RUTH’S STORY

A mother of two teens, Ines has both Dutch and Mexican roots. Born and raised in The Netherlands, Ines moved to the UK in 1997 for her studies.

After graduating in economics, Ines worked in the City for Dresdner Kleinworth Benson, before discovering her passion for content, communication and marketing as a Brand Manager at Elizabeth Arden. In 2009, Ines and her family moved to the Middle East, where she joined Dubai-based Digital-out-of-Home start-up Elevision Media in 2013. Here she helped build the organisation into a thriving, successful business with a network of hundreds of screens across the UAE, and a strong portfolio of clients. In 2019 the family moved back to the UK, where she joined The Ruth Strauss Foundation as Head of MarComms. In April 2022 she stepped in as interim CEO, taking on the permanent position in October 2022.

Like many, she has seen the devastation cancer and the loss of a loved one has on families. In 2001, her step-father was diagnosed with a non-smoking lung cancer (mesothelioma) after a progressively worse shoulder pain was misdiagnosed for months. He died just three months after diagnosis. The devastating call from Ruth in December 2017, was an even bigger shock. Having formed their close bonds when pregnant with their first sons, the brutality of their interrupted futures was incomprehensible. Seeing Ruth find the courage and strength to prepare her family for the inevitable, and living life to the last day with joy and laughter while allowing time to grief together, was inspirational. It has given Ines the passion and ambition to help others facing adversity, while building a worthy legacy for Ruth.

Alongside her personal and professional passion for the cause, Ines brings a broad range of skills and experiences to her role as CEO. She is an empathic, driven and hands-on leader, always open to listen and learn, with the ability to build open and transparent environments that benefit both her team and the beneficiaries of the Foundation.

Prior to joining the Ruth Strauss Foundation, Deepa worked for Macmillan Cancer Support in cancer service development and quality improvement for 13 years. Deepa has influenced and led service developments and improvements with a range of NHS organisations, local authorities, private and voluntary partners. Deepa brings with her an extensive understanding of cancer and palliative care services, how they work, how they are funded and most importantly, how complex they can be for patients and their families to navigate. Deepa joined the Ruth Strauss Foundation due to having seen the need for specialist support for children and young people when facing parental bereavement. Furthermore, Deepa through her work seen the far reaching and long-term impact on children and young people when they experience parental bereavement from conditions such as cancer. Deepa is also a Trustee for Citizens Advice Hertsmere and enjoys working with her peer Board members and staff at this local charity. Despite having no interest in cricket Deepa is delighted to have joined the Ruth Strauss Foundation.

Jignasha Patel is a highly experienced finance professional, accountant, with over fourteen years of experience within the accountancy and finance sector. As Head of Finance at The Ruth Strauss Foundation, Jignasha is responsible for overseeing all financial operations, including budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting.  She has a Certificate in Business Accounting (CBA) with CIMA. She is committed to maximizing The Ruth Strauss Foundation’s impact through effective financial management and strategic planning.

Working and volunteering in Africa, the Americas, and most recently in the UK, Hugh has spent the last 15 years working in community development for charities such as Fulham Football Club Foundation, Street League, and the Prince’s Trust.
He has worked across event management, revenue generation and partnership development with a focus on making a measurable positive impact on society.
Hugh joined the Ruth Strauss Foundation in March 2020 and is developing a portfolio of long-term strategic partners that share a real passion and commitment to the Ruth Strauss Foundation mission.
Hugh is a keen cyclist and runner and has recently moved to Bristol with his young family.

TBC

Jane spent most of her career in the commercial world of sport, before joining the Ruth Strauss Foundation in 2021 to help build our events. Working in the fundraising team to establish events like #RockforRuth (which has gone from strength to strength since our inaugural event with Ed Sheeran), the Long Room Dinner and our hugely popular Golf Day. Jane is loving the transition into the charity sector and enjoys working with so many different supporters. Jane is an integral member of the team, working closely with Partnerships Manager and the Head of Fundraising to develop relationships and build sustainable income for the charity. Outside of RSF, Jane loves sport, the outdoors, spicy food and has two young boys to keep her on her toes!

Kate is a palliative care social worker who joined RSF in September 2023. With 15 years in palliative and end of life care including community, inpatient, family work, teaching, and leadership, she brings a wealth of experience to RSF.

Kate is passionate about what she does and started her career working with children and young people. When she moved to the UK 15 years ago (to travel for a year!), she fell into palliative care social work - supporting people, and their families, at the end of life. Kate is excited to make a small part of the palliative care social work role now her full-time job, supporting parents with incurable cancer to support their children with the hardest conversations they may ever have. She is excited to bring her experience and creativity to develop and lead the Family Support Service.

Despite being brought up in David Boon & Ricky Ponting’s hometown, Kate has no passion for cricket. In her free time, Kate is mildly obsessed with Formula 1, tries her hardest at gardening, and enjoys dog walks with her family in West Sussex.

Since joining the Mission team at RSF in May 2022 as the Programme Coordinator, Sally has worked closely with the clinical lead in Family Support to help administer and develop our service, including supporting youth groups. She has also worked with the training lead supporting her with administration around our Healthcare Training Programme. Prior to joining RSF Sally worked in the travel industry for most of her career, both as a leisure and business travel consultant, and then as a trainer delivering training to travel industry staff for around 20 years both face and face and virtually. She has also worked for the NHS in the Learning and Development department at Moorfields Eye Hospital as an Induction Co-ordinator, looking after new staff inductions and mandatory training.

I was invited to facilitate the Co-design group for the Healthcare programme for the Ruth Strauss Foundation last summer and I joined the Foundation as Training Programme Lead in January 2022 to develop and launch a training programme to upskill healthcare professionals to support parents at end of life with cancer to prepare their children for death and dying. Previously I worked for Macmillan Cancer Support on training programmes to support people affected by cancer and healthcare professionals hoping to move into cancer care teams. I have also worked as a lecturer in Further Education and as Head of Learning and Development in London NHS Trusts.

Sir Andrew was married to Ruth on 18 October 2003 and without her unending support over the next nine years he would not have been able to play in 100 test matches and 127 one day Internationals for England. Without Ruth by his side it would also not have been possible for Sir Andrew to captain England to home and away Ashes wins, or guide them to becoming the No.1 ranked Test side in the World.

Sir Andrew retired from cricket in August 2012, which allowed him to spend more time with Ruth and their two wonderful boys, Sam and Luca.

In September 2015, after a brief period commentating for Sky, the cricket world came calling to Sir Andrew again, this time in an administrative role as the ECB’s Director of England Cricket. He held this role for three and a half years before standing down from his position to spend time with Ruth, and to support her after her diagnosis of ALK positive non-small lung cancer in December 2017.

Sir Andrew cared for Ruth until her death in December 2018 and is currently taking care of his boys. He is the founder of the Ruth Strauss Foundation.

Terry enjoyed a long and distinguished career within the media industry, which culminated in him holding the position of managing director of the Independent and Independent On Sunday for more than a decade prior to his retirement in 2008. He then entered the higher education sector as non-executive director and trustee of UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admission Service. During the seven years Terry spent with UCAS he also chaired its highly successful commercial company UCAS Media. He was awarded an OBE in 2009 for services to the publishing industry. Terry is a keen Arsenal supporter, but we hope you don’t hold that against him.

Reason for being involved

“It is a great honour to chair an organisation that is dedicated to such a remarkable woman. Ruth was truly a special person who was taken from us all far too soon.”

Sandra is a senior clinical lecturer and consultant medical oncologist based at University College London Hospital, with a research appointment at University College London. She specialises in the treatment of patients with rare cancers called sarcomas, which affect people of all ages from young children to adults.

Sandra is involved in clinical and scientific research. In 2009 she won a career development award from Sarcoma Alliance For Research Through Collaboration (SARC) to identify new targets for treatment for sarcoma and led a number of national and international clinical trials that aim to improve outcome for patients with these rare cancers. Sandra is a translational research partner within a european collaboration for patients with Ewing sarcoma and in 2017 was appointed clinical lead for sarcoma and rare cancers for the Public Health England (PHE) National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS). She is also a member of the Sarcoma UK Research Advisory Committee and frequently reviews grant applications for charities.

Reason for being involved

“As Ruth’s sister-in-law I saw at close hand the devastating effects of her diagnosis. Ruth was truly remarkable for her frank and honest approach to dealing with her illness, her ability to make the most of each day she had and her selflessness in preparing those close to her for a future without her. As an oncologist, I understand the unmet need in providing support for young patients with incurable cancer, and the value in working together to accelerate research.

Rachel has been leading teams at the cutting-edge of consumer fashion in some of the UK’s most high-profile and successful high-street brands for over 25 years. The companies she has worked with include Marks and Spencer, Next, the Arcadia Group and New Look.

Rachel is currently the Executive Director of a Design and Manufacturing Business, where she continues to work in partnership with globally-celebrated brands and household names from the high street. Here she designs, develops and delivers ranges that will bring a competitive edge to the world of fast fashion. During Rachel’s career she has been mentored by some of the fashion industry’s greats and through this she has developed a passion for supporting young talent in the sector. This has resulted in her now mentoring a number of fashion’s rising stars whilst they take their first difficult steps into the world of retail. Alongside this Rachel has supported numerous local and national charities, running marathons, amongst other things, to help with fundraising.

Rachel and her family are close friend of Ruth, Sir Andrew and their two boys, Sam and Luca. She lives with her husband and two children in Marlow, Buckinghamshire.

Reason for being involved

“It is a privilege to be one of the trustees of the Ruth Strauss Foundation. My aim is to ensure that Ruth’s wishes for the charity are carried out in the way she would have wanted and my focus is to deliver on the Foundation’s vision, which is to support on research that find ways to prevent this cancer and supports the families of those who are affected by it.”

Denise was brought up in Marylebone, where she attended local primary and secondary schools. She left school at 17 to embark on a working life in accounting, primarily in the music and publishing industries. After bringing up her two children, Alex and Bethan, Denise returned to work in 2008 and is now involved in administration, procurement and logistics. For her sins, she is married to Angus, a fellow trustee and former Middlesex and England cricketer. Denise has supported Anthony Nolan for a number of years.

Reason for being involved

“I met Ruth the first summer she came over to the UK from Australia to spend time with Andrew. She arrived at a girls night out virtually from the airport, keen to meet us all, with an energy that was infectious. We became firm friends and have been ever since, sharing trips away, cooking lessons and golf lessons amongst other things. I was honoured when Andrew invited me to be involved in the Foundation. Ruth was a compassionate woman who was always there for you when you needed help. Everything was a bit more fun when she was involved, so it is exciting to be creating a legacy in Ruth’s name. I will always try to ensure the Foundation has an essence of Ruth, meaning it will show love, care, compassion and a little bit of sassiness.”

Phil is a fellow chartered accountant who has run his own accountancy practise in Leicestershire for over 10 years. After qualifying with one of the big four firms he moved to a niche tax practise before running his own accountancy company. Phil’s clients include individuals as well as limited companies. He provides accounting and tax services that covers a wide variety of areas ranging from entrepreneurs, the self-employed, retired individuals and a number of professional sports men and women. He has also worked in a number of local charities acting as independent examiner of their financial statements. Phil has been a trustee on a number of charities and his financial background helps to keep the numbers in order!

Reason for being involved

“I have known Andrew and Ruth for many years and one of my abiding memories of Ruth was at a gathering they organised at the end of Andrew’s benefit year for those who had been involved and their families. Despite a large gathering Ruth had a lengthy chat with my children and took them on a quick tour of the house – they were amazed with the massage chair – and helped when our youngest got trapped in the loo. “She always made time for others and encouraged them to get involved. Even though many years have passed since that gathering the kids still remember it and when the devastating news broke that Ruth had passed away just after Christmas 2018 they were quick to recall her and the time they met her.

As the founder and CEO of digital consultancy and systems integrator Conchango, Mike was one of the early pioneers of the digital era. After selling his business to a major American technology company Mike put his energies into helping other businesses attempting to emulate his success and has become a successful entrepreneur, investor and advisor. Conchango itself spawned many successful companies, created and built by ex-Conchango employees who have taken his ethos of empowerment, innovation and experimentation into their own careers.

Supporting other business ventures continues to be a passion of Mike’s and he is now putting the same level of drive and commitment into a number of charities that are close to his heart. He is a trustee of Anthony Nolan, a charity committed to improving and saving the lives of people with blood cancer, and has been at the heart of their awareness building and fund raising efforts over the last two years. Mike is a huge cricket fan and has been closely involved in the game at a county level. He is especially proud and honoured to be in involved in the Ruth Strauss Foundation.

Reason for being involved

“My wife, Amanda, and I got to know Andrew and Ruth through Middlesex County Cricket Club and charity work associated with it, and they quickly become great friends of ours. She was a remarkable woman who put a huge amount of time and energy into supporting her family and helping everyone she connected with.

Angus is a former professional cricketer who represented Middlesex and England between 1984 and 2002. In 46 Tests and 42 One Day Internationals he took over 210 wickets for England. During his 19 season career with Middlesex Angus helped the club win seven trophies. He captained the club between 2000 and 2002, and, in his own words, played a leading role in Sir Andrew becoming the leader he is.

Angus retired from cricket in 2002 to take up the position of cricket correspondent at The Independent. During the seven years he spent with The Independent he was a regular contributor to Test Match Special and pundit with Sky. In 2009 Angus returned to Middlesex as managing director of cricket, a position he currently holds. Between 2014 and 2018 he served as an England selector and would also like to take huge credit for England winning the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

Reason for being involved

“Ruth was a gorgeous woman in every way, someone who made a lasting impression on everyone she met. She always showed compassion to people less fortunate than herself, and dignity and bravery at the end of her life. It is a huge honour to be invited to serve on a Foundation set up in Ruth’s memory, something that will hopefully help and support families unfortunate enough to go through the same suffering as Ruth, Andrew and their families have.”

Vince Niblett is the Managing Partner, Senior Markets Group which is a team of Practice Senior Partners, Vice Chairmen, Industry and Segment Leaders. He was part of the Deloitte Global team, having been Global Managing Director, Audit & Enterprise Risk Services. Vince is also a member of the UK firm’s Board of Directors and its Executive Team. Vince has spent time across the Deloitte member firm network, including Luxembourg, the Middle East and South America, and on secondment to Australia.

As Global COO for IPG Mediabrands, Jim is responsible for overseeing its media businesses in Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Canada – as well as leading the Global Talent team.

Prior to joining IPG Mediabrands, Jim was Global Marketing Director for Barclays. In this role, he was responsible for the UK marketing operation and the direction of the Barclays brand across the world, including the negotiation and activation of the Barclays Premier League. Jim also held several roles in television - working as ITV Commercial and Marketing Director, and Marketing Director of Sky TV. His first senior management position was at Coca-Cola, where he spent a lot of time in Atlanta HQ and specifically in the Coca-Cola staff shop!

In 2021, Jim qualified as an executive business coach, after graduating from Meyler Campbell’s prestigious Mastered Programme. He continues to coach, specifically in areas that aren’t connected to the media and communications industry.

Jim is a graduate of Wharton Business School, sat as a Trustee of Comic Relief for 7 years, and was Chairman of Logan Sports. He became a Trustee of the wonderful Ruth Strauss Foundation in 2023, and retains a minor shareholding in The Griffin Restaurant in Old Amersham. Finally, he is also a 40 year Manchester United season ticket holder.....A claim to fame until Sir Alex departed. All of this is mostly irrelevant, with his marriage to Jo, alongside 4 wonderful children, remaining his only significant achievement.

Reason for being involved

I didn’t know Ruth personally. I wish I had. I Everything she stood for, and what she wanted the foundation to achieve, shines through in everything that it does, and how it does it. I feel very lucky to be involved in a cause that has become a huge passion for my family and me.

Stuart is a Superintendent with Sussex Police, having spent most of his career as a Detective specialising in protecting children and vulnerable people. He has an extensive background working in partnerships with Children’s Social Services, Schools, Community Safety Partnerships and many other agencies and organisations to develop and delivery early intervention programmes to those who need it most. He recently completed a master’s degree in Applied Criminology at Cambridge University, his thesis explored the impact of crimes on children as both victims and offenders, mapping the links to Adverse Childhood Experiences and other factors. He has used this research in his current role as the Exploitation lead for Sussex police, as the strategic lead for Child exploitation, County Lines, Knife Crime and Modern Slavery. Working with others to make a real and tangible difference to children vulnerable people’s lives. He is excited to support the Ruth Strauss Foundation as the Safeguarding Director, bringing his knowledge, skills and focus on safeguarding into a different environment.

Prof. Forster is an Associate Professor at University College London (UCL) and Consultant Medical Oncologist at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. He specialises in Thoracic and Head and Neck Cancers and has a particular interest in drug development, running a broad portfolio of studies from first-in-human to registration Phase III trials. He runs a research-based practice, being Principal Investigator or Chief Investigator for over 50 early and late-phase clinical trials since his appointment to UCL in 2009. During his Oncology training he completed a PhD in biomarker development at the Institute of Cancer Research and he collaborates broadly with national and international groups involved in translational research. He has published on topics ranging from cancer biology to translational oncology and clinical studies. He is Joint Lead for the Clinical Trials Theme of the Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence and co-Lead for the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC) Lung Health Informatics Collaborative programme. He is a past member of the NIHR Lung Clinical Studies Group and the North Thames Clinical Research Network Thoracic Cancer Speciality Lead. In addition, he is the UCH Clinical Lead for Chemotherapy Services and co-lead for the UCLH Cancer Collaboration Chemotherapy Expert Reference Group.

Professor Sanjay Popat is a Consultant Thoracic Medical Oncologist at the Royal Marsden Hospital. He qualified from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals in 1994, completed general medical training at the Royal Brompton, and the Hammersmith Hospital, and medical oncology training at the Royal Marsden Hospital. In 2002 he was awarded a PhD in molecular genetics, and thereafter undertook a post doctoral Clinician Scientist Fellowship, and subsequently a HEFCE Clinical Senior Lectureship.

He has published in the fields of molecular genetics, therapeutic biomarkers, and medical oncology. He has been awarded nationally and internationally competitive prizes for his research, in addition to 4 research fellowships. His research interests include the development of novel drug strategies for the treatment of thoracic cancers through clinical trials, the identification of DNA variants that influence thoracic cancer development and their impact on clinical behaviour, as well as the identification of biomarkers predictive of therapeutic effect.

He is co-director for the NIHR London South Clinical Research Network (CRN) Cancer Division and Chair of Cancer for the West London Genomic Medicine Centre. He Chairs the British Thoracic Oncology Group (BTOG), and is past Chair of the UK NCRI Lung Cancer Clinical Studies Group (CSG) Advanced Disease Sub-group. He is active in the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Lung Group, the European Thoracic Oncology Platform (ETOP), and the International Thymic Malignancy Interest Group (ITMIG).

Prof Nicholson is an expert in thoracic pathology and conducts research into lung cancers, receiving the Mary J Matthews award for lifetime scientific achievement in lung cancer translational research in 2019.

He is referred hundreds of cases each year for diagnosis from clinicians and other pathologists. He is a past chair of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) Pathology Committee, as well as a member of the IASLC Staging and Prognostic Factors Committee. He is President of the British Division of the International Academy of Pathologists.

Andrew has co-authored over 400 peer-reviewed publications, co-authored Pathology of the Lung (2011), the AFIP Atlas, Tumors of the Lower Respiratory Tract (2019), and was a Volume Editor of the 2015 WHO classification of lung, pleura, thymus and heart tumours.

Sandra is a senior clinical lecturer and consultant medical oncologist based at University College London Hospital, with a research appointment at University College London. She specialises in the treatment of patients with rare cancers called sarcomas, which affect people of all ages from young children to adults.

Sandra is involved in clinical and scientific research. In 2009 she won a career development award from Sarcoma Alliance For Research Through Collaboration (SARC) to identify new targets for treatment for sarcoma and led a number of national and international clinical trials that aim to improve outcome for patients with these rare cancers. Sandra is a translational research partner within a european collaboration for patients with Ewing sarcoma and in 2017 was appointed clinical lead for sarcoma and rare cancers for the Public Health England (PHE) National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS). She is also a member of the Sarcoma UK Research Advisory Committee and frequently reviews grant applications for charities.

Reason for being involved

“As Ruth’s sister-in-law I saw at close hand the devastating effects of her diagnosis. Ruth was truly remarkable for her frank and honest approach to dealing with her illness, her ability to make the most of each day she had and her selflessness in preparing those close to her for a future without her. As an oncologist, I understand the unmet need in providing support for young patients with incurable cancer, and the value in working together to accelerate research.

I have worked as a lung cancer nurse specialist for 9 years, with a background of working in respiratory medicine and oncology prior to this. Patients are at the heart of the care I provide and I am sure I speak for all lung cancer nurses when I say that the last year has been incredibly difficult.

I work for the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust and feel privileged to work in the North East of England, where we have a wealth of experience and a lot of innovative and exceptional practice.

I am passionate about providing high quality care for patients and would welcome the opportunity to help shape lung cancer care at a national level. I have played a key role in improving the diagnostic pathway locally, both with the implementation of straight-to-CT and more recently the implementation of a nurse-led downgrade clinic to help reduce our pathway timings. I have led on audits within the Trust and have worked with other Trusts, sharing best practice to enhance patient care. I have also enjoyed being involved with research at a national level through the Lung Cancer Nursing UK workshops and have presented examples of my teams work at national conferences.

I am currently working as a clinical lead with the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) lung cancer work stream and feel this has been of huge benefit to me both personally and professionally.

This role has highlighted the incredible work that LCNS teams are doing locally and I believe LCNUK provides an accessible forum for the sharing of best practice so that nationally we can improve care for people affected by lung cancer. I would welcome the opportunity to be part of this committee and be a voice for the North East of England.

After studying for his Nursing degree at the University of Manchester, Peter initially started his career as a nurse at Stepping Hill hospital in 2011 and gained his main experience on the acute medical wards. In 2015 whilst at Stepping Hill hospital Peter was appointed as a Macmillan Lung Cancer Nurse as a secondment and in 2016 moved to the Wythenshawe Hospital team where he continues his career in Lung Cancer Nursing. Peter has recently completed an MSc in Lung Cancer and he is also on the committee of the LGBTQ Network for Manchester Foundation Trust.

Hilary is an experienced Integrative Psychotherapist and Cancer Nurse. She worked in the NHS for over 40 years where for most of her career she focussed as a clinician, researcher and a manager on supporting people with cancer, their families and the staff who care for them. Her interest in understanding and supporting the family and carers of people with cancer led her to undertake her doctoral work in this field as well as subsequent research on ways to support the carers of people with lung cancer.

Between 2012 and 2019, she jointly headed the Macmillan Support and Information Service as University College Hospital London where she led a large team providing both emotional and practical supportive care to people with cancer and their families. The service has a priority to support young families when a parent had a diagnosis of cancer. Here she also provided support to staff including being a Schwartz Round facilitator enabling staff to meet together to talk confidentially about the more difficult and distressing aspects of their work. Hilary recently retired from the NHS and now works as an independent psychotherapist in central London.

Jenni Thomas OBE is widely recognised in the UK as a leading authority in grief support and education in relation to a child’s death and a child being bereaved.

Jenni worked for over 50 years within the NHS, first nursing and later as a counsellor, supporting parents, children and families when they were faced with devastating experiences of loss. She has dedicated her career to improving the way in which vulnerable families are supported in a crisis. Working with and continually listening to grieving parents, Jenni recognised the need for their voices to be heard. She created and put into practice vital training and support for all the professionals who would come into contact with vulnerable families.

Jenni was responsible for establishing the first Paediatric and Maternity Bereavement Counsellor role in the NHS in 1985 in Buckinghamshire, which was endorsed by the Department of Health as good practice. This was the model for similar roles created throughout the country. This was a significant step forward in the support of grieving families desperately in need of help. Jenni was also the pre – bereavement counsellor to the Strauss family before Ruth died and is still a great source of comfort to the family.

Emma is a Registered Nurse; she qualified in 1990 having undertaken a BSc in Nursing with Economics at St Bartholomew's Hospital in conjunction with City University. She worked in general and oncology nursing before moving into academia at King's College London. She was awarded her MSc in Nursing from King's College London (1995) and later her doctorate (2002) for her work developing and evaluating an intervention for cancer-related fatigue.

Emma held various research and teaching posts at King's College London before being conferred the title Professor of Supportive Cancer Care in 2009 in recognition of her contribution to cancer and palliative care nursing and her outstanding research profile and academic leadership. In 2011 she was awarded a King's College London Supervisory Excellence Award for excellence in postgraduate research supervision.

At King's College London she led the Supportive Cancer Care Research Group and provided strategic leadership in the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery for cancer and palliative nursing education and research. She has a research career spanning 25 years and is internationally recognised for her research in cancer care.

Research Interests

Emma's research programme aims to enhance supportive care provided to patients and their carers (family members/friends who share the experience of cancer with patients). It aims to help patients maximise the benefits of treatment whilst enabling patients and their carers to live as well as possible with the effects of the disease and consequences of its treatment. Key themes within her research programme include: determining unmet supportive care needs in people living with and beyond cancer; understanding impact of inequalities on experience and outcomes of cancer care; developing and evaluating complex interventions to facilitate supported self-management of symptoms (in particular fatigue) and enhance people's lives following treatment for cancer; and developing and evaluating interventions to enhance the role and wellbeing of carers. She has considerable experience of developing complex interventions and evaluating their outcomes through mixed method research designs.

Sandra is a senior clinical lecturer and consultant medical oncologist based at University College London Hospital, with a research appointment at University College London. She specialises in the treatment of patients with rare cancers called sarcomas, which affect people of all ages from young children to adults.

Sandra is involved in clinical and scientific research. In 2009 she won a career development award from Sarcoma Alliance For Research Through Collaboration (SARC) to identify new targets for treatment for sarcoma and led a number of national and international clinical trials that aim to improve outcome for patients with these rare cancers. Sandra is a translational research partner within a european collaboration for patients with Ewing sarcoma and in 2017 was appointed clinical lead for sarcoma and rare cancers for the Public Health England (PHE) National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS). She is also a member of the Sarcoma UK Research Advisory Committee and frequently reviews grant applications for charities.

Reason for being involved

“As Ruth’s sister-in-law I saw at close hand the devastating effects of her diagnosis. Ruth was truly remarkable for her frank and honest approach to dealing with her illness, her ability to make the most of each day she had and her selflessness in preparing those close to her for a future without her. As an oncologist, I understand the unmet need in providing support for young patients with incurable cancer, and the value in working together to accelerate research.

Rachel has been leading teams at the cutting-edge of consumer fashion in some of the UK’s most high-profile and successful high-street brands for over 25 years. The companies she has worked with include Marks and Spencer, Next, the Arcadia Group and New Look.

Rachel is currently the Executive Director of a Design and Manufacturing Business, where she continues to work in partnership with globally-celebrated brands and household names from the high street. Here she designs, develops and delivers ranges that will bring a competitive edge to the world of fast fashion. During Rachel’s career she has been mentored by some of the fashion industry’s greats and through this she has developed a passion for supporting young talent in the sector. This has resulted in her now mentoring a number of fashion’s rising stars whilst they take their first difficult steps into the world of retail. Alongside this Rachel has supported numerous local and national charities, running marathons, amongst other things, to help with fundraising.

Rachel and her family are close friend of Ruth, Sir Andrew and their two boys, Sam and Luca. She lives with her husband and two children in Marlow, Buckinghamshire.

Reason for being involved

“It is a privilege to be one of the trustees of the Ruth Strauss Foundation. My aim is to ensure that Ruth’s wishes for the charity are carried out in the way she would have wanted and my focus is to deliver on the Foundation’s vision, which is to support on research that find ways to prevent this cancer and supports the families of those who are affected by it.”

Chris is an investor, entrepreneur and business operator with a 20-year track record of building businesses and creating shareholder value. Throughout his business career he has focused on creating the right culture and operational systems for successful growth. Chris is a co-founder and Principal of private investment firm NM Capital.
Chris was previously the co-founder and Chairman of Olive Group, a global security solution provider, which grew to become a market leader before its merger with Constellis Holdings and subsequent sale of Constellis to Apollo in 2016. Previously, Chris was the co-founder and leading shareholder of Third Space, a health & fitness business prior to its sale to Graphite Capital. Passionate about sport and fitness, while initiating the start-up of Third Space, Chris managed fitness projects with professional sports teams including Middlesex CCC, where he first met Andrew in 2000.
Before entering business, Chris was an officer in the British Army, serving with the Coldstream Guards and Parachute Regiment on operations and training roles in the Balkans, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Northern Ireland. Chris attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst where he received the Sword of Honour in 1992 and received the United Nations Joint Force Commanders Commendation for service in Bosnia in 1994.
Chris was previously an adviser to the Amar Foundation and has been a supporter of military veterans’ charities for many years. He joined Ruth Strauss Foundation in 2020 as Chairman of the Fundraising Advisory Group. “I am honoured to have been invited to support such an important cause. My aim is to maximise the fundraising potential of the charity, while embracing the inspiring vision of the foundation set out by Ruth’.

As Global COO for IPG Mediabrands, Jim is responsible for overseeing its media businesses in Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Canada – as well as leading the Global Talent team.

Prior to joining IPG Mediabrands, Jim was Global Marketing Director for Barclays. In this role, he was responsible for the UK marketing operation and the direction of the Barclays brand across the world, including the negotiation and activation of the Barclays Premier League. Jim also held several roles in television - working as ITV Commercial and Marketing Director, and Marketing Director of Sky TV. His first senior management position was at Coca-Cola, where he spent a lot of time in Atlanta HQ and specifically in the Coca-Cola staff shop!

In 2021, Jim qualified as an executive business coach, after graduating from Meyler Campbell’s prestigious Mastered Programme. He continues to coach, specifically in areas that aren’t connected to the media and communications industry.

Jim is a graduate of Wharton Business School, sat as a Trustee of Comic Relief for 7 years, and was Chairman of Logan Sports. He became a Trustee of the wonderful Ruth Strauss Foundation in 2023, and retains a minor shareholding in The Griffin Restaurant in Old Amersham. Finally, he is also a 40 year Manchester United season ticket holder.....A claim to fame until Sir Alex departed. All of this is mostly irrelevant, with his marriage to Jo, alongside 4 wonderful children, remaining his only significant achievement.

Reason for being involved

I didn’t know Ruth personally. I wish I had. I Everything she stood for, and what she wanted the foundation to achieve, shines through in everything that it does, and how it does it. I feel very lucky to be involved in a cause that has become a huge passion for my family and me.

Angus is a former professional cricketer who represented Middlesex and England between 1984 and 2002. In 46 Tests and 42 One Day Internationals he took over 210 wickets for England. During his 19 season career with Middlesex Angus helped the club win seven trophies. He captained the club between 2000 and 2002, and, in his own words, played a leading role in Sir Andrew becoming the leader he is.

Angus retired from cricket in 2002 to take up the position of cricket correspondent at The Independent. During the seven years he spent with The Independent he was a regular contributor to Test Match Special and pundit with Sky. In 2009 Angus returned to Middlesex as managing director of cricket, a position he currently holds. Between 2014 and 2018 he served as an England selector and would also like to take huge credit for England winning the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

Reason for being involved

“Ruth was a gorgeous woman in every way, someone who made a lasting impression on everyone she met. She always showed compassion to people less fortunate than herself, and dignity and bravery at the end of her life. It is a huge honour to be invited to serve on a Foundation set up in Ruth’s memory, something that will hopefully help and support families unfortunate enough to go through the same suffering as Ruth, Andrew and their families have.”

Mark Davies has been Chair of British Rowing since April 2018, and is also Chair of the Onside Youth Zones project in Hammersmith - the latest in the Onside network to build state-of-the-art facilities forunderprivileged children. Previously, he was Chairman of ArcheryGB, and a Trustee of SportsAid, which funds the next generation of British sport stars at the start of their careers.

He began his career with five years in the City at JPMorgan, before moving on to broadcasting and producing for BBC Sport on Radio Five Live and News24. He spent two summers writing about cricket and rowing for the Daily Telegraph, and worked in the press room at Lord’s for the 1999 Cricket World Cup. In May 2000, he became part of the team that set up and launched Betfair, the sports betting company, spending the next decade as the public face of a business which proved one of the few British successes of thedot.com boom. Experienced in working with Governments, media and sports bodies round the world, he now devotes his time to volunteering in sport and for charitable causes.

Ian Lovett

Following terms as Chairman of Middlesex CCC and as a Director and Deputy Chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board ( ECB ) , Ian is currently in the middle of a 3 year term as President of the ECB.

His business career has been in Banking and Finance, with 25 years as CEO and Chairman of Dunbar Bank, Zurich Financial Services, and Chairman of Seven Investment Management.

Ian has wide experience of Charity finance, .He has been Chair of the Openwork Foundation for 23 years during which time they have raised and distributed over £20million through around 1500 Grants to charities supporting disadvantaged young people.
For over 20 years he was also a Trustee of the Zurich Community Trust, which distributes around £5m a year to a range of UK Charities, and is Chair of the England and Wales Cricket Trust

Reason for being involved

"I have known Andrew and Ruth since the early days of his cricket career at Middlesex and was excited that a Foundation was formed in Ruth’s name with such clear objectives of who it proposes to help in her memory.
Ruth’s compassion shone through every time that anyone met her. As one example, I was always particularly impressed by the extent that she was prepared to go out of her way to ensure that the wives and girlfriends of new players were welcomed into the Middlesex and England “families’ which might otherwise have been a very daunting experience for them!

It is a privilege to be involved with such a wonderful Foundation." - Ian Lovett

Vince Niblett is the Managing Partner, Senior Markets Group which is a team of Practice Senior Partners, Vice Chairmen, Industry and Segment Leaders. He was part of the Deloitte Global team, having been Global Managing Director, Audit & Enterprise Risk Services. Vince is also a member of the UK firm’s Board of Directors and its Executive Team. Vince has spent time across the Deloitte member firm network, including Luxembourg, the Middle East and South America, and on secondment to Australia.

Phil is a fellow chartered accountant who has run his own accountancy practise in Leicestershire for over 10 years. After qualifying with one of the big four firms he moved to a niche tax practise before running his own accountancy company. Phil’s clients include individuals as well as limited companies. He provides accounting and tax services that covers a wide variety of areas ranging from entrepreneurs, the self-employed, retired individuals and a number of professional sports men and women. He has also worked in a number of local charities acting as independent examiner of their financial statements. Phil has been a trustee on a number of charities and his financial background helps to keep the numbers in order!

Reason for being involved

“I have known Andrew and Ruth for many years and one of my abiding memories of Ruth was at a gathering they organised at the end of Andrew’s benefit year for those who had been involved and their families. Despite a large gathering Ruth had a lengthy chat with my children and took them on a quick tour of the house – they were amazed with the massage chair – and helped when our youngest got trapped in the loo. “She always made time for others and encouraged them to get involved. Even though many years have passed since that gathering the kids still remember it and when the devastating news broke that Ruth had passed away just after Christmas 2018 they were quick to recall her and the time they met her.

As Global CFO of IPG’s data and marketing technology operations,including Acxiom, Kinesso and Matterkind,Ian is responsible for all areas of global finance, accounting,technology, legal & compliance, and M&A. Witha remit to drive financial performance across the Interpublic Group portfolio of companies, Ian worksto provide strategic counsel and theacceleration ofgrowth opportunities.In addition to providing overall financial leadership of the data and marketing technology companies, he is also Global CFO for Kinesso.Ian has two decades of experience at IPG, working across creative, media, data and technology. Roles withinIPG Mediabrandsincluded financial leadership of the EMEA, APAC, Latamand Canadian markets. In performance of these regional and local market finance roles, he has lived and worked in Singaporefor five years, gaining international management and M&A experience.Prior to joining the IPG, Ian began his career in the UK atPwC, before spending three years in management positions in PwC’sAustralianoperation, working for periods of time in both South Africa and China.Anon-Executivememberof the Audit and Risk Governance Committee at Sport England, Ian is agraduate ofWarwick Universityand anICAEW qualified chartered accountant. Anavid cricket fanand fitness enthusiast,Ian is married with three boys.

Matthew is a legal consultant specialising in debt capital markets transactions with over 25 years’ experience working at Allen & Overy LLP, one of the leading legal practices in this area. He has been involved in a wide range of different types of debt securities offerings across various jurisdictions, including emerging markets. Matthew also has experience of tax driven structures, capital issues for banks and UK building societies, sovereign debt restructurings and corporate reorganisations. Whilst a partner at Allen & Overy LLP, Matthew was trusted by clients to advise on complex strategic financings and restructurings, notably advising the bondholder committee in the Greek restructuring in 2011/12 (the largest ever sovereign bond exchange offer), advising Co-op Group on the recapitalisation of the Co-op Bank in 2013 and advising GE on its corporate reorganisation in 2015 (the largest ever corporate bond exchange offer).

Matthew is a liveryman in the City of London Solicitors’ Company and a Trustee of SINCE 9/11, an educational charity.

Ian Lovett

Following terms as Chairman of Middlesex CCC and as a Director and Deputy Chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board ( ECB ) , Ian is currently in the middle of a 3 year term as President of the ECB.

His business career has been in Banking and Finance, with 25 years as CEO and Chairman of Dunbar Bank, Zurich Financial Services, and Chairman of Seven Investment Management.

Ian has wide experience of Charity finance, .He has been Chair of the Openwork Foundation for 23 years during which time they have raised and distributed over £20million through around 1500 Grants to charities supporting disadvantaged young people.
For over 20 years he was also a Trustee of the Zurich Community Trust, which distributes around £5m a year to a range of UK Charities, and is Chair of the England and Wales Cricket Trust

"I have known Andrew and Ruth since the early days of his cricket career at Middlesex and was excited that a Foundation was formed in Ruth’s name with such clear objectives of who it proposes to help in her memory.
Ruth’s compassion shone through every time that anyone met her. As one example, I was always particularly impressed by the extent that she was prepared to go out of her way to ensure that the wives and girlfriends of new players were welcomed into the Middlesex and England “families’ which might otherwise have been a very daunting experience for them!

It is a privilege to be involved with such a wonderful Foundation." - Ian Lovett

Chris is a Partner at leading UK sports law firm, Onside Law, where his long-term clients include the England and Wales Cricket Board and a number of other national and international governing bodies, rights-holders, broadcasters, sponsors, clubs, sports agencies and prominent sportspeople. Onside Law is also a proud official partner of the Ruth Strauss Foundation, which it supports in a pro bono capacity.

As the founder and CEO of digital consultancy and systems integrator Conchango, Mike was one of the early pioneers of the digital era. After selling his business to a major American technology company Mike put his energies into helping other businesses attempting to emulate his success and has become a successful entrepreneur, investor and advisor. Conchango itself spawned many successful companies, created and built by ex-Conchango employees who have taken his ethos of empowerment, innovation and experimentation into their own careers.

Supporting other business ventures continues to be a passion of Mike’s and he is now putting the same level of drive and commitment into a number of charities that are close to his heart. He is a trustee of Anthony Nolan, a charity committed to improving and saving the lives of people with blood cancer, and has been at the heart of their awareness building and fund raising efforts over the last two years. Mike is a huge cricket fan and has been closely involved in the game at a county level. He is especially proud and honoured to be in involved in the Ruth Strauss Foundation.

Reason for being involved

“My wife, Amanda, and I got to know Andrew and Ruth through Middlesex County Cricket Club and charity work associated with it, and they quickly become great friends of ours. She was a remarkable woman who put a huge amount of time and energy into supporting her family and helping everyone she connected with.

Stuart is a Superintendent with Sussex Police, having spent most of his career as a Detective specialising in protecting children and vulnerable people. He has an extensive background working in partnerships with Children’s Social Services, Schools, Community Safety Partnerships and many other agencies and organisations to develop and delivery early intervention programmes to those who need it most. He recently completed a master’s degree in Applied Criminology at Cambridge University, his thesis explored the impact of crimes on children as both victims and offenders, mapping the links to Adverse Childhood Experiences and other factors. He has used this research in his current role as the Exploitation lead for Sussex police, as the strategic lead for Child exploitation, County Lines, Knife Crime and Modern Slavery. Working with others to make a real and tangible difference to children vulnerable people’s lives. He is excited to support the Ruth Strauss Foundation as the Safeguarding Director, bringing his knowledge, skills and focus on safeguarding into a different environment.