Executive and Non-Executive Directors

Alison Marshall, Interim Chair

Alison brings a wealth of NHS leadership experience, most recently serving as Chair of Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust, where she helped guide the organisation through the Covid-19 pandemic and played a key role in shaping its long-term strategy. She was also the first Chair of the Great North Healthcare Alliance, promoting collaboration, innovation, and a values-led approach to improving care for patients and staff.

Alison is commited to driving improvements and supporting a culture of openness, inclusion, and partnership across the organisation.

Steve Russell, Chief Executive

Appointed as Chief Executive in September 2025, Steve brings a wealth of NHS experience and a proven track record of working collaboratively with teams to drive improvements in care and services. Steve’s vast experience in national leadership roles include his tenure as Chief Executive of a neighbouring NHS Trust and more recently as Chief Delivery Officer and National Director of Vaccinations and Screening at NHS England.

Building on the strong foundations already in place, Steve will focus on fostering a positive and inclusive culture, strengthening engagement with our local communities, and continuing to enhance patient outcomes. 

Kelly Angus, Deputy Chief Executive

Kelly joined CDDFT in April 2026, from North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, where she supported the Trust as Interim Chief People Officer. Until October 2025, she was also part of NHS England’s North East and Yorkshire regional team, serving as Director of Workforce, Training and Education.

Kelly brings significant senior leadership experience across health and local government. Her previous roles include Deputy Chief Executive and Acting Chief Executive at Northumberland County Council, Deputy Director of HR at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, and regional and national roles within NHS England.

Lorraine Nelson, Executive Director of Operations

Lorraine has 30 years' experience in the NHS. She brings expertise and experience from a wide range of functions including finance and operational management. Most recently being divisional director for surgery and elective recover lead at a neighbouring trust. Lorraine is also the Trust's Accountable Emergency Officer.

Rob Clarke, Interim Director of Finance

Rob joined the Trust in October 2025 as Financial Improvement Director before stepping into the role of Interim Chief Finance Officer in January 2026. Rob brings extensive senior leadership experience from across the NHS. Prior to joining the Trust, he served as Chief Finance Officer at Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and as Deputy Chief Finance Officer (Strategic Planning) at Barts Health NHS Trust. He also worked as an Improvement Director for NHS England and NHS Improvement, supporting organisations to exit special measures. During the COVID‑19 pandemic, Rob took on the role of Director of Finance at the NHS Nightingale Hospital London.

Before beginning his NHS career, Rob spent more than 15 years in healthcare consultancy, most recently as a Partner in a firm specialising in clinical productivity and efficiency. Rob is a Chartered Accountant with experience across audit, strategy development, operational restructuring, clinical transformation, cost reduction and detailed financial management.

Andrew Thacker, Director of Workforce and Organisational Development

Andrew was appointed into the role of Director of Workforce and Organisational Development (OD) in November 2024, having joined in the Trust in 2016 as an Associate Director of Workforce and OD before becoming the Deputy Director of Workforce and OD at the Trust in 2018.

He has worked in the NHS for more than 35 years within the North East, starting his career in what was known at the time as computing, before moving into ‘personnel’ and becoming a qualified HR professional. He has held a number of senior leadership roles and has wide range of experience of working in people functions and services.

Shafie Kamaruddin, Acting Medical Director

We'll share more about Shafie Kamaruddin soon.

Gill Hunt, Interim Chief Nurse

We'll share more about Gill Hunt soon. 

Adam Crampsie, Non-Executive Director

Adam is a mental health clinician with around 20 years’ experience spanning the NHS, private sector, and charitable organisations. He is Chief Executive of a national mental health charity and NHS provider based in the North East, leading services locally and nationally through a range of NHS partnerships. Adam also serves as a Non-Executive Director and Chair of Quality and Governance at Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust, and holds several national leadership roles, including member of the NHS Confederation Mental Health Board and board member of the Association of Mental Health Providers.

Adam is passionate about improving quality and governance, supporting staff to deliver great care, and strengthening partnerships that help make a real difference for patients and communities.

David Jackson, Non-Executive Director

David has a background working in the Welfare to Work sector, holding several senior board roles, in multimillion pound organisations delivering services on behalf of the UK Government, and for Governments across Europe and South Arica. His experience also includes prison education, business support and enterprise, and independent living programmes.

David ran his own business consultancy providing business support, growth strategies, and governance, primarily for the third sector, helping to improve the business skills and helping to make organisations more sustainable and effective in the way the worked and the services they delivered.

David is currently a Trustee of Haswell and District Mencap, and Durham Union Society (DUS) and is an active member of the Rotary Club of Durham.

Lisa Quinn, Non-Executive Director

Lisa has worked in the NHS her full career - all in the North East. For 14 years Lisa held an Executive Director post at Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Foundation Trust (CNTWFT) with a wide portfolio that included commissioning, quality assurance, performance, governance, risk and digital. Her portfolio was extended to cover Finance in her final year as an Executive Director. Lisa also spent a number of years as an Executive Reviewer for the Care Quality Commission. More recently Lisa has worked nationally with the NHSE within the Mental Health Quality Transformation Team.

Maggie Pavlou, Non-Executive Director

Maggie joined CDDFT in March 2026. She is Chair of our People and Culture Committee and sits on our Audit Committee. She is a qualified HR professional with extensive commercial experience operating at Board level. Her executive career has been predominately within the private sector. She was HR Director with Parkdean Resorts, the largest UK holiday park operator, employing over 7,000 people across its 66 sites, with an EBITDA of £72m. A passionate advocate for employee engagement, Maggie runs her own technology business which focuses on this area.

Over the last 30 years Maggie has sat on a number of regional boards, she was the first ever female President and Chair of the North East Chamber of Commerce. In addition to her role with us, she is a Trustee and Volunteer at The People’s Kitchen, and a Board member of both The Chronicle Sunshine Fund and the Theatre Royal, York.

Alongside her role with us, Maggie is also a Non-Executive Director at Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust, where she also chairs their People and Organisational Development Committee. She is also Chair of QE Facilities, their wholly owned subsidiary company.

Martin Knowles, Non-Executive Director

Martin brings a wealth of experience to his role as Interim Non-Executive Director, having previously served as Chief Executive of South Tyneside Homes and Four Housing Group, and as Finance Director at both North Tyneside and North Tees General Hospitals. He is currently a Non-Executive Director at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, and in recent years roles also include being a Board Member at Advance Northumberland, Vice-Chair of Audit at Sunderland City Council, and with the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service.

Martins focus is on strengthening governance, supporting improvement and helping ensure the Trust is well placed to deliver safe, high-quality services for patients and communities.

Phil Kane, Non-Executive Director

Phil has over 40 years of NHS experience. Following graduation from Newcastle medical school in 1983 he undertook his higher surgical training in hospitals across the North East and London before taking up post as a consultant neurosurgeon at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in 1996. During his career, Phil enjoyed a variety of clinical leadership, academic and educational roles. He has a proven track record of improving the quality of clinical services with multiple presentations at national and international meetings.

Following retirement from clinical practice in December 2020, Phil has undertaken Non-Executive Director posts at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (2021-2024) and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (2024-2026) giving rise to a broad experience of board governance across all domains. 

Steve Crosland, Non-Executive Director

Appointed 1 June 2018.  Steve began his career in the public sector where he spent ten years working in economic regeneration, bringing inward investment to the North East.  He then took his skills into the private sector working for utility providers, where he developed a specialty in HR, ultimately working at Director level and subsequently working as a HR Director in the aviation sector.

Steve now runs his own HR consultancy, working for clients close to home and as far afield as Kazakhstan.  Steve is also a Non-Executive Director of Port of Tyne and operates his own UK wide mediation practice with a number of UK and European clients in a variety of sectors covering chemicals and processing, transport and logistics. media services, financial services and higher education.  Through a Birmingham-based charity, Steve undertakes mediation for children with special educational needs.

Liz Bromley, Non-Executive Director

We'll share more about Liz Bromley soon.