2018 Speakers

Carol heads up the IQVIA Information business for the UK & Ireland This includes all of the data collection forming the core basis for the IQVIA UK pharmacy, wholesaler, hospital and doctor markets. Developing services to suppliers is an intrinsic part of her role, and she has worked closely with stakeholders in the supply chain delivering customised services and commercial offerings across a range of markets. Carol is also responsible for delivering high quality client service to Business Intelligence teams of companies and organisations in the UK’s health care sector.  Carol has been with IQVIA for over 20 years and her previous roles have included Market Research, Marketing, and Product Management.

Saam qualified as a pharmacist back in 2007 and has extensive experience in a wide range of roles in the Community, from running daily clinics to managing pharmacies with multi-million-pound turnovers.  However, in 2014, he turned his focus to the technology and online world. During this time, he has become a proficient web developer, an expert video course creator and an advanced digital marketer.  At the beginning of 2017, in an attempt to bridge the gap between Community Pharmacy and the digital world, he created Pharmacy Mentor. Through this medium, he teaches Community Pharmacists and their teams how to harness new digital tools and technologies that will improve pharmacy business, practice and patient care. 

Bernadette is an excellent community pharmacist. She has supported people to manage their health conditions and has been an independent prescriber during a career that has spanned 30 years. In her pharmacy health centre practice she offers assessments in acute triage including ENT, chest infections, UTI, impetigo and all common conditions. Her assessments also include asthma, COPD and diabetes with point of care diagnostic testing including HBA1c, glucose, blood pressure, peak flow and FeNO, strep A and CRP. Bernadette is passionate about finding new ways of working using modern technology and has trained and developed her pharmacists to practice at the top of their license to enable care services to be sustainable in the future.  

Following an initial stint with the Wellcome Foundation and LloydsPharmacy, Ryszard Cygan opened his first pharmacy in 1996 and has been the Director & Superintendent Pharmacist of the three-pharmacy independent group in Spalding since. Over that time, he has developed an interest in pharmacy automation and the impact it can have on the workflow of a pharmacy.

Ryszard installed his first robot in 2004 and carried out the initial development work on and installed the UK’s first 24-hour automated prescription collection point, the Pharmaself24 at his flagship branch in 2011.

Last year, he co-founded Hub and Spoke Innovations, obtaining the sole distribution rights to the Pharmaself24 in the UK and Ireland.  

Steven is a molecular Immunologist by training and was one of the first scientists to work on the UK arm of the Human Genome project. He occupied technical and commercial roles in the growth of a university bioscience spin-out turned global PLC before becoming a driving force in developing the “health and wealth” agenda for Scottish digital healthcare. Steven is a co-founder of D Health and has advised blue-chip companies, start-ups and public bodies on diverse aspects of digital healthcare.

Simon joined PSNC in May 2018.  As CEO he is the principal advisor to the PSNC committee and responsible for all operational functions of the organisation.

These include the planning and shaping of NHS services provided by community pharmacies in England as well as negotiating funding from the government.

With over two decades’ experience working in the public sector, Simon has expertise in a number of roles and specialisms including defence and security policy, public affairs, media and communications strategy, negotiation, counter-terrorism,  serious and organised crime investigations, and cyber security.

In 2013 he became CEO of the UK’s fraud prevention service Cifas. He was also on the Oversight Board of the Home Secretary’s Joint Fraud Task Force and the Management Board of the Joint Money Laundering Intelligence Task Force.

Chris joined Well Pharmacy in March 2017, bringing 14 years of experience in business transformation and excellence, with over a decade in senior leadership roles.  Prior to Well, Chris worked as Group Head of Transformation at Co-op, and had previously worked as Engagement Director for Boxwood, designing and implementing transformation programmes.  The overall focus of Chris’s current role is shaping and defining the future strategy for the company.

Michael Holden read pharmacy at Portsmouth School of Pharmacy. Following a number of years employed in various practice and management positions to a senior level, Michael established his own community pharmacy group in Hampshire between 1988 and 2003.

He then set up a consultancy to support organisational development and change in community pharmacy. In 2005 he became the Chief Officer of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Pharmaceutical Committee.

Michael was appointed as the Chief Executive of the National Pharmacy Association from January 2011 to October 2014 and was honoured as a Fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in March 2011.

In February 2016 he launched Pharmacy Complete as a joint venture with The Tipping Point. Pharmacy Complete aims to advance the pharmacy profession for the benefit of people and patients by working with the pharmaceutical industry.

Since April 2017, Julian has been Managing Director of Alliance Healthcare UK leading a team of more than 5,500 employees, distributing pharmaceuticals and services to all 16,500 UK dispensing points. A seasoned healthcare industry executive with over 30 years’ experience gained both domestically and internationally in businesses such as Pfizer and Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Julian is responsible for the leadership, strategy and performance of the Alliance Healthcare UK wholesale business.

Shailesh Solanki is an executive editor of Pharmacy Business and Asian Media Group. He has 30 years' experience in journalism and oversees a stable of leading titles including Eastern Eye newspaper, Garavi Gujarat newsweekly, Asian Trader, Asian Hospitality, the Asian Rich List and the GG2 Power List.  As economics graduate, Shailesh has chronicled the success of the Asian community in the UK and the US where the group publish from their base in Atlanta, Georgia.

Nigel has worked for Celesio since 2000. He has held senior positions in 7 European countries including Sales and Operations Director in the group function and Interim MD for the retail business in Belgium. He is responsible for developing and implementing winning sales and marketing strategies across the Celesio UK brands. Outside of work Nigel enjoys walking and travelling.

Robbie Turner FRPharmS is Director of Pharmacy and Member Experience at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. He is responsible for leading professional advocacy, policy development, member services and public affairs as part of the executive team at RPS.