We are excited to share the news that we have welcomed a number of new trustees to our Board of Trustees, and have appointed a new Chair of Trustees.
Earlier this year, Tom Sumpster reached the end of his term as Chair of our Trustees and stepped down, prompting an election for a new chair. We are thrilled to announce that Deborah Cooper has since been elected as our new Chair of Trustees. In addition to this, we have also recently welcomed a number of new trustees to our board, who bring a wealth of valuable expertise.
Introducing our new chair: Deborah Cooper
Deborah Cooper is an accomplished senior leader with extensive experience spanning pharmaceutical research and development, and governance within complex and highly regulated environments. Throughout her career, she has led strategic transformation, strengthened risk and assurance frameworks and supported organisations to navigate change while maintaining a strong focus on people and purpose.
As a trustee of the Pituitary Foundation since 2021, Deborah has contributed to strategic oversight and collaborative decision-making, helping to shape the charity’s direction and priorities. Her appointment as Chair reflects both her commitment to The Pituitary Foundation’s mission and her ability to bring clarity and a forward-looking perspective to governance. Deborah is particularly motivated by The Foundation’s refreshed trustee board and the energy and experience that these new board members bring. This provides a great opportunity to support new initiatives that expand our reach, deepen our impact across the patient and clinical landscape, and enhance the sustainability of our practices.
Debbie is a very active and involved volunteer and trustee with The Foundation, and many members will recognise her from our in-person get-togethers, online AGM and social media content. Debbie has lived experience of a pituitary condition and this understanding and compassion for our cause is reflected in her dedication to our work.
As Chair, she is focused on strengthening governance, fostering inclusive leadership and ensuring The Pituitary Foundation continues to deliver meaningful outcomes for the communities it serves, now and into the future.
Our Board of Trustees continues to grow!
Professor Hani Marcus
Hani Marcus serves as professor of neurosurgery at the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology and as a consultant neurosurgeon at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. He has an international reputation for his work in pituitary surgery, research on robotics and artificial intelligence, and commitment to education and mentorship.
Chloe Ann Robins
Chloe grew up as a young carer of a single parent with a recurrent prolactinoma and Addison’s disease. Experiencing the challenges of diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care from an early age shaped her understanding of the realities faced by patients with pituitary conditions and their families, and directly influenced her decision to study Neuroscience at university.
Professionally, Chloe works in the life sciences industry, where her role focuses on improving patient experience and support services through digital health innovation. She is passionate about embedding patient advocacy and centricity into the design and delivery of solutions that improve access, engagement, and continuity of care.
Glenn Darley
“I am honoured to join The Pituitary Foundation as a trustee. I bring 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, working at the intersection of commercial and medical affairs, with a strong focus on patient engagement and advocacy in rare and complex diseases. Much of my career has been spent in endocrinology and pituitary conditions, where I have seen firsthand the profound impact these conditions have on people’s lives and the role that The Pituitary Foundation provides to support these individuals and their loved ones. This experience has driven my passion for supporting those affected and using my knowledge and experience to improve their journey.
Throughout my career, I have championed meaningful patient community engagement by bringing together all stakeholders to create innovative, sustainable healthcare solutions. I strongly advocate for co‑creation, ensuring lived experiences of conditions shape both pharmaceutical drug development and commercialisation and healthcare programmes that the support the delivery of these treatments
I now run my own patient engagement consultancy, continuing to help pharma and biotech companies embed genuine patient community involvement into their strategies. As a trustee, I look forward to contributing as part of the team to deliver meaningful value for everyone living with pituitary conditions.”
Moji Fasanya
Moji Fasanya is an experienced NHS finance leader and qualified accountant with over 17 years in the NHS. She is Head of Finance at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust and has held a range of senior finance roles supporting clinical services and strengthening financial governance. Moji is passionate about improving outcomes for people with pituitary conditions. She is married with three children.
Bringing our trustees together for a day of development and strategic planning
It’s not often that the full staff team and our team of trustees come together in person, but this month we did just that! Our team met up in Bristol for a day of team development and strategy planning, to think through some of the biggest challenges to our work and how to overcome them.
In amongst the catch-ups over coffee and nibbles of cake, we discussed NHS changes on the horizon, the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence and the ways we can develop our services and channel funding opportunities. It was a day of exciting conversations and the team all came away feeling very energised by our work and plans for the future.
The day also gave us a chance to meet and get to know our new trustees. Our trustees, new and long-standing, travelled from across the UK to join us in Bristol.
