP.
Dr James Hong
ELP Faculty (Curriculum)
James Hong is a doctor and graduate student at the University of Oxford, pursuing a MSc and MBA thereafter.
James completed the Emerging Leaders Programme in 2020 as a FY2 doctor at Oxford University Hospitals. During this time, he implemented leadership and quality improvement skills learnt from the programme to spearhead multiple QIPs leading to Trust-wide prizes.
James joined the ELP as a faculty member in 2020 and is responsible for programme curriculum, speaker engagement, and coaching.
Harry Kingsley-Smith
Researcher
Harry is a Surgical Doctor interested in assessment and evaluation of leadership development programmes. He has worked in Oxford as an academic foundation doctor and at Imperial College as a surgical teaching fellow.
He is in the process of completing his MSc in Medical Education at the University of Oxford. He is grateful to the Horlock Trust for their financial support of his studies. His dissertation is based on evaluating the Next Generation Leaders Programme. Aside from his Leadership research, Harry is also a podcaster, founding the A to Easy podcast for medical students.
Dr Charlotte Holland
ELP Lead (Website)
I am a paediatrician, with interests in Medical Education and Paediatric Palliative Care. These interests are strangely interwoven. In palliative medicine the focus is on holistic care and good communication. Within MedEd, I have developed and maintained ‘The Oxford Paediatrics Hub’, a single platform for communication, education and collaboration within the deanery. Using quality improvement/leadership principles learnt through the ELP course, the project has evolved, now developing a bespoke trainee portal as a Health Education England Trainee Improvement Fellow. And of course, I felt I had to come back and be a part of the fantastic ELP team!