Our Executive Leadership Team

Caroline Rassell, Chief Executive

"I am proud to be the CEO of Parkinson's UK whose relentless drive is to listen, work with and be guided by the Parkinson's community. The charity's core purpose is to provide care, hope, better treatments and ultimately a cure.

"I have the privilege of being in a position where I can connect with people affected by Parkinson's and listen to and learn from their experience to ensure that the charity is delivering what they view as important. I also have the great honour of being in a position to say thank you to the many people and organisations who support the charity to ensure that we have the resources to deliver our offer.

"My background of being a CEO in the NHS and having started my career in local government allows me to bring the learning and connections from those roles into my current position.

"I care passionately about end of life care and as such I am trustee of my local hospice.

"Being active is also something that I believe strongly in, as it's great for your physical and mental health and allows you to make new and different connections. I am an avid and proud parkrunner and have now graduated onto collecting parkruns to spell both my name and the letters of the alphabet."

Photo of Caroline by Public Finance/Redactive Publishing.

Juliet Tizzard, Director of External Relations

"I joined Parkinson's UK in August 2022 to head up a new External Relations directorate, thrilled to be joining such a passionate and community-focused charity. My teams lead our campaigns to influence policymakers, NHS improvement, education and engagement, media relations, marketing and communications activities. And work alongside people affected by Parkinson's to make sure people know who we are, what support we offer, and what change we are fighting for.

"In the years before joining Parkinson's UK, I have worked in the civil service and the NHS in a number of health and research policy and communications jobs. I've led campaigns on issues including access to fertility treatment, organ donation opt-out, legalising embryonic stem cell research, and putting lived experience at the heart of how clinical research is done. More recently, I led policy and partnerships work for the Health Research Authority during the coronavirus pandemic, helping to ensure that patient-centred research into COVID-19 vaccines and therapies could start as quickly as possible.

"Having grown up near the sea but now living in a city, I like to do coastal walks as often as I can."

Ben Clarkson, Chief Finance and Operating Officer

"I'm delighted to have joined Parkinson's UK as its Chief Finance and Operating Officer because I recognise what an outstanding and ambitious organisation it is, rooted in the needs of the Parkinson's community. My late grandfather, to whom I was very close, lived with Parkinson's towards the end of his life. I saw how it affected him and those around him.

"I am motivated to play my part in driving forward Parkinson UK's ambition, drawing on my experiences of helping organisations become fit for the future to have a positive impact for the charity and the people it exists to support."

Arthur Roach, Director of the Parkinson's Virtual Biotech

"I have spent 25 years in research, discovery, and development for drug companies and universities, working on projects developing new treatments for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis (MS).

"My big preoccupation is with finding the best means to convert the genetic and biochemical discoveries of the past decade into new treatments that will make a difference to people with Parkinson's. I know that this means finding the best way to work with university researchers, biotech and pharma companies, and people living with Parkinson's.

"At Parkinson's UK, we've built the Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech into an international, patient-driven drug discovery and development programme. It uses methods from the business world to fast-track projects that show the most promise to create the new treatments that people with Parkinson’s urgently want and deserve. Even better, we do this with the funding provided by the Parkinson’s community and its many friends and supporters."

David Dexter, Director of Research

"I've held various positions over my almost 40-year career, including Scientific Director of the Parkinson’s UK Brain Bank and Deputy Head of the Division of Brain Sciences at Imperial College London. At Imperial, I had a research team looking into the causes and developing new treatments for Parkinson's. And in 2017 I joined Parkinson's UK as the Associate Director of Research.

"My relationship with the charity started when they funded my PhD in 1985, so I’m very proud to now be stepping into a leadership role which oversees the research grants programme and portfolio of active projects. The research that’s happening in this area is not only building a pipeline of discoveries to fuel the Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech’s drug development and discovery work, it’s also helping us better understand the condition, how it develops, how we can monitor it and how symptoms can be managed in other ways, including non-drug approaches. All of this is vital work.

"In my new role as Research Director, I will also oversee research communications and involvement, making sure that the views of people with Parkinson’s are taken into account in our work and that of others. Additionally, we must maximise the potential opportunities for people with Parkinson’s to take part in research. It’s an area that I’m passionate about as it’s vital to shaping the future of research."

Paul Jackson-Clark, Director of Fundraising and Experience

"I've been lucky to have worked in the UK charity sector for 30 years and at Parkinson's UK since 2009.

"I am inspired, fascinated and energised by people's tireless and selfless capacity to give money and time to charities, just like ours, for the benefit of others.

"When I am not working, I like to cycle, cook and laugh with family and friends."

Adrian Blair, Director of People and Culture

"I am delighted to have joined Parkinson's UK in February 2024. I have seen the impact of this condition on not just the individual but also their family. It is a privilege to work in an organisation that is dedicated to supporting people affected by Parkinson's, and ultimately searching to find a cure.

"With my colleagues in the People & Culture team, we support everyone who comes to work in Parkinson's UK, whether they are employed in the charity or volunteering their time and skills to support our work. We look after the full employee lifecycle from advertising new opportunities through to that moment when colleagues retire or move to another organisation. We are here to help make Parkinson's UK a great place to work.

"I started my career in the private and public sectors before moving to charity, where I have worked in international development, health and social care. I have a passion for identifying and leading change and have led large-scale business transformation and information and computer technology (ICT) programmes, which have involved cultural change. Whilst I originally qualified in computing science and am a qualified PRINCE2 and Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) practitioner, I am a Chartered Fellow of CIPD and hold a post-grad in psychology of change and organisational development.

"As well as working in charity, I volunteer for Samaritans too."

David Newbold, Director of Community

"It is an utter privilege to work for Parkinson's UK, an organisation that has provided so much support to my dad, and indeed to my entire family, after he was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s. Having early access to advice, information and support made a huge difference to my family. I am committed to ensuring that more people know, that whatever your journey is with Parkinson's, you are not alone and a whole community of support is here for you.

"Before joining Parkinson's UK, I led services at a large sight loss charity focussed on growing support for people at point of diagnosis and peer to peer support.

"Outside of work, I volunteer with a local children's group, support disabled job seekers, and love nothing more than time with my family and friends and the occasional trip to the gym!"