Our Board of Trustees

Dr Clare McNaught is a Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon based in Harrogate. Her clinical interests include colorectal cancer, IBD and the impact of frailty on surgical outcomes. She has always been passionate about training and supporting the next generation of surgeons through her roles as educational supervisor, research mentor and MRCS examiner. In 2014, Clare founded the Younger Fellows' Committee to support surgeons in their transition from Registrar to Consultant practice. She is also the past Editor of Surgeons' News. Clare was elected to RCSEd Council in 2014 and was Honorary Secretary from 2020-2022. She was elected to the office of Vice President in 2022, the first woman to hold this role at this College.

Professor Timothy Graham is a Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon and Senior Lecturer in Clinical Surgery at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, University of Birmingham and Royal Centre for Defence Medicine UK and a Civilian Consultant Cardiac Surgeon to the British Army. He’s a joint founder of the National Birmingham Review course in Cardiothoracic surgery and the National Birmingham Professional Development Course. He’s also a joint founder and convenor of the Asian Cardiothoracic Surgery Specialty Update Course (ACSSUC). Received Honorary Fellowship of Indian Association of Cardiothoracic and Vascular surgeons in 2011 and Distinguished Surgeon Award from Academy of Medicine Singapore in 2013.

Mr Siong Liau is a Consultant Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgeon based at the Cambridge Regional HPB Surgical Unit, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge. He was the Chair of the Surgical Specialty Board in General Surgery at the College from 2020-22. He recently served a 4-year term as the Finance Director of the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (ASGBI) and is a current Board Trustee of the ASGBI Foundation Charity. He received surgical training in Cambridge, Toronto, Hong Kong, Paris and Edinburgh. He was fellowship-trained in HPB Surgical Oncology and Abdominal Multiorgan Transplantation at the Toronto General Hospital, Canada and in Advanced Laparoscopic HPB Surgery at L'Institut Mutualiste Montsouris, Paris, France. His main clinical interest is in minimally-invasive HPB surgery.

Professor Robin Paton is a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon (with a special interest in Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgery) and was first elected to the council in 2016. He holds an Honorary Chair at the Medical School at UCLAN and was awarded the King James IV Professorship from the college in 2016. A keen interest in surgical training has resulted in him being voted the 'North West Orthopaedic Trainer of the Year' on two occasions. A Fellow of the Faculty of Surgical Trainers, he has a continuing interest in undergraduate/postgraduate education and surgical research. In addition to being an examiner, he has helped to develop the Intercollegiate and International FRCS (T & O) examinations over the past 20 years.

Professor Grant T McIntyre is an NHS Consultant and Honorary Professor in Orthodontics and Joint Clinical Director at Dundee Dental Research Hospital & School. Within the College, Grant is an examiner for MFDS and MOrth and has been a Member of Dental Council since 2014. Grant's clinical work involves the orthodontic management of facial deformity, TMJ-orthognathic cases and cleft lip and palate along with being an Educational Supervisor and Clinical Supervisor for a number of Core and Specialty Trainees. Grant's research work relates to evidence-based clinical care, cleft lip and palate, and imaging, with his research interests involving supervision of Masters and PhD students with over 110 publications to date.

Professor Angus Watson, Clinical Chair of Surgery at the University of Aberdeen and honorary Consultant Surgeon at NHS Highland, joined RCSEd Council in 2018. Chairing RCSEd’s Research Committee and the Global Care group, he also oversees the College’s Surgical Skills Competition.

After training in financial services, and several years working in private practice in Brussels and Geneva, Gillian has spent the greater part of her working life serving the public, in the NHS and the public sector audit agency for Scotland. This has taken her all around Scotland and, back to where she started, auditing some of the largest pension funds in the UK.

Roderic has experience of leading the development, assessment and awarding of both general education and technical and professional qualifications. He is recognised for his ability to build influential relationships, shape policy, and foster collaboration at the highest levels. His advisory work includes Prime Ministers, government ministries and regulators. 

He has a strong track record of leading complex educational reforms, both in the UK and through major international projects for the governments of Egypt, Kazakhstan, Thailand, and Singapore. Ultimately, his work is motivated by a fundamental goal: to help educational organisations to create impactful outcomes that enable learners to grow, succeed, and achieve their full potential.

Since relocating from Australia in late 2017, Nicholas has served as Deputy CEO and Director of Fundraising & Communications at Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance. Before moving to Scotland, he was CEO of St John of God Health Care’s, Clinical Research Foundation and, prior to that, Executive Director of Corporate Affairs with the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Western Australia.

Nicholas brings valuable strategic insight to the Board, supporting the Management Team in strengthening brand awareness, enhancing member engagement, driving income generation, and expanding the College’s services.

Claire Edwards is Chair of the Trauma and Orthopaedics Surgical Specialty Board and sits on the Research and Awards Committee of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Claire is Director of Core Surgical Education for HEEoE, a member of the Trauma and Orthopaedics ST3 National Selection Design Group, and is active in research.

Joe Boyle is an experienced international industry executive with particular experience in technology, finance and operations. His career spans senior roles in large corporate organisations in the Uk, Middle East and Australia.