Our Council

Our Council is an advisory body comprising up to 30 members.

Members include the Board of Trustees and the Chairmen of the other Foundation committees, such as the Chairs and Programme Grants Committee and the Retail Committee.

Council Members

Biographies

Roger Best

Roger has over 35 years experience with retail and consumer brand businesses. After graduating in Marketing from Strathclyde University he began his career with Dulux Paints at ICI.

After periods with Coloroll and a BT telecom’s joint venture, Roger joined Reebok where he held the positions of VP and GM for firstly North America and subsequently Europe, Africa and Middle East. His Board appointments have included JD Sports, JJB Sports, Hobbycraft and Silver Cross. Until May 2009 he was CEO of handbag market leader Radley and is now the company’s Chairman.

Roger joined the BHF Retail Committee in June 2009, and was appointed Chairman of the Retail Committee, and member of Council in September 2009.

Dr Naureen Bhatti

Dr Bhatti qualified in medicine from the Middlesex Hospital Medical School in 1985. Following a varied career in general medicine, sexual health, public health and epidemiology she became a GP in 1996 and started to work at her current practice in Tower Hamlets in 1998.

Although Tower Hamlets is one of London’s smallest boroughs, it is one of the most densely populated with diverse communities and high levels of deprivation. These result in enormous challenges to the health and wellbeing of the local population - with high levels of coronary heart disease, particularly in the south Asian population.

Dr Bhatti’s other main interest is medical education. As well as a GP trainer she is Programme Director for the London Deanery Induction and Refreshment Scheme, aimed to help people get back into general practice after a career break. She is also an Honorary Clinical Lecturer for the Barts and the London Medical School, Queen Mary University of London and is actively involved in teaching medical students.

Dr Bhatti has been a member of the BHF Council since 2008.

Professor Andrew Halestrap

Andrew Halestrap is a Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Bristol and a founding member of The Bristol Heart Institute. He was an Open Scholar at Sidney Sussex College Cambridge where he studied Natural Sciences, specialising in Biochemistry. He moved to the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Bristol to study for his PhD and has stayed there ever since as Research Fellow, Lecturer, Reader and now Professor (from 1996).

Professor Halestrap’s current research focuses on two distinct areas in which he has made seminal contributions over many years. One area is the molecular mechanism by which lactic acid crosses cell membranes and how this can be targeted pharmacologically. The other is the role of mitochondria in the healthy and diseased heart. He has a particular interest in targeting the mitochondria to protect hearts from damage following surgery or a heart attack.

Professor Halestrap’s research is funded by The British Heart Foundation, The Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council. He has published over 200 peer-reviewed papers and reviews and was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2008. He has been invited to give The Keilin Memorial Lecture of the Biochemical society in 2010.

Professor Halestrap is on the Editorial Board of Cardiovascular Research, Biochimica Biophysica Acta (Bioenergetics), The Journal of Biological Chemistry and Science and Christian Belief. He is the current Chair of the British Heart Foundation Project Grants Committee and was elected to the Council of the BHF in 2009.

Professor Richard Hobbs

Richard Hobbs is currently Professor and Head of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford, UK. He is the National Director of the NIHR English School for Primary Care Research (2009-) and was National Director and Chair of the Quality and Outcomes (QOF) Review Panel from 2005-09. He sits on several national and international scientific and research funding boards, including the Council of the British Heart Foundation.

He currently Chairs the Council for Cardiovascular Primary Care of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC); the Prevention and Care Board, British Heart Foundation; and the European Primary Care Cardiovascular Society (EPCCS). He previously served as member or chair of the UK Primary Care Cardiovascular Society and British Society for Heart Failure.

Professor Hobbs‘ research interests focus on cardiovascular epidemiology and clinical trials, especially relating to vascular and stroke risk, and heart failure. Overall his publications include 28 book chapters, 12 edited books and over 320 original papers in peer reviewed journals such as the Lancet, Annals of Internal Medicine, BMJ, Atherosclerosis, EHJ and Stroke. His research has impacted on international health policies and clinical guidelines. Within the NHS, he has consulted on National Service Frameworks for CHD, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure and several National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) and ESC guideline reviews. He has provided clinical care in inner-city general practice for 30 years.

Professor Hobbs joined the BHF Council in 2007 and is currently Chairman of the BHF’s Prevention and Care Committee.

Professor Sir Bruce Keogh

Professor Sir Bruce Keogh is Medical Director of the National Health Service in England. He is responsible for clinical quality, policy and strategy and postgraduate education of doctors, dentists, pharmacists and clinical scientists. He oversees the work programme of the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) and until recently, he sponsored the work programme of NICE. He has recently been appointed National Medical Director on the NHS Commissioning Board.

Prior to this, he had a distinguished career in surgery reflected by presidency of the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland, Secretary General of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery International Director of the US Society of Thoracic Surgeons and president of the Cardiothoracic Section of the Royal Society of Medicine. He has served as a Commissioner on the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) and the Healthcare Commission and was knighted for services to medicine in 2003.

Professor Keogh has been a member of the BHF Council member since 2007.

Andy Kirby

Andy Kirby has been a member of the BHF York & District Area Fundraising Committee since 1996 and is currently their Chair, having spent the previous ten years as Deputy. He is an enthusiastic and effective fundraiser who has helped to raise significant sums for the charity in fun and innovative ways.

With his own wealth management business – Mint Wealth Management – Andy has many years experience in the financial services sector including helping clients and their families with later life planning. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers and the Chartered Insurance Institute and has recently launched a website to provide marketing and business development support to financial advisers.

Andy has two small children who share his love of skiing and mountain biking and often support him in his fundraising activities for the BHF.

Andy joined the BHF Council in 2012.

Suzannah Power

Suzannah Power was appointed to the British Heart Foundation Council in March 2007, and is the Council’s first patient representative, bringing a new perspective to the decision making process.

She has been involved with the British Heart Foundation since 2002, when the first Patient Action Group was established, and works to ensure that our work is relevant to patients and their carers.

Her personal involvement with cardiac services over 40 years ago when she was diagnosed with an unusual collection of congenital heart defects. Her patient notes describe her as an 'interesting and challenging case'.

Suzannah studied Developmental Psychology and holds a Masters Degree in Occupational Psychology.  She was Head of Marketing and Public Relations at the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, then left to join the NHS in 2000, where she has specialised in patient and public involvement, community engagement and market intelligence.  She currently works at Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Suzannah has a particular interest in congenital heart defects and the role of technology in the management of atrial fibrillation.  She has been patient representative on the NICE Guildeline Development Group for Antibiotic Prophylaxis against infective Endocarditis, on the Programme Development Group for Coronary Heart Disease and currently sits on the NICE Update to the Atrial Fibrillation Guidelines Development Group.

Jan Procter-King

Jan Procter-King is a primary care nurse. Having trained at St James's Hospital in Leeds, she continued into midwifery but quickly found the joy of primary care, as a practice nurse in inner city Leeds.

She has a master’s degree in quality in health care and is fascinated by how do we change clinical practice to ensure that, when we know what works, we actually make it happen, when a patient meets a practitioner.

This fascination has led through facilitator posts for diabetes, and cardiovascular management, and to her developing a teaching style which is renowned for being fun and practical and always around the field of cardiovascular disease.

Ex President of the Primary Care Cardiovascular Society, the first president of the society to be a nurse and a woman, showing the importance of a multi disciplinary approach, Jan has been the editor in chief for The British Journal of Primary Care Nursing for CVD diabetes and kidney care. This is in its tenth year and is very successful, like Jan's teaching style it keeps things real and practical.

Previously she led the development of the practitioner with special interest post graduate diploma in cardiology from Bradford University, and more recently the development of the post graduate certificate in stroke care out of Leeds University. Currently developing and delivering training on behalf of the national kidney, liver and diabetes care teams and editing the journal.

To keep a foot on the floor Jan can also still be found in inner city Bradford as a practice nurse, greeting patients and dealing with cardiovascular prevention and management.

Jan joined the BHF Council in 2010.

Professor Alice Roberts

Alice Roberts is an anatomist, author and broadcaster. She is Professor of Public Engagement in Science at the University of Birmingham.

Alice studied medicine and anatomy (MB BCh BSc) at Cardiff University, qualifying in 1997. She worked as a junior doctor in South Wales, before becoming a lecturer at Bristol University, where she taught anatomy on the medical course for over ten years. She developed a research interest in biological or physical anthropology, looking at what ancient skeletons can tell us about human evolution, and the diversity of the human species. She has a PhD in palaeopathology (the study of disease in ancient human remains).

Alice's television debut came as a human bone specialist on Channel 4's Time Team, in 2001. She went on to become a science presenter for various projects on BBC2, focusing on her expertise and passion for science, medicine and anthropology. As well as being part of the original presenting team on BBC2's Coast, she has fronted several series and programmes, including Don't Die Young, The Incredible Human Journey, Wild Swimming, Digging for Britain, Horizon ('Are we still evolving?'), and Origins of Us. She is currently working on a series about the megafauna of the Ice Age with the Natural History Unit, and another series looking in detail at some of our ancient ancestors.

Alice has written several popular science books. She enjoys art, and produced illustrations for Don't Die Young and The Incredible Human Journey, and advised on the anatomy artwork for the Complete Human Body. She is a judge for the annual Wellcome Image Awards.

Alice is also the Director of Anatomy for the NHS Severn Deanery School of Surgery, and holds honorary fellowships at Hull York Medical School and the University of Bristol.

She is an honorary fellow of the British Science Association, a member of the Advisory Board of the Cheltenham Festival of Science, and Patron of the Association of Science and Discovery Centres.

Alice has been a member of the BHF Council since July 2009.

James Robinson

James is a member of the Audit and Investment Committees and became a member of Council in July 2009.

James is a chartered accountant who has spent over 30 years in the investment business, primarily as a fund manager.

He has extensive international experience including two years in Australia where he set up a new fund management business for Mercury Asset Management (now part of Black Rock). From 1990 - 2005 he was employed by Henderson Global Investors where he had a number of senior roles in overseas equities, investment trusts and hedge funds.

Following his retirement from Henderson in 2005 he has taken on a number of different positions.

He is Chairman of Polar Capital Global Healthcare Growth and Income Trust plc and a director of several other quoted investment companies. He is also a non-executive adviser to BOCM Pauls Ltd and Gore Browne Investment Management.

Dr Jaz Saggu

Dr Jaz Saggu is known for developing, existing and building new financial service businesses and for his strength in business change leadership of complex international businesses.

He is currently at Aviva Plc as the Commercial Change Director. Prior to this, he was:

• Executive Director at NPG Wealth Management (a JC Flowers Private Equity Company) based in Luxembourg
• Main Board and was Global Operations Director for Insurance and Wealth Management at GE Money
• Senior Director at Prudential Plc and HBOS Plc.

Jaz has held a number of international regulatory approved Board Directorships as a Main Board and Non-Executive Director in the UK, continental Europe and America:

• Holiday Property Bond Ltd,
• Bedford NHS Trust, and
• UK Wealth Management Ltd.

Currently he is a Trustee of the British & Foreign School Society and Non-Executive Director of bpha Ltd.

Jaz holds an MBA, MSc and PhD from Cranfield University. He is also a visiting professor of Change Management and a Member of the Advisory Board at Middlesex University.

Jaz became member of the BHF Council in March 2011.

Professor Julian Scott

Professor Scott graduated from the University of Leicester in 1981.  He trained in general surgery in Leicester, Peterborough, Bristol and Exeter and obtained his FRCSEd  and FRCSEng. He undertook his clinical research into lower limb arterial bypass grafts under the supervision of Professor Michael Horrocks (Bristol) and was awarded an MD in 1981.

He was awarded the Patey Prize for his work on noninvasive estimation of peripheral resistance, a Hunterian Professorship, and the Moynihan Travelling Fellowship by the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland. He spent a year as senior clinical fellow at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne and was appointed as a consultant vascular surgeon to St James' Hospital, Leeds in 1993.
Professor Scott was awarded an honorary chair in Vascular Surgery by the University of Leeds in 2004 and is currently based in the Division of Cardiovascular and Diabetes Research at the Leeds Institute of Genetics, Health and Therapeutics.

His research interests major on abdominal aortic aneurysms and associated cardiovascular risk and his publications include 1 book, 12 book chapters, and over 125 original papers in peer reviewed journals.

He became a member of Council in 2008.

Professor Sir John Tooke

Professor Sir John Tooke MA MSc BM BCh DM DSc(Oxon) FRCP FRCPI FRCGP (Hon) FAcadMed (Hon) FMedSci was Dean of the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry until 30 November 2009. In January 2010 he took up post as Vice Provost (Health) and Head of the Medical School at UCL.

Sir John is the immediate past Chair of the Medical Schools Council and Chair of the UK Healthcare Education Advisory Committee (UKHEAC). He is a member of the National Institute for Health Research Advisory Board and the Health and Education National Strategic Exchange (HENSE).

His clinical and research interests focus on diabetes and its vascular complications and he is a recipient of the European Association of Diabetes Camillo Golgi Award. He is former Chair of Diabetes UK Professional Section and former President of the European Society for Microcirculation. The University of Exeter was awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for his work on the pathogenesis of diabetic microangiopathy. 

Professor Martin R. Wilkins

Martin R. Wilkins is Professor of Clinical Pharmacology, Head of the Division of Investigative Sciences, Imperial College and Director of the Clinical and Investigative Sciences within Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

He is also Chair of the Department of Experimental Medicine and Toxicology and the Deputy Director of the Department of Health Toxicology Unit at Imperial College London. He has been the Director of the Sir John McMichael Centre for Clinical Research at Hammersmith Hospital since its establishment in 2001.

Professor Wilkins is a clinician scientist with a background in clinical pharmacology and toxicology and his primary interest is in proof-of-concept studies in humans. He uses pulmonary hypertension as a paradigm for developing novel therapies from the laboratory to patients. He directs an internationally competitive research program in pulmonary hypertension from basic science to clinical trials, publishing regularly in peer-reviewed journals.

Professor Wilkins is Chairman of the BHF Fellowships Committee and has been a member of Council since 2011.