Our Team
Our people are one of our greatest strengths. Find out about the people who make up The Scar Free Foundation.
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.
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.
Vice Presidents
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.
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.
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, and was 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 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.
Our Trustees
Chairman
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.
Research Council Chairman
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.
Trustee
Dr Hemani Modasia-Shah
Hemani was first introduced to The Scar Free Foundation in 2007, becoming one of our lived-experienced Ambassadors. She survived severe burn injuries when she was eighteen months old. Hemani 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.
Trustee
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.
Trustee
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 also serves on the Foundation’s Finance & Operations Committee.
Trustee
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 form the basis of clinical trials being conducted at the University of Oxford.
Honorary Treasurer
Mr Richard Collier
Richard is a member of our Board of Trustees. He is a former Managing Director of Lehman Brothers and JP Morgan Chase. Richard was also Finance Bursar of Balliol, University of Oxford, between 2007 – 2019. As well as being a member of the Foundation’s Trustee Committee, Richard also serves on the Foundation’s Finance & Operations Committee.
Our Staff
Chief Executive
Lieutenant General (retired) Richard Nugee, CB, CVO, CBE
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.
Deputy Chief Executive
Charlotte Coates
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.
Head of Finance and Operations
Catherine Attwood
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.
Communications and Projects Manager
Suz Mendus
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. Suz dedicates much of her spare time to creative writing, particularly screen, stage, and non-fiction.
In her role as Communications Manager, Suz directs The Scar Free Foundation’s communications and content strategy.