Dr Samantha Atkinson | Chief Executive

Sam joins TOPRA with almost 25 years' experience working across the life sciences sector. Sam enjoyed successful career at the UK 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.

Contact Samantha for: strategy and governance enquiries.

Joe Jennings | Director of Engagement

Joe has more than 20 years' experience in marketing and communications, with much of that spent in professional membership bodies representing areas that include public health, engineering and accounting. Before joining TOPRA he was Head of Marketing & Communications at the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health. He is responsible for overseeing TOPRA communications and PR, marketing, digital and publishing activities.

Contact Joe for: corporate communications and PR, publishing and awards. 

John O'Keeffe | Director of Professional Development

John has over 25 years’ experience in education and training, much of which has been spent working for professional membership bodies. Prior to joining TOPRA, his roles have included Head of Education & Careers at the Landscape Institute and Assistant Director of Education & Training at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. John oversees the Professional Development team whose responsibilities include delivering TOPRA’s training courses and eLearning, the Symposium, the MSc programme and the Level 7 Apprenticeship. John is also a qualified apprenticeship assessor and internal verifier, and a Member of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).

Contact John for: information about professional development including courses, webinars, conferences, lifelong learning, opportunities to volunteer in training the next generation of regulatory affairs professionals, the MSc programme and apprenticeship.

Jay Gill | Director of Finance and Operations

Jay has over 9 years’ experience in finance. He excelled in his role as Financial Controller and was ready to take on the position of Director of Finance and Operations when the opportunity presented itself. He is responsible for financial sustainability and operational efficiency. The experience gained in his previous role, combined with his understanding of TOPRA's inner workings, has made Jay an increasingly valuable member of the team.

Contact Jay for: financial & budgeting enquiries, investments, VAT, operational queries.

Gloria Dwyer | Membership, Engagement and Communities Manager

Gloria has over 25 years’ experience working across public, private, not-for-profit and membership organisations. She has a wide and varied career within high-profile conferences and networking events, ensuring success within diverse companies such as the BBC, Asset Based Finance Association, UK Finance and Janus Henderson. She is responsible for the operational aspects as well as the growth and development of TOPRA’s communities and networks.

Contact Gloria for: SPIN & IN enquiries.

Jana Beader | Membership Officer

Jana has over two years of expertise in membership services gained during her time at the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILTUK). Jana organises and coordinates meetings for the Specialist Professional Interest Networks (SPINs) and Interest Networks (INs). She also helps with group and individual membership renewals, including invoicing, and handles a variety of member enquiries.

Contact Jana for: membership enquiries.

Erik Smit | Client Liaison and Sales Manager

Erik is responsible for the commercial activities at TOPRA, including exhibitions, sponsorship and advertising. He also coordinates the annual careers fair ‘Regulatory Careers Live’. Prior to that he was responsible for TOPRA’s Marketing Function. Prior to joining TOPRA Erik held roles such as Marketing Executive at the Sector Skills Council for Science & Engineering Manufacturing Technologies and before that Marketing & Development Executive at Miller Freeman (United Business Media), publishers of Food Manufacture, and Manufacturing Chemist. Erik studied International Management at Arnhem Business School, and he has a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing from Kingston Business School.

Rosely Solomon | Head of Training and Qualifications

Rosely Solomon leads TOPRA’s training and qualifications, bringing over two decades of expertise in educational leadership, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance. With a strong foundation in both biomedical science and adult education, Rosely has successfully built and led high-impact learning strategies across the education and healthcare sectors.

She is responsible for developing and overseeing professional training and qualifications that meet the evolving needs of regulatory affairs professionals, from entry-level pathways to advanced continuing professional development (CPD). Rosely’s work includes shaping academic partnerships, aligning programmes to industry frameworks, and ensuring the highest standards of instructional quality. 

Contact Rosely for: general queries around training and qualifications, including PhD, MSc and apprenticeship.

Kay Platt | Conferences and Events Lead

Kay joined TOPRA as maternity cover for the Membership and Advertising Secretary. She then went on to become Office Coordinator, taking over the position of Postgraduate Administrator in 2007. Since September 2022 Kay has taken on the role of Conference and Events Lead.

Contact Kay for: Conference and Event enquiries.

Loretta Yarquah | Training and Registrations Lead

Loretta joined TOPRA to assist with the delivery of our training courses. She has an extensive background in planning and coordinating various events and is now the Training and Education Lead, taking care of all the CRED courses as well as assisting with in house training.

Anmol Ramana | Training and Registrations Lead

Anmol began her journey at TOPRA with a maternity cover position, leveraging her prior experience in training and events to oversee the management and delivery of CRED courses. Since then, she has expanded her role as the Training and Registration Lead to assist with the management of TOPRA's Apprentice Webinars, Masterclass and Essentials courses, alongside handling general course administration and registration.

Besmir Baxha | Apprenticeship Manager

With 15 years of experience in apprenticeships and work-based learning, Bes has worked across both the private and public sectors, specialising in curriculum design and a multitude of apprenticeship standards. After graduating with a degree in International Business from Kingston University, he has built a career in the education sector, overseeing the development and delivery of apprenticeship programmes to ensure they meet industry standards and employer needs. He now focuses on enhancing apprenticeship provision, strengthening employer partnerships, and driving learner success.

Contact Besmir for: apprenticeship enquiries.

Oana-Corina Neagu | Apprenticeship Compliance Lead

Corina is the Apprenticeship Compliance Lead, ensuring meticulous data management, accurate funding claims, and adherence to the compliance standards throughout the apprentice journey. With over 9 years of experience in the adult education sector, she has managed apprenticeship programs and ensured compliance with government funding bodies like the ESFA. She has guided multiple organisations through successful inspections by ensuring strict compliance with regulations, managing all aspects of the apprenticeship lifecycle - from data analysis and audit preparation to apprentice support and process improvement.

Contact Corina for: apprenticeship compliance, funding regulations, continuous improvement of apprenticeship operations.

Valeria Riscanu | Postgraduate Administrator

Valeria is the Postgraduate Administrator at TOPRA, overseeing the MSc students and ensuring smooth administration throughout their studies. With extensive experience in academic administration, Valeria is responsible for managing module-related queries, coordinating module events, and supporting students through their postgraduate journey.

Contact Valeria for: general MSc programme administration.

James Smith | Regulatory Intelligence and Symposium Manager

James oversees the TOPRA Symposium, TOPRA’s annual conference. After graduating with a degree in Chemistry from the University of Nottingham, James had worked in the regulatory affairs sector in both industry and consultancy roles for just over two and a half years. He has now joined TOPRA to support the Training and Education team in delivering TOPRA’s annual symposium and other events, as well as providing regulatory intelligence to the wider team.

Contact James for: TOPRA Symposium enquiries.

Claire McDermott | Managing Editor

Claire has more than 20 years' experience in business-to-business editorial and publishing roles. She has developed multimedia content for finance, tax and accounting professionals and, more recently, for HR professionals in her role at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

She is responsible for delivering TOPRA's Regulatory Rapporteur journal and leads on additional digital and publishing activities.

Contact Claire for: publishing enquiries. 

Rebecca Harding | Content Editor

As Content Editor at TOPRA, Rebecca supports the publication of Regulatory Rapporteur and assists with other editorial and publishing activities. She graduated with a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Westminster.

Contact Rebecca for: editorial enquiries.

Mevin Durasamy | Marketing Manager

Mevin has extensive marketing and communications experience gained within a variety of professional services and membership organisations including Wolters Kluwer, Lexis Nexis, Priority Pass and The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH). He is primarily responsible for leading marketing and communication activities across a variety of channels including email, social media and the main TOPRA website to support the professional development, client services, education and training and communications and publishing functions of TOPRA.

Contact Mevin for: marketing opportunities and general promotional activities. 

Hannah Galbraith | Marketing Officer

Hannah joined TOPRA in the role of Marketing Officer. She has come on board with TOPRA to support the marketing team to work on a variety of activities including website maintenance, social media and member communications as well as looking after our TOPRA Awards for Regulatory Excellence.  

Contact Hannah for: marketing activity and awards queries.

Blythe Ward | Marketing Officer

Blythe has over 4 years of marketing experience, particularly in campaign management and content creation. In her role as Marketing Officer, she manages marketing activities across various channels, including social media, email, and website content. She plays a key role in ensuring that TOPRA’s initiatives are effectively communicated.

Contact Blythe for: marketing related queries.

Johnzeus Pauig | Media Officer

Johnzeus has experience as the creative lead and media officer for FiliFest, a Filipino non-profit organisation, and over seven years of video editing experience, he offers a rich background of media creation and creative story telling. He is now responsible for supporting the TOPRA Engagement team and helping convey the story of the organisation.

Contact Johnzeus for: content production queries.

Marium Ali | Management Accountant

Marium has over eight years of experience in accounting, with extensive knowledge and skills in finance, management accounts, analysis and budgeting. Her previous roles have provided her with a keen understanding of financial processes, enabling her to manage accounting tasks efficiently. Marium plays a key role in supporting financial decision-making by providing insightful reports and analysis, helping the organisation’s financial operations to run smoothly.

Contact Marium for: finance enquiries.

Diana Riaubiene | Facilities Manager

Diana’s experience includes customer service and facilities management gained in the banking and insurance sectors. Her responsibilities cover all aspects of facilities, health and safety, IT/ AV support, onboarding of new starters, general office management and administration.

Contact Diana for: new starters, general office enquiries and operations, Health and Safety related matters, and AV/IT support.

Lily Price | Accounts Assistant

Lily has almost 6 years' experience working in finance. Her role at TOPRA involves processing & maintaining accurate and up-to-date records of financial transactions. Before joining TOPRA, her experience was within the healthcare sector. Lily has a keen eye for problem solving and resolving queries internally & externally as necessary.

Contact Lily for: finance enquiries.