The museum is run by a dedicated staff team and governed by a board of trustees.
Staff
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Edward Appleyard
Chief Executive
Edward joined Thackray as Chief Executive in January 2023.
Prior to joining Thackray, Edward was Director of Engagement at Harewood House Trust, where he led the business through all aspects of audience engagement (marketing, communications, visitor experience, membership, programming and more), building on two decades’ experience of working within arts and culture environments. Before entering the museums and heritage sector, Edward’s focus was on music and he led the hugely successful re-brand of the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO), part of a team winning 26 national and international awards, later using this experience to re-brand Harewood which won Large Visitor Attraction of the Year in 2020 at the White Rose Awards. Before that he was based in Manchester at the Royal Northern College of Music and University of Manchester.
Edward is driven by a continuing ambition to connect people with culture, heritage and the arts.
Trustees
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Dr Neil Kaiper-Holmes
Chairman - Board of Trustees
Leeds Medical School graduate and former GP, Dr Neil Kaiper-Holmes brings an outstanding record of managing diverse businesses and extensive experience in all matters of governance.
Previously both Group Medical Director and Managing Director of a group of healthcare and communications PLC businesses, Neil is also a former Trustee of the Leeds Rhinos Foundation. During his time as Chair of the foundation, he implemented transformative change relating to income generation, as well as organisational restructuring to ensure the foundation continues to deliver life-changing initiatives to various communities.
Neil is a Director of a multi-academy educational trust and Chairman of their Audit Committee and a Parish Councillor.
His passion and commitment to changing lives and the wealth of experience he has in the charity sector mean he is well equipped to achieve our mission and propel Thackray forward as the leading independent medical museum in the country.
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Martin Dickson
Board of Trustees
Martin is the Head of Marketing for LeedsBID since its inception in 2015. From studying music at University Martin spent over 14 years in the music industry through the nineties working with major artists across the world for EMI. Martin was also a member of the Senior Management Team who led the merger and launch of Leeds City College in 2009 as the Director of Marketing working in the city’s FE sector for 10 years prior to joining the BID.
Martin is also the Head of Festival for the Leeds International Festival of ideas, an innovative place making project developed and run by LeedsBID. The event claimed an IDA award in 2018 and is in its 6th year. Hosting major speakers and thought leaders in their field, Leeds International Festival of Ideas has become a well-established autumn event in the city’s calendar. Martin is currently Vice Chair for The Market Place, a mental health charity based in the city centre supporting 11-25 year olds with mental health challenges
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Sam Dixon
Board of Trustees
Sam is a Partner and UK Head of Innovation at transatlantic law firm, Womble Bond Dickinson. He sits on the Yorkshire board of the Turnaround Management Association and has extensive experience of advising businesses, charities and providers of public services on navigating through changes and challenges.
In his role as Head of Innovation, he has responsibility for shaping innovation strategy and has experience of rolling out technology solutions including automated processes and the use of machine learning. He has a long-standing interest in how technology can help to shape the future. Prior to qualifying as a lawyer, he led and grew the online retail division of Outdoor Action in the early days of online retail. He subsequently became an early adopter of music technology which helped to fulfil a childhood dream of becoming a professional DJ.
He holds a Masters in Advanced Legal Practice from Northumbria University, completed the PWC Leadership Development Program and is currently studying the Power MBA.
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Luke Farley
Board of Trustees
Councillor Luke Farley represents Burmantofts and Richmond Hill and is the chair of the Inner East Community Committee.
Leeds born and bred; Luke was born only a few meters away from the museum at St James’s University Hospital. His background is in communications in the NHS and has previously worked at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which involved a close partnership with the museum.
Further to his elected role, he is also a trustee of the Leeds Refugee Forum and a governor at a local school. He lives locally and can generally be spotted out and about around the area.
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Michael Lewis
Board of Trustees
Michael works in healthcare advisory, providing consultancy support to a range of NHS and private sectors. Michael originally trained as a Doctor at Leeds Medical School and worked as a junior doctor across West Yorkshire, prior to retraining as a Chartered Accountant. Since retraining, he has worked for several large accountancy firms in areas such as insolvency, healthcare turnaround, and healthcare advisory.
This has provided him with experience in a wide range of assignments and industries – ranging from trading an insolvent coal mine to supporting NHS clients to improve productivity. Michael also spent five years at Mid Yorkshire Hospitals as the Head of Transformation and Continuous Improvement team.
Between May 2022 and December 2023, Michael was the President of the West Yorkshire Society of Chartered Accountants, having undertaken voluntary work with the Society since 2011. Michael is thrilled to be joining the board of Thackray and looks forward to using his experiences in health and finance to add value.
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Dr Hamish McLure
Board of Trustees
Hamish qualified in medicine from Manchester University then trained as an anaesthetist in West London. He was a consultant at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea before heading north to work at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in 2001. He’s had a number of management roles including Clinical Director for Theatres & Anaesthesia, Medical Director for Workforce & Professional Standards as well as working for the Royal College of Anaesthetists and the Association of Anaesthetists. He’s now moved to NHS England where he’s the Regional Medical Director for the North East & Yorkshire although he still does a day a week as an anaesthetist . Outside of work, he’s a keen photographer, hill walker and gardener (under the close supervision of his wife).
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Lucy McCabe
Board of Trustees
Lucy qualified as a doctor in 2012 from Brighton & Sussex Medical School. She has worked in a number of hospitals in the Yorkshire region during her postgraduate training and is now a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust; the hospital she herself was born in! Lucy has a wealth of experience in Quality Improvement within the NHS and trains others in improvement methodology, data collection and analysis. She also has an MSc in Medical Leadership from the University of Lancaster and has a leadership role as the Workforce Lead for her department. She is also interested in Medical Education and will be appointed to a College Tutor role for Obstetrics and Gynaecology in 2026.
Outside Medicine, she has a wealth of experience with bioart, where artists and scientists collaborate. She has both created works and acted as a scientific advisor. She has exhibited work at the Brighton Science Festival and the International Symposium of Electronic Art. She is also the Head of Culinary Arts at the Institute of Unnecessary Research.
Lucy is very pleased to join the Thackray Museum of Medicine team, bringing both a medical and creative perspective.
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Liz Moss
Board of Trustees
Liz brings a wealth of experience as a passionate museum and cultural heritage leader. Her career has taken her from the Lake District National Park to Holker Hall & Gardens, Wigan Pier, Showtown and most recently to Counterculture. She has led major £10m+ capital projects, including Windermere Jetty Museum and Showtown, and held senior CEO and COO roles across the charitable and public sectors.
A committed advocate for inclusive and accessible visitor and volunteer experiences, Liz is driven by a belief in the power of place, story, and connection. She regularly works with regional and national cultural organisations and currently sits on the Lancashire Business Board. She also serves as a Non-Executive Director for Super Slow Way Ltd, Heritage Trust for the North West, and Arts Lancashire. Previously, she was a member of the National Trust’s Regional Advisory Board for the North and held leadership roles with Lakeland Arts and Heritage Trust for the North West.
As mum to a student midwife in Leeds, Liz is proud to support the Thackray Museum of Medicine as a trustee, combining her professional background with a personal connection to the city.
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Jo Norry MBE
Board of Trustees
Jo Norry is recently retired after a career as a university senior manager, latterly Director of Library and Student Services at Leeds Beckett University, leading libraries, digital learning and student IT support, student services centres and student mental health and disability support. Her Board experience includes serving as a Governor of the University from 2018 to 2025, a member of the Board of Trustees of Unipol Student Homes 2022-25, and a Trustee and member of the Executive Board of the Society of College, National and University Libraries to 2016.
Jo is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and holds postgraduate qualifications in librarianship, human resource management, and a Masters in Medieval English Literature from the University of Newcastle. She chaired the Northern Collaboration 2018-20, a membership organisation of 29 university libraries in northern England, and co-led the establishment of Academic Libraries North in 2020, a new larger collaboration across the north. In the 2022 New Year’s Honours, she was awarded an MBE for services to higher education and social inclusion.
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Dr Amritpal Kaur Riat
Board of Trustees
Amrit attained her medical degree in 2010 from the University of Nottingham and qualified as a general practitioner in 2015. She has undertaken medical work in Kenya, India, Turkey and New Zealand. More recently Amrit has turned her focus from clinical skills towards education through becoming a GP trainer and school governor.
Amrit has a lifelong commitment to arts and culture. She spends her spare time painting, playing musical instruments and participating in stand-up and improvised comedy.
Following much moving around Amrit now lives and works in Leeds. She is committed to supporting the local area and communities within her home city. Amrit brings experience, healthcare knowledge and an enthusiasm for the value of museums.
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Rojin Sahindal
Young Trustee
Rojin Sahindal is thrilled to join Thackray Medical Museum as a Young Trustee. A University of Leeds graduate in Law, Rojin currently works as a Sales Specialist at an IT Company, supporting both Public Sector and Commercial organisations with their Software innovation strategies. With previous non profit experience as an Ambassador for the Holocaust Educational Trust and as a representative in Hull Young People’s Parliament, Rojin has a deep passion for history, community engagement and youth collaboration. As a Young Trustee, Rojin aims to enhance the Museum’s outreach and educational programmes, ensuring they resonate with diverse, younger audiences. In her free time, Rojin enjoys hiking across the picturesque Yorkshire countryside and learning new languages.
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Tracy Fowler
Trading Board Director
Tracy Fowler is a Finance and Accounting specialist with over 20 years’ experience working in large global commercial organisations. She is Senior Vice President Group Finance and Head of Investor Relations for Nilfisk, a large global Danish company headquartered in Copenhagen. She has run large teams across many cultures and is a strong advocate for equality, diversity and inclusion. In her current role she is also responsible for the implementation of the new ESRS (European Sustainability Reporting Standards) and CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) reporting for European companies.
She holds an Executive MBA from Leeds university, alongside being a qualified chartered accountant.
