Rob Walton
Founder & Principal
Rob specialises in public policy, strategy & advocacy and is an expert in effective external engagement. He has supported many organisations to establish leadership in their communities and facilitated impactful policy development in a wide range of public health areas at home and abroad, including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular and rare diseases. Rob is Chair of the British Society of Gerontology Special Interest Group on Ageing, Business and Society, and was awarded a Master of Public Administration from The School of International Public Affairs (SIPA) at The University of Columbia in New York.
Steve Calder Smith
Founder & CEO
Steve is a serial entrepreneur in healthcare communications and has successfully created two multi-award-winning agencies which are now part of bigger groups. Steve specialises in healthcare communications with a laser focus on improved health outcomes for the patient, the health service and broader society. He innately understands the power of storytelling and the channels through which messages should be delivered to maximise their impact. He has supported many healthcare innovators to establish rapid uptake and long-term adoption of their product or service.
Meet Our Network of Special Advisers
Our Advisers bring diverse expertise from across the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry
They ensure our propositions are robust, realistic, and deliverable, helping us understand the real challenges faced by healthcare organisations globally and locally while augmenting and complementing our own expertise.
Troy Dale
Strategic Adviser
Originally trained as a Pharmacologist, Troy has over 30 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry across three
continents, spanning development, marketing, market access, and policy. At Novartis, he led efforts to identify disruptive healthcare technologies in neuroscience and later drove global collaborations as Head of Commercial Strategic Partnerships. He is Chairman of Cellbricks GmbH, serves on Ochre Bio’s
Scientific Advisory Board, and leads biopharma assessments for the Springboard Health Angels Group.
Tony Dixon
Sales & Marketing Consultant
With over 30 years’ experience in pharma
and medical devices, Tony has led oncology-focused commercial teams, most recently as EVP of Sales and Marketing, EMEA at Sirtex Medical. Skilled in agile, cross-functional leadership, he is passionate about rare diseases, improving patient outcomes,
and driving collaboration to deliver ambitious goals.
Robert Mitchell-Thain
Patient Advocacy Expert
Drawn into the world of PBC (primary biliary cholangitis) following his mother’s diagnosis in 1994, Robert has been involved in advocacy since before the PBC Foundation’s founding in 1996. A respected international patient advocate, he champions listening to patients and using their experiences to shape better care. As a leader, presenter, academic, and author, he works to ensure the patient voice remains central to every solution and has led campaigns and innovations improving quality of life for PBC patients worldwide.
Neil Causey
Public Affairs Strategist
A seasoned Public Affairs strategist with over
two decades in policy shaping, Neil has worked in the European Parliament, in-house at a global pharmaceutical company, and in
consultancy. Skilled at navigating complex policy and corporate environments, he brings deep insight into stakeholder dynamics and health engagement. His expertise lies in developing human-centred strategies, fostering collaboration, and driving purposeful policy change. A skilled facilitator, Neil helps build consensus and innovative solutions.
Richard Jarvis
Corporate Affairs Strategist
An experienced corporate communications
consultant with over 30 years in biopharma, specialising in external communications for financial and investor audiences. He has led teams across the UK, Switzerland, and the US, advising on investor relations, corporate affairs, and media strategy. A former ABPI Board Director, he now holds a directorship with a UK occupational pension scheme. With a background spanning regulatory, sales, marketing, and equity analysis, Richard focuses on aligning client and audience goals through strategic insight and strong relationships.
Jens Birkenheim
Independent Healthcare
Innovation Coach & Adviser
An independent healthcare innovation coach
and advisor with over 15 years’ experience in pharma, medical devices, and healthcare analytics, Jens has led high-performing
teams through the idea-to-launch journey for new solutions in diabetes and cardiovascular health. A passionate advocate of lean innovation, he applies evidence-based methods to guide strategic, product, and go-to-market decisions in healthcare.
Kevin Loth
Public Affairs Consultant
A European Corporate Affairs leader with over 25 years’ experience in biopharma and a passion for patient-centred decision-making and building trusted partnerships. As VP of Corporate Affairs, Worldwide Markets at Celgene, he led a global team, integrating communications, government relations, and patient advocacy. His leadership helped shape European health policy, strengthen patient-community relationships, and deliver impactful public health and disease awareness campaigns.
Prof. Simon Lal
Pharmaceutical Physician
Professor of Gastroenterology at the
University of Manchester and has led a national Intestinal Failure Reference Centre since 2012. His centre is globally recognised for excellence in clinical outcomes and quality improvement. Author of over 200 peer-reviewed publications, his research combines quality improvement, clinical audit, data analysis, and qualitative methods. As a quality improvement KOL he is a frequent international speaker.
Heike Galbraith
Public Affairs Consultant
A distinguished public affairs professional
with over 20 years’ experience in EU health policy, stakeholder engagement, and advocacy. Spanning corporate, non-profit, and political sectors, she is passionate about centring people in healthcare initiatives and delivers creative solutions for healthcare challenges that drive health outcomes, and also create social and economic value. With expertise across HIV/AIDS, oncology, vaccines, and respiratory, Heike is recognised for building strong stakeholder partnerships and shaping healthcare policies.
David Lewis
Commercial Leader
With a career spanning all aspects of pharma commercialisation, David specialises in hepatology, plasma proteins, haematology, and rare diseases. With an MBA from Cranfield, he advanced through marketing and sales leadership to General Management, most recently at Amicus Therapeutics. Passionate about equitable access, he has secured reimbursement across Europe and champions patient-centred collaboration. David is also a Trustee of Cavell, supporting nursing and midwifery families.
David Thorne
Transformation Director
Originally a nurse, David has held NHS
leadership roles across hospital, community, primary care, and commissioning settings. A former Chair and CEO of several primary care alliances, CCG Manager of the Year, and transformation programme director, he now serves part-time as Director of Transformation at Well Up North Primary Care Network and as a trustee of Hospice Care North Northumberland. With 30 years’ experience in pharma and MedTech market access, he has led teams and advised over 250 companies.
Allie Finnegan
Insights and Data Strategist
An insight, strategy, and data expert with over 20 years’ experience from the best-known media companies in the UK and Australia. She specialises in designing research programmes that deliver deep consumer understanding and translate insight into actionable strategy and marketing plans. Known for her excellence and proven results, Allie demonstrates how data-driven insight and strategic vision combine to create impactful solutions.
Dr Dilruwan Herath
Infectious Disease Physician & Pharma Executive
A British infectious disease physician
and pharmaceutical executive with over 25 years’ experience. Specialising in infectious diseases and immunology, he has led major clinical and access initiatives in global pharma. Founder and editor-in-chief of DarkDrug.com and director of Praesentia Limited, he also serves on the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine’s Infectious Disease Committee. A strong advocate for innovation, he advises life sciences companies and maintains a passion for science, technology,
and the arts.
Diane Hawley
Pharmaceutical
Commercialisation Consultant
A senior executive with a proven track record in consulting, interim, and permanent roles across global, European, and UK biopharma. Her breadth of experience enables her to integrate quickly into client teams. Driven by a humanistic focus on delivering innovative medicines to underserved populations, Diane specialises in early commercialisation, brand development, launch planning, market access, and lifecycle management, bringing strategic clarity and a clear path to execution.
Simon Wootton
Strategic Consultant
Began his NHS career as a Biochemist and later served as Chief Accountable Officer at NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale CCG, and previously as Chief Operating Officer at North Manchester CCG. He was the Greater Manchester CCG lead for Estates and Elective Care and Vice Chair of GMMMG. Formerly a Pharmaceutical Healthcare Consultant and Business Unit Manager in the pharmaceutical industry, Simon has also authored books on
strategic planning, brain training, and public service management.
James Lawrence
Content Marketing Consultant
A business journalist and client-engagement
expert with a 30-year career spanning media and marketing. Served as editorial consultant and brand guardian for one of the world’s largest magazine franchises and as editorial director at the UK’s biggest content marketing agency, leading strategy for global blue-chip clients. Specialising in C-suite engagement, enterprise technology, and regulated industries, he now runs his own content marketing business, providing consultancy and content for SMEs and start-ups.
Dr Emma Harvey
Pharmaceutical Physician
A freelance pharmaceutical physician and
self-confessed Medical Affairs maven, Dr Emma Harvey has over 25 years’ experience across therapeutic areas and company sizes, from Big Pharma to Biotech. She has built and led national and global teams, delivering integrated pre- and peri-launch strategies across commercial, medical, regulatory, clinical, and access functions. A Member of the Royal College of Physicians and Vice President of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine.