Board of Trustees

---

Ruth is a mathematician by background with a BSc(Hons) and a PhD, both from the University of Kent. Her career spanning over forty years was spent in different universities, first as a lecturer in mathematics, then gradually moving into more managerial roles.

After two research fellowships, at Kent and Imperial College London, she began lecturing in maths at St Mary’s University, Twickenham in 1982. After heading up the maths department there she moved in 1990 to the University of Brighton where she stayed for eight years, moving in 1998 to London South Bank University where she was Pro Vice-Chancellor. She left there in January 2006 to lead what was to become Buckinghamshire New University as Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, retiring in January 2015. It was this appointment that brought her and her husband Martin Daniels to Buckinghamshire, moving to a rural location outside High Wycombe where they still live.

Throughout her career and into retirement, Ruth has been active in the university sector at a national level, as well as holding posts in public life both locally and more widely. She currently chairs the South Bank Colleges board, is a member of the board of London South Bank University and also deputy chair of Escape Studios. She undertakes voluntary work locally, primarily as a trustee of BACO (the Bucks Association for the Care of Offenders) and also as their prison support officer for HMP Grendon.

Ruth was awarded a CBE in the New Year’s Honours 2015 for services to higher education. She has an honorary doctorate from the University of Kent and an emeritus professorship from Buckinghamshire New University. She was made a Deputy Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire in 2015 and served as the county’s High Sheriff in 2018-19.

Juliet is Director for the Bucinghamshire Health and Social Care Academy, having previously held two roles - one with Health Education England as Director of Performance and Delivery and the other as Implementation Director for the Buckinghamshire Health and Social Care Academy.

Prior to this, Juliet was Associate Director for Workforce Transformation and Strategy for Health Education England covering the South East region, leading transformation teams whose focus was large system change and workforce development. Her professional background is in nursing, working across the South East region and London for more than 15 years, then she changed her career direction and became an academic.

Juliet holds a Master's degree in Education and is a skilled leader, enjoying team development opportunities wherever they present themselves. She has published and presented both in the UK and internationally on topics including workforce, leadership, team working, quality enhancement, innovation in education and simulation. Juliet has been the Chairperson of the British Association of Critical Care Nurses, the largest critical care nursing association in the UK, which allowed her to develop diplomacy skills and political acumen. She has a huge enthusiasm for workforce transformation and development, innovation, collaborative working and improving population health and care, using a strength-based approach. 

Karen registered as an Adult Nurse in 1988. Her clinical career had a surgical focus concluding in a Clinical Nurse Specialist post in Vascular Care. Having been in academia for the past 20 years, across several education organisations, Karen has a wide range of experience in teaching and learning and leadership including the roles of, Head of School, Academic Head of Department, and Academic Principal at an Independent FE college in London.

Karen started at Buckinghamshire New University as a Senior Lecturer in 2012, teaching BSc (Hons) Nursing programme. In 2017 she secured Head of School position and has successfully lead the School through changing times and expansion including development of apprenticeship programmes. Karen now leads the Institute for Health and Social Care at Buckinghamshire New University, established in October 2020. The Institute is externally facing and serves as the focal point for health and social care-related activities at the University. It provides strategic leadership for, and oversight of, all health and social care activities across the University. Karen has a passion for developing the healthcare workforce of the future and believes providing quality education facilitates delivery of evidenced based quality care.

Zoe is currently Chief Executive of Healthwatch Bucks, with a background of working in the VCSE sector in a variety of roles. Zoe has more than a decade’s experience of working at senior management level in charities concerned with health and social care. She has also worked as a front-line mental health practitioner and seen first hand how poor mental health can affect the fabric of people’s lives, touching everything from employment and education to individuals’ physical health and personal relationships. Zoe is passionate about the need to involve the people who use services in their design and delivery. 

Prior to working at Healthwatch Bucks, Zoe was Chief Executive of Citizens Advice Aylesbury Vale, leading the charity to a countywide merger. She holds an MSc in Management in Health and Social Care and is a Clore Social Leadership Fellow (Experienced Leader programme 2023). 

Maria is currently the Community Champion for Buckinghamshire at C.P.J. Field. She has previously worked locally in Buckinghamshire as a Funeral Arranger, Exhibition Promoter and Foster Carer, as well as serving as a Councillor at Aylesbury Vale District Council for 16 years and as Mayor for four years.

She considers herself to be friendly, kind, energetic, and promotes what she believes in. She has been married for 38 years, has two grown sons and six grandchildren. Maria is very close to her Mother, has 3 siblings and enjoys gardening, cooking, and socialising.