TRUSTEES' REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2024 85
RSPCA Board 2024
Board of Trustees
• Chair Claire Horton CBE
(appointed 1 January 2024, resigned 24 March 2025)
• Vice Chair David Thomas (until 12 September 2024)
• Treasurer Karen Harley
• Richard Booker (retired 12 October 2024)
• Vice Chair Amanda Bringans OBE
(appointed 12 September 2024, then appointed
as Chair 26 March 2025)
• Kevin Degenhard
• Stuart Howells
• Brenda Shore
• David Smith
• Imogen Walker
• Caroline Waters
• Josie Woodward (elected 12 October 2024)
• Mark Wright
Claire Horton was appointed as a trustee and as Chair from
1 January 2024. Karen Harley was appointed as Treasurer in
2023 until the AGM in 2026. Richard Booker served as Chair
of the Branch Affairs Committee until the AGM in 2024 and
Stuart Howells was subsequently appointed as Chair of the
Branch Affairs Committee.
Co-opted committee members
Who served in 2024
• Heather Bacon
(appointed 19 December 2022, reappointed 21 September 2023)
• Lin Phillips
(appointed 5 October 2024)
• Tom Franklin
(reappointed 21 September 2023)
• Karen Hiestand
(appointed 19 December 2022, reappointed 21 September 2023)
• Maria Johannessen
(reappointed 21 September 2023)
• Hiti Singh
(reappointed 21 September 2023)
• Charlotte Speedy
(appointed 19 December 2022, reappointed 21 September 2023)
• Gillian Switalski
(reappointed 21 September 2023)
Committees
1. Finance, Audit and Risk Committee (FARCOM)
2. Animal Welfare Committee
3. Branch Affairs Committee (BAC)
4. Governance and Nominations Committee
5. Investment Committee
6. Remuneration Committee
7. RSPCA Pension Scheme Limited Board
8. RSPCA Enterprises Limited Board
9. RSPCA Trading Limited Board
10. RSPCA Assured Limited Board (name changed from
Freedom Food Limited March 2023)
The Rules of the RSPCA empower the Board to appoint committees
of the Board and entrust to these committees such powers and
duties as the Board sees fit. The 2024 committees are listed above.
During 2024, Board members served as indicated for some or all
of that year on committees of the Board, or the boards of directors
of subsidiary companies of the RSPCA.
Patron
• H M King Charles III (from May 2024)
President
• Chris Packham (from 1 April 2023 to December 2024)
Vice-Presidents
• Brian Blessed
• Baroness Fookes of Plymouth
• Caroline Lucas (to December 2024)
• Dr Brian May (to July 2024)
• JB Gill
• Melanie Challenger
• Steve Backshall
Senior management
• Chief Executive: Chris Sherwood (until January 2025)
• Interim Chief Executive: Shān Nicholas (from January 2025)
• Chief Operating Officer: John Kerslake (until 5 December 2024)
• Interim Director of Field Operations: Cassie Newman
(from 5 December 2024)
• Director of People and Culture: Fiona Evans
(until 30 September 2024)
• Interim Director of People and Culture: Caroline McCague
(from 30 September 2024)
• Director of Policy, Prevention and Campaigns: Emma Slawinski
(until February 2025)
• Director of Engagement and Income Generation: Tracey Pritchard
• Director of Strategy and Transformation: Emily Tierney
• Director of Finance and Business Services: Tania Hudson
• Chief Legal Officer*: Ray Goodfellow (until 6 September 2024)
*During the year, we made changes in our senior legal function after our
Chief Legal Officer retired. Following a structural review, we removed the
Chief Legal Officer role and appointed a Chief Legal Counsel instead.
They report directly to the Director of Finance and Business Services and
are not part of the executive team.