TOPRA’s
Board of Directors has appointed Dr Samantha Atkinson as its new Chief Executive. Sam succeeds interim Chief Executive John Wilkinson OBE and is now in post.
Sam joins TOPRA with almost 25 years' experience working across the life sciences sector. Sam enjoyed successful career at the
UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory (MHRA) for almost 16 years, undertaking a variety of different roles from the Inspectorate through to Board level. Before leaving Sam was Chief Quality and Access Officer with accountability for regulatory activities across the UK supply chain. Sam also gained extensive experience in crisis management, having led national and international scale incidents, and was the Executive lead for the MHRA’s response to the pandemic.
Sam moved to the
UK Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC) where she was appointed as the Director of Social Care Reform leading the delivery of the multi-£bn Social Care Charging Reform programme across the UK. Sam left the UK Civil Service at the end of 2022 and moved to work for a consultancy, developing and driving business growth strategies in new geographical target markets.
Sam is passionate about improving outcomes for patients and the public, delivering through innovative solutions and using systems thinking to achieve improvement and changes at scale.
TOPRA President Aman Khera said: “We are delighted to announce Sam’s appointment as TOPRA’s new Chief Executive. Her wide range of skills and experience will be invaluable to TOPRA as we move to the next phase of the organisation’s journey.
"I would also like to take this opportunity to thank John Wilkinson for his hugely valuable contribution during his time in post. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with John, and TOPRA has moved forward significantly under his leadership.”
New TOPRA Chief Executive Dr Sam Atkinson said: “I am delighted to be joining TOPRA at this exciting time both for the organisation, our members and the wider industry. TOPRA has a vital role to play in supporting its members, but also in shaping some of the important conversations that are influencing the future landscape of the profession, and I want to ensure that we are part of those discussions.”