Our team

Moorfields Eye Charity is run by a team of dedicated and passionate staff, while our board of trustees play a key role in making sure everything we do has our supporters and those we support at its core.

Our senior management team

Robert Dufton: chief executive

Robert leads Moorfields Eye Charity. He has over 30 years’ experience in charity leadership. 

Previously he was director of campaigns at the University of Sheffield, director (CEO) of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, and honorary visiting senior fellow of City, University of London’s Bayes Business School.

He is a former member of the Arts & Humanities Research Council, and was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Bristol for his work in the fields of philanthropy and fundraising. 

Robert is also a patient at Moorfields.

I’m delighted to be here helping Moorfields Eye Charity do even more to advance the future of eye health. On behalf of everyone our supporters have enabled us to help or give hope to - thank you.

Robert Dufton

Ailish Murray: director of grants and research

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Ailish leads the charity’s grant making and research funding activities.

She has over 10 years’ experience in grants management and the development of grant funding programmes and strategies.

Previously she worked at the Wellcome Trust, National University of Ireland Galway and completed her PhD in Developmental Neurobiology at King’s College London.

Gordon Burns: director of finance and resources

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Gordon leads on looking after the charity’s staff, policies and financial activities.

He qualified as a chartered accountant in 1992 and has over 20 years of experience working in senior roles with health, social care and housing charities and their commercial subsidiaries.

Gordon has also held a number of voluntary board memberships and holds a diploma in charity accounting.

Rachel Jones: director of development

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Rachel leads on all the charity’s fundraising activities.

She has over 20 years’ experience in developing and implementing successful fundraising campaigns and strategies. Prior to Moorfields Eye Charity, she was head of development at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Rachel is also a trustee of Willow Foundation.

Our trustees

Mervyn Walker: chair of our board of trustees

Mervyn Walker chairs the Moorfields Eye Charity board and is a member of a number of our committees.

Mervyn is the Pro-Chancellor and Chair of Council at the University of Birmingham and also holds a number of other non-executive roles, as Chair of the Wood Group Pension Plan, Chair of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Pension & Assurance Scheme and Trustee Director of LifeSight, the pensions master trust founded by Willis Towers Watson. His previous non-executive roles include Chair of Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs and Chair of the British Airways Pension Schemes.

Mervyn is a lawyer by background and also has extensive experience in human resources. His previous executive roles include senior positions at British Airways Plc, Mondi plc and Anglo American plc.

The work of Moorfields Eye Charity is vital to the future of eye health. It’s my pleasure and privilege to be involved.

Mervyn Walker

Professor Dame Carrie MacEwen: grants committee

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Carrie is a consultant ophthalmologist at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee and she holds an honorary chair of ophthalmology at the University of Dundee. She is chair of the General Medical Council and the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership. She is a past President of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. She was also named on The Ophthalmologist 2019 Global Power List (of the most influential 100 people in ophthalmology).

She was appointed Dame Commander in the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in June 2021 for services to ophthalmology and healthcare leadership during the Covid-19 response.

Carrie is a member of our grants committee, and was previously a member of our scientific advisory panel.

Dr. Jyotsna Vohra: grants committee

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Dr. Jyotsna Vohra is the director of policy and public affairs for the Royal Society for Public Health, and was previously head of the Cancer Policy Research Centre at Cancer Research UK.

She is a member of the grants committee.

Kevin McGrath OBE DL: chair of the Oriel committee, fundraising committee

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Kevin McGrath OBE DL is the principal of the McGrath Family Office.

He has had a long career in commercial property investment and development, culminating as chairman of Regional REIT Limited and as founder and executive chairman of M&M Asset Management LLP.

Kevin has served as chair and/​or lead property trustee for many charities. These include Lyric Theatre Hammersmith and Guildford School of Acting at Surrey University. He received an OBE in 2016 in recognition of his services to charities.

Kevin chairs the Oriel committee and is a member of the fundraising committee.

Louisa Wickham: grants committee

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Louisa is a consultant ophthalmologist, who specialises in vitreo-retinal treatment and research.

She is also the medical director at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Louisa is a member of the grants committee.

She is the first national clinical director for eye care.

Martin Kuper: fundraising committee

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Martin is chief executive of Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

He was previously deputy chief executive for transformation and chief medical officer at the London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust.

Michael Izza: chair of audit and risk committee

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Michael is the CEO of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales.

Previously the ICAEW chief operating officer, and he is a chartered accountant by background.

Michael was appointed as vice chair at Moorfields Eye Charity in March 2021.

Noland Carter: chair of investment committee

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Noland has worked in the investment management industry for more than 40 years, both as an equity fund manager and then in senior leadership roles at Barclays and Rothschild & Co. He was most recently Head of Handelsbanken Asset Management and its Chief Investment Officer. He is a non-executive director of T. Bailey Asset Management and a trustee of the Freshfield Foundation.

Noland chairs the investment committee.

Rob Jones PhD; M.Phil; BA; FCSP: grants committee

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Rob is a chartered physiotherapist and was a senior NHS leader/​manager. He has served as a governor of Moorfields Eye Hospital since 2004 and is now lead governor.

Rob has many publications including co-authoring a series of books on leadership and management for the allied health professions. He is an experienced lecturer and masterclass/​workshop tutor at national and international levels on professional and management/​leadership topics and has undertaken external NHS service reviews.

Rob is committed to excellence in all aspects of healthcare service provision. He is registered blind and has been a Moorfields patient all his life.

Shachi Blakemore: audit and risk committee

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Shachi is a partner in the charity and not-for-profit team at Buzzacott, the national firm of accountants.

Shachi is a member of our audit and risk committee.

Professor Siddharthan Chandran: chair of grants committee

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Professor Siddharthan Chandran is director of the UK Dementia Research Institute and dean of clinical medicine at the University of Edinburgh. He is a consultant neurologist with a specialism in regenerative neurology.

Professor Chandran is chair of the grants committee.