Dr Suzy Walton

Dr Suzy Walton was appointed as Independent Board Member in August 2007 and become the Independent Vice-Chair in July 2011.

Suzy is a Chartered Scientist, a Chartered Occupational Psychologist and a Chartered Director (the UK’s highest level qualification in corporate governance). She has a portfolio of board roles and over a decade’s experience in central government.

Suzy is Deputy Chairman of the RSA (Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) and the University of Westminster. She also sits on the boards of Combat Stress and until recently Birmingham Children’s Hospital. She also sits on many government committees including the Ethics Group of the National DNA Database, the National Specialist Commissioning group which oversees a budget of £3.2 billion for treatment for specialist conditions and government’s Science Advisory Council. She has also been appointment by Cabinet/Government Equalities Office as an Ambassador for diversity on boards.

From 2000-2004 Suzy led strategic futures work in the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit.

More recently she served in the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit and from 1996-2000 she was a military psychologist in the Ministry of Defence. She has also completed a 6-year term as a lay member for the Bar Council’s disciplinary committees. As an academic, Suzy has published over twenty papers mainly on social policy and mental health.

Suzy’s earlier career was as a producer, editor and presenter for Sky News, LBC Radio and the BBC. She holds a first class BSc degree, an MSc and a PhD in applied psychology (suicide). Suzy has five children.