Senior Leadership Team

Chief Executive Officer

Before being appointed as CEO in 2023, James had a long career in the healthcare sector. James has a remarkable background in healthcare leadership, having recently led the Somerset Integrated Care System (ICS), and served as Chief Executive of the Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). His extensive executive roles in institutions such as Weston Area Health NHS Trust, University Hospitals Bristol, Royal United Hospital Bath, and Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust have seen him drive forward strategy, transformation, and performance in those organisations.

David has spent the last 20+ years working in senior finance and commissioning roles in the health and social care sector, mostly in Somerset. An experienced finance director and health care commissioner, he has developed and delivered a range of strategies to improve services, premises, use of IT systems and organisational finances. 

Most recently, David was the Finance Director of Freeways and Freeways Trust – Bristol-based charities supporting adults with learning disabilities. He developed a financial strategy to strengthen their reserves, provided financial modelling for the development of a strategic estate plan, led the development of a digital strategy, and the procurement of a digital care records and staff rostering system. 

David was the Managing Director leading the Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) from 2012 to 2017. The CCG was an early advocate of integrated care systems working with local GPs, the County Council, and providers to better join up services.   

As Director of Primary Care Development at Somerset Primary Care Trust, David developed the primary care premises programme to fund many new and improved GP surgeries across Somerset. He also worked closely with WyvernHealth.com – the countywide practice-based commissioning group – to reduce the growth in emergency hospital admissions through developing alternative community-based services. While Director of Finance at Somerset Coast Primary Care Trust, he oversaw the initial business cases for new community hospitals at Minehead and Bridgwater. David trained as a Chartered Accountant with Deloitte, Haskins and Sells in Nottingham moving to Taunton in 1992 to work as Assistant Director of Finance at Musgrove Park Hospital. 

David joined St Margaret’s Hospice in March 2022. He lives in Taunton and enjoys spending his leisure time with his family, walking, being part of a local church and watching sport. 

Jo has spent the last 20+ years helping a wide range of charity sector organisations raise funds and deliver impact. From setting up lucrative corporate partnerships for national causes such as Help the Aged (now Age UK) and Action for Blind People, to developing and launching a local membership scheme for the Bishop’s Palace in Wells, Jo has conceived and delivered numerous fundraising successes for the organisations that she has worked for. 

An experienced leader, and senior management team player, Jo is an all-round fundraising professional, having worked across a variety of income streams. Most recently Jo led the strategic growth of an international development NGO, called Motivation. Here, she worked alongside the UK Government’s Department for International Development to initiate and oversee the charity’s three UK Aid Match public appeals, scaled up corporate engagement, resulting in a grant of £500,000 from Google, and developed a new voice and identity for the charity.           

In addition, Jo is an experienced communicator, having worked in consumer public relations prior to moving into the not-for profit sector. She has, therefore, also led integrated fundraising and communications teams, and been responsible for growing brand awareness, creating publications and collateral, as well as managing media relations and website development. 

A mum of two, Jo lives locally to St Margaret’s Hospice in Taunton and joined the team in September 2019. Away from work, she is a keen but reluctant runner, football fanatic, and loves spending time at the coast pretending to be a surfer! 

With over 20 years of experience in HR, Katie brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise across the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. She has progressed from an HR generalist to a strategic leader, driving cultural and organisational change rooted in values and focused on impact. As a strategic leader at St Margaret’s Hospice, Katie is passionate about sharing her expertise in people development, leadership, and learning. She has introduced a new People Strategy, enhanced the corporate governance infrastructure, and, as a Senior Leadership Team member, actively contributes to the design and delivery of the organisation’s overarching strategy.

Katie was honoured with the title of Fellow of the CIPD in 2017, in recognition of her outstanding contribution and commitment to the HR profession. She remains an active member of the CIPD and supports the HR community by mentoring emerging professionals. Over the past nine years, Katie has also made significant contributions as a volunteer, particularly within the education sector, where she has served as both a School Governor and Board Trustee, including a role as Chair from 2020 to 2025.

Living in Weston-Super-Mare with her husband and two cats, Katie enjoys exploring the food and music scenes in Bristol and Cardiff. She also loves taking short breaks to quaint towns and cities, where she can indulge her passion for vinyl records and add to her ever-growing collection.

Nick is a forward-thinking digital and IT leader who has championed technology-driven advancement at St Margaret’s Hospice since 2005. He has successfully delivered multiple transformation projects, including two separate Electronic Health Record (EHR) implementations. 

Alongside his work at St Margaret’s, Nick has provided consultancy for multiple hospices throughout the South West, leading EHR projects and delivering complex cloud migrations to modernise infrastructure and improve operational resilience. 

As Director of Data and IT Services, Nick drives the development and deployment of transformative digital technologies that streamline operations, improve user experiences, and bolster the Hospice’s strategic goals. Working closely with partners across the Integrated Care System (ICS), he fosters collaborative approaches to digital innovation, sharing best practices that benefit the broader healthcare community. 

Nick’s leadership style emphasises inclusivity, innovation, and strong security practices—balancing cutting-edge technology with stringent cybersecurity and compliance standards. By continually exploring next-generation tools and solutions, he ensures St Margaret’s remains at the forefront of digital innovation, delivering secure, efficient, and high-quality services for patients, staff, and the wider community. 

Clare brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our team. With extensive experience as a Nurse, Clare has enjoyed a significant portion of her career within Advanced Clinical Practice in Neurosciences. Her advance practice and latterly clinical governance skills led her to expand both in a Trust-wide role within a large acute NHS Trust, concurrently serving as the Non-Medical Prescribing Lead. 

Before her tenure at St Margaret’s, Clare spent five impactful years at St Peter’s Hospice in Bristol. There, she held several key positions including Deputy Director of Patient Care, Head of Clinical Governance, Controlled Drug Accountable Officer, and CQC Registered Manager. Her contributions were instrumental in elevating the quality of patient care and clinical governance. 

Clare’s commitment to safety, high quality and excellence in patient care, and her passion for making a positive impact are evident in all she does. We are privileged to have Clare’s leadership and vision guiding our efforts at St Margaret’s. 

Clare lives with her family in Somerset and is enjoying rural life following a move from Bristol in 2023.