About us

Tim Brooks

Chair

Tim Brooks has led many famous and diverse media brands, ranging from Health Service Journal to the Guardian; and from New Musical Express to the BMJ. He is chair of the advisory council of the British Library, and of NLA Media Access, a copyright management organisation owned by the UK’s major news brands. He is also a director of the Professional Publishers Association, and has twice served as a visiting fellow in strategy and entrepreneurship at London Business School. Tim invests his time and experience in enabling talented people and established publishing companies to flourish in today’s rapidly-changing information economy.

Caroline McNamara

Deputy chair, non-executive director

Caroline (Carol) McNamara has 30 years’ experience working in the publishing and information industry. She works at CABI, a not-for-profit international organisation owned by 48 governments. In her role as chief commercial officer, she is responsible for delivering income and growth for the organisation in addition to all customer communications. As most of her career has been spent in digital publishing she has an in-depth understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing publishers such as RCNi as customers demand greater flexibility from products and services in the move to a digital environment. Throughout her career she has worked in international markets and is accustomed to operating at board level in commercial and governmental organisations. Carol is also a qualified member of the Institute of Directors.

Roy Grant

Non-executive director and adviser on HR and operations

Roy Grant joined RCNi board on 1 November 2013. Before this he worked as HR director in several sectors including banking, health and manufacturing. Most recently, Roy worked in media for Trinity Mirror Plc facing all the familiar challenges of its products moving online. Since 2013 Roy has worked as an HR consultant as well as holding non-executive roles for RCNi, Your Housing Group and Career Connect. His experience includes all aspects of human resources with an emphasis on merger and acquisition, change management and employee relations. Roy is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.   

Sophie Wybrew-Bond

Non-executive director and adviser on audience engagement and digital skills

Sophie Wybrew-Bond has 25 years' experience in media and information services (B2C and B2B) starting out as a marketer, then progressing from publisher through to managing director at Bauer Media's Entertainment portfolio. Most recently Sophie has been head of brand (creative & content) for Marks and Spencer, where she developed a publishing/content operation and oversaw every visual and written expression of M&S (from shop windows to advertising).

Dr Caroline Shuldham OBE

Non-executive director

Caroline joined the board of RCNi in November 2019. She is a registered nurse with a background in critical care and cardiac nursing, and chaired the RCNi editorial advisory board in 2015-2019.

Caroline is an independent consultant with experience in clinical governance, management, research and teaching. Among her roles, she is non-executive director at community care provider CSH Surrey and also chairs its quality and safety governance committee. Caroline is also an adviser on care matters to the trustees of a charity providing independent living accommodation and a care home for older residents. Previously she was executive director of nursing and clinical governance at Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust.

In all her roles, Caroline has a strong commitment to the well-being and safety of patients.

Susan Sinclair

Non-executive director

Susan joined the board of RCNi in May 2020. She is a registered nurse with a background in Haemato-Oncology, who undertook her return to Practice in 2012. In 2018 she completed an MBA.

Susan has held Board level roles in the acute sector, where she was the Director of Strategy at West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust, in Primary Care and where she was the CEO of AT Medics, an at scale provider of NHS Primary Care services. She has recently commenced as Managing Director of the RM Partners Cancer Alliance.

Her nursing and care interests are focused around integrating care, oncology and end of life care and training and development of the nursing workforce.

Professor Rod Thomson

Non-executive director

Rod initially studied psychiatric nursing before training in general nursing and as a health visitor.

As well as working in Scotland, north west England and the West Midlands, his research and public health roles have taken him as far afield as Australia, Canada, Japan and the United States. 

Rod is a member of the European Commission’s expert advisory panel and a visiting professor at three UK universities.

He has recently retired as director of public health in Shropshire, but continues to volunteer at a hospice in Shrewsbury. In addition, he is an associate non-executive director at the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

Rod has held several senior RCN roles including chair of congress from 2010 to 2014 and deputy president from 2015 to 2018.

He is currently council member for the RCN West Midlands region and was awarded the RCN fellowship in 2002. He is also a fellow of the Faculty of Public Health.