Gerard Crofton-Martin, Interim Chief Executive

Gerard joined SCIE in 2020, and most recently held the position of Director of Transformation and Improvement, overseeing SCIE’s innovative consultancy support and expert training. He has led multi-million-pound work programmes supporting local authorities and Government Departments, from social care improvement and transformation, including advising on local authority readiness for social care reform, to safeguarding approaches, workforce development and co-production, delivering millions of cost savings to local authorities to improve lives for adults and children.

Gerard has over 25 years of experience working in the statutory and charity sector, and over 20 years in health and social care, including roles as Director of Quality and Evidence at Healthwatch England/ Care Quality Commission, and Director of Strategy, Impact and Transformation at Independent Age, where he led the organisational response to Covid-19, including gaining the experience of setting up a new multimillion pound fund to support local organisations working with older people.

He has been a member of a number of advisory boards, including the Health and Care Publications Advisory Board, and was recently a member of the CHKS Accreditation Council, advising on the development and publication of accredited quality standards for health and care organisations.

Chris Dadson, Director of Business and Commercial Development

Chris joined SCIE in early 2023 and leads SCIE’s income generation strategies. He has significant experience supporting charities to grow and develop in commissioning, funder and delivery organisations.

Previously he was Director of Business Development at the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership, and before that Director of Development at the Social Investment Business.

He started his career in the civil service and has worked across strategy and policy development roles in the Cabinet Office and at Ofsted. Chris was educated at Cambridge University (BA, English Literature) and at the University of London (MA, Latin American Studies).

Ian McCreath, Director of TLAP (Think Local Act Personal)

Aside from a stint working for the web team of a national newspaper, Ian career has been spent exclusively working in disability-related roles. Early experiences with his nan, and as a support worker, led him to question why care and support couldn’t be better at focussing on what really mattered to each person.

Ian joined Alzheimer’s’ Society in 2006, to manage service teams across three counties. Since 2012, his focus has been purely on developing personalisation policy and practice.

Ian believes that the most effective route to meaningful change and workable solutions is through co-production and collaborative partnerships, of which TLAP (Think Local Act Personal) is a pioneering example.

Deborah Rozansky, Director of Policy, Research and Information

Deborah leads a team supporting improvements in social care through evidence generation, knowledge translation and policy influencing. Her experience includes conducting research studies and leading complex change programmes for government and the NHS, including recent initiatives in integrated care.

Deborah worked previously at the Office for Public Management, the Health Foundation and the Royal College of Nursing.

Earlier in her career, she worked for the Medicare and Medicaid healthcare programmes in the USA. Deborah was educated at Harvard University (AB, History) and UCLA (MSc, Public Health) and is currently studying for an MSc at Imperial College London (Healthcare and Design).

Rachel Armitage

Rachel has worked in the health information and media sector for over 25 years, producing evidence-based products and services for doctors, nurses and patients.

As Director of the BMJ Evidence Centre, Rachel gained extensive experience of structuring knowledge and evidence for practitioners and service users to improve best practice and the experience of care.

She then joined the global publisher Elsevier as Director of e-Education Solutions for EMEA/LA. Here she developed and commercialised new, digital learning products for the undergraduate market.

Rachel is currently Managing Director of RCNi, the independent, commercial media arm of the Royal College of Nursing. She is a member of the RCNi Board, Audit and Remuneration Committees, and is responsible for the digital transformation of services to meet the needs of the nursing community.

Dean Okereke

Dean Okereke is a healthcare transformation leader with over a decade’s experience spanning the NHS, central government and healthcare consulting. He is an experienced strategy consultant who leads on digital transformation and AI adoption for NHS and social care organisations.

Dean previously served at the Department of Health and Social Care as Head of Digital, Data and AI Assurance, overseeing assurance of the National and Frontline Digital Portfolio. His earlier career includes senior roles within NHS provider organisations, Oracle Cerner, and independent electronic patient record (EPR) consulting, giving him a rounded view of digital change from the frontline, the supplier side and the centre of government.

Dean is passionate about addressing inequalities in health and social care, and about using digital and technology solutions to tackle the sector’s most persistent challenges, a thread that has run through much of his career. He brings this experience in governance, assurance and technology-led change to his role as a SCIE Trustee.

Sudha Bharadia

Sudha joined SCIE’s Board of Trustees in 2026, bringing over 20 years’ experience across investment management, private credit and impact investing, including over a decade focused on global impact investing.

Sudha is the Founder of Impact Cap, an advisory firm supporting impact-led asset managers through fundraising and investor engagement. She previously spent a number of years as Co-Chief Executive Officer of an emerging-markets-focused investment manager, where she also led on fundraising, marketing, and investor relations, raising over $200m from institutional and private investors.

Sudha is currently Chair of the Investment Committee of a large Foundation focused on energy transition and community regeneration in the UK, and is Chair of Women in Social Finance, a peer-to-peer networking group for senior women shaping financial systems toward more equitable and sustainable outcomes. She holds an MBA with Distinction from the Open University Business School.

Isaac Samuels

For over 25 years, Isaac has been a tireless advocate for social justice and tackling inequalities. As an accomplished community campaigner and co-production advisor, Isaac has dedicated their career to empowering individuals and communities to overcome systemic barriers and achieve their best possible outcomes.

Their work spans the health, social care, and housing sectors, where they have supported those at risk of disadvantage due to poverty, disability, and health disparities to rewrite their narratives and reclaim their voices. 

Whether addressing racial inequality, intersectional discrimination, or the multifaceted challenges faced by marginalised groups, Isaac champions co-production and citizen voice as vital tools for creating fairer systems and better futures. 

Whether collaborating with policymakers, facilitating community-driven initiatives, or advocating for those whose voices are too often silenced, Isaac’s dedication to creating a better world shines through. Their work is a testament to the transformative power of lived experience, the strength of collective action, and the enduring belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive. 

Zoë Hallam

Zoë is a commercial procurement specialist currently working in the healthcare sector where she supports the provision of genomic screening services into the NHS.

Zoë is a lifetime disability advocate, having taken up campaigning at the age of 16 with Muscular Dystrophy UK, and having subsequently been a spokesperson and representative for a number of disability-led organisations.

Most recently she was a Trustee at Attitude is Everything, a charity broadening access to live events for disabled people. She is a personal budget user herself and is passionate about the inclusion of younger people in conversations about disability and social care.

Zoë holds an Advanced Diploma in Procurement and Supply and a BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Oxford.

Margaret Lally

Margaret joined the Board in March 2019. She worked in the NHS for number years where her responsibilities included developing services for people with learning disabilities and managing a range of community health services.

Margaret left the NHS to become Deputy Chief Executive of the Refugee Council. She then went onto the British Red Cross where she was responsible for developing services in the UK including its health and social care offer.

Margaret has previously worked with SCIE including chairing the Group which established Guidelines for the Care and Support of People with Learning Disabilities as They Grow Older.

Margaret is currently trustee of Heritage Care which provides services for older people, people with learning disabilities and people with mental health issues.

Adele Leighton

Adele Leighton has worked in the charity sector for over 25 years and is currently Director of Operations at Autism Initiatives. She has extensive experience leading regulated health and social care services, with responsibility for strategic leadership, governance, quality, financial sustainability and workforce development.

Prior to joining Autism Initiatives, Adele held senior roles with both Mencap and Alzheimer’s Society. At Alzheimer’s Society she led the organisation’s involvement function, embedding involvement across the charity and ensuring that people with lived experience helped shape services, campaigns, research and organisational priorities.

She is passionate about improving the lives of people who draw on care and support services and believes in the importance of co-production, evidence-informed practice and strong governance. Adele has particular expertise in designing and leading services in dementia, autism and learning disabilities, organisational improvement and leading change within complex, regulated environments.

As a Trustee of SCIE, Adele is committed to supporting the organisation’s mission to improve social care through collaboration, innovation and sharing best practice across the sector. 

Brett Terry

Brett joined SCIE in July 2022 and is the director of people at the Children’s charity, The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).

He has more than 20 years’ experience in the charity sector and specialises in organisational development, including large scale transformational change, leadership development and employee and volunteer engagement.

Brett has held numerous roles at Alzheimer’s Society. He has also worked at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Cancer Research UK and Amnesty International.

Brett believes passionately in the power of people and in creating working and volunteering environments where everyone feels valued; and where they can be their one true, authentic self.