Who’s Who

Chief Executive Officer, Cait Allen

Cait has an extensive career history working with organisations across healthcare and the third sector, including NHS England and NHS Trusts. After a fast-growing career in PR and marketing, Cait moved into wider leadership roles in reputation management and influencing, before taking her first CEO role at the age of 35. Experienced in influencing policy, she has worked with different Government departments across Whitehall to develop policy and deliver change. Specialising in leading organisations in making a positive impact, Cait joins the BCA at a pivotal time following its major repositioning project, which had two core objectives: to support the serious strain on musculoskeletal (MSK) issues facing the UK, whilst equipping members with the tools to increase recognition within the mainstream healthcare community. 

 

Director of Communications & Marketing, Lisa King

Lisa has extensive experience in branding, communications and marketing across various organisations.  She started her career in membership associations as President at Sheffield Hallam Students’ Union, and then developed her marketing and communications skills further in front-line roles in several universities and the NHS.  She joined the BCA following the successful completion of a substantial branding project, also in a university setting. Lisa’s unique blend of expertise within marketing and corporate communications has transformed the organisations she has worked within, gaining share of voice and reach in PR and Public Affairs.

 

Director of Membership & Operations, Anne Barlow

Anne’s broad experience encompasses a number of unrelated sectors, which adds greatly to her flexibility and depth of knowledge. She started her career as a Registered Nurse, working in London. She later studied for a degree and transferred into the complex field of ergonomics/human factors technical engineering working for Xerox, later transferring to a marketing capacity. She has worked at the BCA since 2003, initially within marketing/communications and latterly, leading the Membership and Operations team. Anne’s trademark attention to detail and extensive technical and creative knowledge is unparalleled which has seen her transform systems and processes to benefit BCA members, positioning the organisation as the premium choice for British chiropractors.

 

Director of Development, Sofie Bennett (currently on Parental Leave)

Sofie started her career in hospitality and events, before moving to the charity sector where she held a range of leadership roles for healthcare, maritime and science causes. She has over 15 years’ experience delivering global partnerships and events across Europe and Asia.

Sofie joins the BCA at an exciting time as we approach our 100-year anniversary and is looking forward to working with partners and members to grow the BCA’s community.

In her spare time, Sofie enjoys being by the ocean and can usually be found chasing her toddler!

 

Communications & Marketing Executive, Katrin Mahfuz

Katrin works alongside BCA Director of Communications & Marketing, Lisa King, looking after how we interact with our members, key stakeholders and the general public. Katrin studied Communication and Media at Bournemouth University and, since graduating in 2019, she has been gaining valuable experience in marketing, events, communications and customer service across various organisations, including universities and start-ups.

 

 

 

Partnerships and Events Executive, Brianna Ryder-Maki

Brianna has enjoyed a varied career in the world of events management – working on events from tank festivals, weddings, conferences, press junkets and everything in between. Brianna’s diverse experience has exposed her to several different stakeholders including A-list celebrities, royals, military personnel, and public safety officials.

Brianna proudly wears a few different hats. As well as pouring her heart into BCA partnerships and events, she is a devoted mum, dog mum and part time PhD student, researching wellbeing in the events industry. Her passion for wellbeing shines through in her interactions with colleagues and clients, and forms a big part of her value system and hobbies outside of the workplace.

Brianna joins the team at a very exciting time, growing and developing the BCA partnership and events offerings as we approach our 100-year anniversary.

 

Membership Executive, Claire Cooke

Claire has spent the majority of her career working in the membership sector, across a wide range of areas including marketing, member acquisition and retention, support and guidance, volunteer management, school liaison, and more.

Claire works with Anne Barlow, Director of Membership & Operations, to provide support to members in all aspects of their professional lives.

 

 

 

 

President, Tim Button

Since 2003, Tim has established Cleve Chiropractic as a multidisciplinary clinic and now leads a highly experienced and knowledgeable team. He founded Cleve Chiropractic at Cleve Rugby Club and the Old School GP surgery in Bristol in 2003, before moving the practice to a shop unit in Mangotsfield in 2010. In 2014, he created a physiotherapy, exercise and rehabilitation clinic to run alongside the chiropractic clinic. In November 2019, Tim moved again to a larger clinic in Mangotsfield that amalgamated the two clinics and has been practicing with a team of 20 health care professionals ever since.

Over the years, Tim has not only worked hard to build successful local businesses, he’s also forged a strong reputation as a specialist in the elite sporting field. He has been the official chiropractor for Bristol Rovers Football Club since 2003, a role he also held with Premiership Club Bath Rugby for the best part of a decade. For the London 2012 Olympic Games, Tim was selected for the chiropractic team at the sailing village in Weymouth and was subsequently selected to work as a chiropractor for the London IAAF World Athletic Championships in 2017 and the Commonwealth Games in 2022.

Tim had a great time working for the British, Dutch and Australian national Skeleton teams in the 2018 World Cup and in preparation for the 2018 Winter Olympics. In 2012, as one of Britain’s youngest ever chiropractors, Tim became a fellow of the Royal College of Chiropractors Sports Faculty. He also currently runs the BCA chiropractic ski trip.

Vice-President, Ulrik Sandstrøm

Ulrik graduated from AECC University College in 1991 and has spent much of his career working with elite sport. He was 1st team chiropractor to Leicester Tigers Rugby Club for 12 seasons before shifting shape of ball and is currently at Leicester City FC.  He also worked as part of the official medical team of the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games. He is a regular feature at international conferences and runs several seminar programmes focused on hands on techniques.

 

 

 

Treasurer, John Williamson

John has been in practice since 2005. He graduated from the Welsh Institute of Chiropractic (University of South Wales) in his hometown of Pontypridd. He and his wife set up and run a multidisciplinary clinic in Bicester, Oxfordshire.

His special interest is in sport and rehabilitation, and he works with a wide range of athletes and sports from around the world. Over the last 10 years, he has built a strong reputation in the power sport industry, working with some of the strongest men and women in Britain.

John has been actively involved with the BCA, serving two terms as a Board Member, with this being his second term as Treasurer. This involvement shows his commitment to the chiropractic profession and his desire to contribute to its growth and development.

In addition to his BCA duties, John balances his time between clinic duties, working at sporting events, taking care of his young family, and lecturing nationally and internationally for the Fédération Internationale de Chiropratique du Sport (FICS). Outside of his professional life, John has a variety of interests, including photography, travel, water sports, classic cars and spending time with his dog. These hobbies provide a well-rounded perspective on his personality and interests beyond his chiropractic career.

Board Members

Mark Christensen

Faye Deane

Faye Deane graduated from The Welsh Institute of Chiropractic (WIOC) in 2007 and has 16 years’ experience in private practice and working as 1st team chiropractor for Leeds United and Sheffield United football clubs. Since 2021, Faye has worked as a Senior Lecturer at Teesside University and has been involved in co-writing the MSci Chiropractic degree and leading the development of the placement provision. She holds a Masters’ degree in International Public and is currently undertaking a PhD in integrated musculoskeletal care. Having interned in both Malawi and Chile, working in primary, secondary and tertiary musculoskeletal healthcare settings and with indigenous communities, Faye believes all chiropractors should act as public health advocates and sits on the World Federation of Chiropractic’s (WFC) Public Health Committee, representing the UK and Europe. Her research interests are integrated healthcare, aging, co-morbidity, chronic pain and the microbiome.

Faye’s other roles include acting as Co-Chair for the International Federation of Sports Chiropractic’s (FICS) Education Commission, sitting on the GCC’s Investigation Committee and EDI working group and the RCC’s Health Policy Unit.

 

Owain Evans

Owain studied BSc Anatomical Sciences at Cardiff University before graduating in 2009 from the Welsh Institute of Chiropractic at the University of South Wales with a Master’s degree in Chiropractic. Recently, Owain also completed his Master’s in Music and Classical Singing at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. He is the Founder of Backspace Chiropractic Fitness in London, where he combines his chiropractic care with personal training and personal performance coaching. He has a special interest in sports chiropractic and rehabilitation.

Owain has trained many new graduates under the Royal College of Chiropractor’s fantastic Post-registration Training (PRT) programme and is a strong ambassador for PRT. He takes great pride in helping less experienced chiropractors in becoming the best they can be and is looking forward to helping BCA members in any way that he can, so feel free to get in touch with him (via enquiries@chiropractic-uk.co.uk) with any concerns or questions that you might have.

 

Juliet Lock

Juliet has over twenty years’ experience in general practice and elite sport. She has been a chiropractor at the Olympics, Paralympics, IAAF World Championships and was a member of the medical team at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Juliet has worked in Rugby for the last eight years and most recently as Head of Medical for London Scottish. Juliet runs a busy multidisciplinary clinic in Oxfordshire; she enjoys working with all ages but has a particular interest in the adolescent population. Juliet has also completed the International Academy of Veterinary Chiropractic diploma and works as a veterinary chiropractor one day a week.  Juliet studied at AECC University College – her post graduate degree is in sports rehabilitation. She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Chiropractors and was Director of Academic Affairs for the Sports Faculty.

Juliet is passionate about contributing to the direction of the profession at this pivotal time and is looking forward to working on the BCA Board and representing the membership.

 

Philippa Oakley

Philippa Oakley (she/her) graduated from The Welsh Institute of Chiropractic (WIOC) (University of South Wales) in 2012 and has over a decade’s experience in private practice. In addition to running her own clinic in Wiltshire, she is also the co-director of Oakley Partnership, a coaching and consultancy business specialising in LGBTQ+ inclusive healthcare. As a certified Coach and Mentor, Philippa has worked with the NHS, the General Chiropractic Council (GCC), educational institutions and healthcare membership organisations around the world to provide practitioners with the knowledge and skills to deliver culturally competent care to LGBTQ+ individuals. Most recently, Philippa was the recipient of the British Chiropractic Association’s prestigious “Chiropractor of the Year” award for 2022-2023, given in recognition of her work enhancing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the chiropractic profession.

 

Immediate Past President, Catherine Quinn

Catherine is Clinical Director at Cleve Chiropractic in North Bristol and a Consultant Chiropractor to professional sports teams. Catherine graduated from AECC University College, was President of the British Chiropractic Association between 2017 and 2023, and was awarded a Fellow of the UK Royal College of Chiropractors Sports Faculty. She has represented chiropractic in both local and national media outlets, including national TV, and is part of the Waitrose Health Expert panel. Catherine actively promotes the role of chiropractic within multidisciplinary healthcare teams, both within the sports medicine community and in the wider healthcare system, and has lectured internationally on the value of integrative and collaborative healthcare.

Catherine was a member of the medical team at the London 2012 Olympic Games and 2022 Commonwealth Games, has worked within club and international Rugby League and Union, with Winter Olympic Skeleton athletes at World Cup and World Championship competition, and in Premiership Football and Rugby, Queens Park Rangers, and London Irish FC. Catherine is passionate about integration between independent and NHS-based services to provide patients with choice and greater access to healthcare.