Our team

Our Royal Patron, HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh GCVO 

Her Royal Highness has been Patron of The Scar Free Foundation since 2002, and opened the Foundation’s Centre for Conflict Wound Research at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham in 2018. 

Our President, The Lord Rose of Monewden

Lord Rose is the President of The Scar Free Foundation, elected in 2011, and is Chairman of the grocery retailer ASDA. Previously, Stuart was the Chief Executive and Chairman of Marks & Spencer, and Chairman of Ocado.

Stuart was knighted in 2008 for services to the retail industry and corporate social responsibility and made a life peer in September 2014. He has supported The Scar Free Foundation since 2001 and served as both Appeal Chairman and Chairman.

Lead Ambassador, Mr Simon Weston CBE

Simon Weston is our Lead Ambassador, and a veteran of the British Army. Simon was seriously injured in the Falklands War after his ship, the Sir Galahad, was bombed, leaving him with burns to 46% of his body.

In the 2016 New Year’s Honours, Simon was awarded a CBE for his charitable work. He is currently the Patron of the Falkland Veterans Foundation, The Enham Trust, Allied Service Trust and an Ambassador for Changing Faces and DEBRA. 

Dr Geraldine Brough, FRCP

Geraldine is a retired rheumatologist and worked at The Royal Free Hospital, London, until 2018.

Geraldine’s late husband, Michael, was responsible for founding The Scar Free Foundation (formerly The Healing Foundation) in 1999.

Professor Sir Kenneth C. Calman, KCB, MD, FRCS, DL, FRSE

Sir Kenneth Calman is Vice President of The Scar Free Foundation, and is a former surgeon, oncologist and cancer researcher.

Ken was Chief Medical Officer of Scotland, and then England, and has been the Chancellor of the University of Glasgow since 2006.

The Rt Hon the Lord Patten of Barnes, CH

Lord Patten of Barnes is Vice President of The Scar Free Foundation, and is a former British Politician. He served as the last Governor of Hong Kong from 1992 – 1997, andwas Chairman of the Conservative Party from 1990-1992.

Lord Patten was also Chairman of the BBC Trust between 2011-2014, and now serves as the Chancellor of the University of Oxford. He was awarded a Knight Bachelor for services to medicine and medical education in the 2003 Queen’s Birthday Honours. 

Professor Sir John Temple, FRCS(Ed&Eng) DSc, FMedSci

Professor Sir John Temple is Vice President of The Scar Free Foundation, and former President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

A former surgeon, Sir John was appointed as the independent chair of the UK-wide review of the impact of the European Working Time Directive on junior doctors, reporting in 2010.

Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, KBE, MD, DSc FRCS, FRCP

Professor Sir Bruce Keogh is the Chairman of The Scar Free Foundation, appointed in 2017. A renowned cardiac surgeon, Bruce was the National Medical Director of NHS England until 2018, responsible for clinical leadership, quality and innovation.

He is now Chairman of Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Trust. He was knighted for his services to medicine and medical education in the 2005 Queen’s Birthday Honours. 

Professor Peter Weissberg CBE, MD, DSc, FRCP, FMedSci

Peter is our Research Council Chairman, and is a cardiovascular physician. He’s the former Medical Director of the British Heart Foundation, and was appointed as the British Heart Foundation Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine in the University of Cambridge.

Previously, Peter also Chaired the UK Biocentre Board, and was a Trustee of the British Cardiovascular Society. 

Dr Hemani Modasia-Shah, MRCGP 

Hemani survived severe burn injuries as a baby and joined The Scar Free Foundation as an Ambassador in 2007, before becoming a Trustee.

She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the Board, not only as providing the patient voice, but also as a qualified doctor working as a GP. 

Mr Timothy Streatfeild MBE 

Tim is a former accountant and a survivor of the Paddington train crash, 1999. Tim has been a Trustee since 2006 and also serves on the Foundation’s Finance & Operations Committee. 

Ms Alison Clarke

Alison was CEO of Weber Shandwick Asia, before joining Huntsworth PLC as Business Development Director and then becoming the CEO of Grayling UK & Ireland.

Alison is the former President of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, and the former Chairman of the Public Relations Consultants Association. Alison is a Trustee and also serves on the Foundation’s Finance & Operations Committee. 

Mr Liaquat Verjee, BSc, MBBS, MRCS, MBA, PhD, FRCS(Plast)

Liaquat is a Consultant Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon with two decades of experience in the NHS and private practice. He was awarded his PhD in Plastic Surgery from Imperial College London, holds a degree in Psychology and an MBA from London Business School.

He was a Research Fellow of The Scar Free Foundation in 2007 and his subsequent scientific publications on fibrosis form the basis of clinical trials being conducted at the University of Oxford. He became a Trustee in 2025.

Sridhar Athreya, BSc MCM SEF (Harvard), GCxO (Wharton)

Sridhar is a board-level governance, risk and finance leader with over 25 years’ experience across financial services, pensions and mission-led organisations.

He has chaired Finance, Audit, Risk and Investment committees, held Chief Risk & Compliance Officer roles, and advised organisations as a management consultant. He holds a BSc and MS in Computer Science and has attended executive education and leadership development programmes at Wharton School, Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School.

He is also a Governor at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Chair of the Human Ecology Foundation.

Bridget Edminson, BSc(Econ), MA, Barrister at Law

Bridget was called to the Bar in 1997. She spent 18 years in the Government Legal Service, 14 of which were in the Ministry of Defence, before becoming the first General Counsel at the University of Sussex in 2018.

In September 2022 Bridget joined Imperial College London where she is Chief Legal Officer and Deputy University Secretary. Bridget became a Trustee of the Scar Free Foundation in October 2025.

Iwan Roberts-Mok, Chartered FCIPD, FCPHR, FIHRM (Hong Kong)

With lived experience of scarring, Iwan has spent over 20 years helping organisations navigate change, strengthen their people strategies, and use technology to deliver better outcomes.

Alongside his executive career in global shared services and digital transformation, he serves in non-executive and trustee roles, supporting boards with governance, culture, and organisational development.

Sam Tillotson, BA, MSc

Sam brings operational and strategic expertise from his experience in the Military, Financial Services and as a Senior Civil Servant in Central Government.

He’s currently the Deputy Director of the Office for Veterans’ Affairs where he leads on Strategy, Research and Data. He’s a member of the Finance and Operations Committee.

Galia Wells, BA, MSc, US CPA

Galia is a finance and governance professional with over 20 years’ experience across international banking, risk management, and sustainability advisory.

Her background spans capital markets, structured finance, and ESG strategy, with a focus on robust financial oversight and long-term value creation.

Lieutenant General (retired) Richard Nugee, CB, CVO, CBE

Chief Executive 

Richard assumed the role of Chief Executive of the Scar Free Foundation in late April 2023, having previously been a Trustee for a number of years.

He is a recently retired senior British Army Officer, serving in numerous operational theatres such as Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan and fulfilling several senior roles including the Chief of Defence People (2016–2020) with responsibility for all policy relating to the Wounded, Injured and Sick.

Charlotte Coates

Deputy Chief Executive

Charlotte joined The Scar Free Foundation in 2014 having previously been Research Manager at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society for 5 years.

Prior to this, she worked in private office and project management positions at the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman and the BBC.

Charlotte leads the delivery of the Foundation’s research strategy while also managing grant writing and overseeing project delivery.

Robert Dickinson

Head of Fundraising

Rob joined The Scar Free Foundation in 2025, having previously led high-value fundraising and partnerships teams at national charities including The Children’s Society.

He has over 15 years’ experience across trusts and foundations, major donors, corporate partnerships and strategic income development.

Rob leads the Foundation’s fundraising strategy and delivery, building long-term relationships to support Scar Free’s pioneering research.

Catherine Attwood

Head of Finance and Operations

Catherine joined The Scar Free Foundation in 2024, bringing extensive experience in charity management, finance, and operations.

She has worked in a variety of roles across the charity sector, including at Badger Trust and Blind Veterans UK, with expertise in financial management, governance, and process optimisation.

As Head of Finance and Operations, she oversees financial strategy, operational efficiency, and organisational effectiveness to support the Foundation’s mission.

Suz Mendus

Communications and Projects Manager

Suz joined The Scar Free Foundation in 2024 with over eight years’ experience in creative communications, content production, and strategy implementation.

She has both in-house and freelance experience from well-known public, private, and charity sector organisations. This spans speechwriting and ghostwriting for individuals, to creative and strategic overhaul for large organisations.

In her role as Communications Manager, Suz directs The Scar Free Foundation’s communications and content strategy.

Dr Eleanor Kennedy, BSc, PhD, MBA

Research Grants Coordinator

Eleanor has a BSc in biochemistry and a PhD in molecular neuropharmacology. Following three years as a postdoc at the University of California, San Diego, Eleanor worked at the University of Geneva in Switzerland for five years.

Since completing her MBA, she has run her own healthcare consultancy companies, working with a wide range of clients including the NIHR, the Department of Health, the British Medical Journal and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, as well as a number of medical research charities funding research into diabetes, cancer, scarring, and bowel disease.