ISPEP Announces Global Leadership Team Expansion to Support International Growth and Advance Best Practice in Patient Engagement

The International Society for Patient Engagement Professionals (ISPEP) has announced an expanded and strengthened global leadership team as the organisation enters its third year of growth and continues its mission to advance continuing professional development (CPD), patient centricity, and best practice across the healthcare ecosystem.

As part of the expansion, ISPEP founder Emma Sutcliffe has been approved by the Advisory Board as Global CEO and Patient Officer, with a focus on accelerating international growth and expanding ISPEP’s impact across all regions.

Ursula Mann has been appointed North America Chief Patient Officer (CPO), helping to ensure patient centricity remains embedded throughout all ISPEP activities, partnerships, and educational initiatives.

Award-winning research nurse Helen McNaught becomes Managing Director, bringing extensive operational and healthcare leadership expertise to support ISPEP’s continued development and delivery excellence.

Ursula Mann, new ISPEP North America Chief Patient Officer

Ursula's leadership is grounded in lived experience as both a patient and caregiver across ultra-rare disease, asthma, rheumatology, gastroenterology, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and others. This has given her a deep understanding of what day-to-day management truly requires – and why patient-centred solutions must be built for real life.

She is widely known as an influential activator – adept at building aligned teams, navigating complexity, and delivering initiatives that gain global attention and become best practices.

Helen McNaught, new ISPEP Managing Director

With a career spanning clinical nursing, the non-profit sector, biopharma and healthcare consultancy, Helen is a dedicated specialist focused on bridging the gap between raw patient experience and actionable organisational strategy. Her professional foundation in frontline oncology and haematology nursing instilled a deep commitment to ensuring the lived experiences of patients and caregivers are central to healthcare decision-making.

She is particularly passionate about the professionalisation of patient engagement, advocating for it as a strategic discipline rather than a secondary function. A collaborative advocate for excellence, she is driven by the opportunity to share best practice amongst peers globally and improve real-world health outcomes.

Olivia Kersey will continue to lead sponsorships and strategic partnerships, leveraging her expertise as a patient strategist to strengthen collaboration opportunities and support sustainable growth.

Following her decision to step down from the CEO role, Alex Charge concludes her tenure with ISPEP. Since joining the organisation, Alex has helped shape its strategy, governance and sponsorship growth, supporting its development as a global community for patient engagement professionals. Alex will now focus on her wider professional and commercial engagements and wishes the leadership team every success as ISPEP continues to grow and evolve.

Emma Sutcliffe, Founder and Global CEO & Patient Officer, said:

“As ISPEP moves into year three, this is the perfect time to strengthen our leadership team and expand our global reach. We are building a truly international community dedicated to elevating standards in patient engagement, supporting professional development, and ensuring patient voices remain at the centre of healthcare innovation. I’m incredibly excited about the expertise, experience, and vision this team brings as we continue to grow.”

Ana Marija Gjurovic, member of the ISPEP Advisory Board, added:

“The Advisory Board is proud to support this next phase of ISPEP’s evolution. In a relatively short period of time, the organisation has established itself as a credible global voice for patient engagement professionals, creating meaningful opportunities for collaboration, education, and professional recognition.”

Since its launch, ISPEP has rapidly established itself as a global not-for-profit community connecting patient engagement professionals, industry leaders, researchers, and patient advocates through education, collaboration, and best practice initiatives. The organisation now reaches more than 3,500 members and followers worldwide, reflecting growing recognition of the importance of professional development and leadership in patient engagement.

Committed to supporting its members at every stage of their professional journey, ISPEP delivers masterclasses, educational programmes, Voice to Value (V2V) case study publications, and research collaborations designed to strengthen capability, encourage knowledge sharing, and advance the field of patient engagement globally.

Achievements to date include:

• Establishing International Patient Engagement Day on October 15 to recognise and celebrate the impact of patient engagement professionals globally

• Launching sustainability-focused initiatives including #CarryTheChange and #GotYourBack to encourage responsible, community-driven approaches across healthcare events and partnerships

• Establishing an international advisory board and governance framework

• Delivering global summits, masterclasses, and educational events focused on advancing best practice and CPD

• Supporting research collaborations and publishing practical insights through the V2V study initiative

• Building partnerships with >30 industry sponsors and healthcare stakeholders to support long-term growth and impact

Alex Charge commented:

“It has been a privilege to help build and lead ISPEP during an important stage of its development. I am proud of what we have achieved together and grateful to the sponsors, advisors, ambassadors, members, and wider community who have supported the organisation’s growth. I wish Emma and the leadership team every success as ISPEP continues its mission and global impact.”

The organisation’s continued expansion reflects growing demand for professional development, governance, and leadership in patient engagement across healthcare and life sciences.