The nominees are Chris Rowley, David Buchanan, Gemma Cassidy, Izzet Ozbilenler, Robert Afutu-Nartey, Sahar Siddiqui Wardle and Sophie Hill .
You can view the information about the nominees below:
Chris Rowley
- Please tell us about the nominee’s professional background and any specific areas of interest
I am an Orthotist with an interest in service development, staff development, and the integration of advanced technologies into routine clinical practice.
Chris Rowley’s background is a Royal Air Force Electronics Engineer, qualification as a Prosthetist / Orthotist, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Management. He has delivered Leadership courses for an NHS University and worked as a visiting lecturer at Salford and Keele universities. He set up and developed the Orthotics department in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde(NHS GGC), integrating advanced technologies and developing advanced practice posts. He has worked as Prosthetics and Orthotics advisor to UK government, AHP Workforce and Education Lead for Scottish government and Director of Allied Health Professions NHS Greater GGC responsible for governance, regulation and strategic direction of 3,294 AHPs within the wider workforce of 39,286 staff, an organisational revenue budget of £3.4 billion a capital budget of 280 million, serving a population of 1.14 million patients. In the wider NHS he has worked in unscheduled care across Acute and Community setting up the Home First Response service, developing the Hospital at home service, and integrating the call before you convey service in NHS GGC. Chris has now retired from both clinical work and his lifelong passion of aerobatics. Chris still flies, just no more sustained 6G.
- What skills and experience will they bring to BAPO’s governance and the effective promotion and development of the profession?
Chris has previously served on the Professional affairs and Executive committees including Vice-Chair and Association Chair 2003-2005 and is acutely aware of how hard the volunteers need to work to match the efforts of other professional bodies some of whom have teams of paid staff. Having spent time in government posts he is aware of the need for strong professional body representation to secure both the resources and political will to effect changes that will positively impact practitioners’ lives and the lives of our patients. Chris can contribute effectively to the Executive Committee and would like to support the development of new EC members by passing on useful “hard won” knowledge in an organised way for the benefit of BAPO and its members.
- Why do they wish to be elected?
Chris Rowley is currently co-opted onto the Executive Committee and has recently accepted the role of treasurer. It is Chris’ belief that effective management of the finances underpins successful organisations, The Executive Committee led by the Chair are working hard to deliver positive change for members and Chris would like to support that change by working with the finance committee and the Accountant to ensure that the ambition shown by the EC and BAPO’s finances balance.
Dave Buchanan
- Please tell us about the nominee’s professional background and any specific areas of interest
Dave has worked in Orthotics since 1999, having studied at Salford. His technical knowledge and ability to help others is aided by his background in Aircraft engineering, in the 80’s to mid 90’s.
His specific areas of interests are KAFO, AFO, and lower limb biomechanics allied to material sciences, in particular those of composites. He teaches the internationally subscribed “KAFO” course that has run on most continents, on many occasions.
Dave Buchanan’s role has led him into the world of Education, Knowledge Transfer, and Engagement and this has led to him having rewarding P&O relationships, around the World.
Dave is the only practising Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, namely as a Fellow of Podiatric Medicine: awarded as an honorific due to the time spent and undertakings carried out with his Podiatric colleagues over the past 3 decades.
2. What skills and experience will they bring to BAPO’s governance and the effective promotion and development of the profession?
Dave is happy to ask difficult questions and put the work in to push the Association forward. He is polite, yet deeply curious, and always aims to come away from a scenario having gleaned the information he set out to gain.
His experience working around the world and having led the development of one of the most popular joint systems in the UK (for the most part, done in German), amongst other developments, means he has a skillset that often sets him apart from others.
The experience of teaching around the world has provided Dave with a unique and wider whole world view. Dave revels in the help of colleagues to ensure his expertise is used as a superpower for the profession. Dave brings this experience as present Education Committee Chair and member of the Finance Committee, to BAPO.
3. Why do they wish to be elected?
Dave would like to be elected since he sees BAPO as the moral and absolute compass for the profession. With a wide enough range of skills within our committees, we will have a world-beating capability and the capacity to attract new people into the P and O world. This excites him.
Gemma Cassidy
- Please tell us about the nominee’s professional background and any specific areas of interest
Qualified in P&O and psychotherapy and current member of EC, EDIand wellbeing lead for BAPO
- What skills and experience will they bring to BAPO’s governance and the effective promotion and development of the profession?
Undertaken the bapo leadership and bda leadership courses to further governance knowledge to apply it to EC. Run own business so governance skills are transferable to EC
- Why do they wish to be elected?
To further contribute to the equity, wellbeing and sustainability of the p&o workforce
Izzet Ozbilenler
- Please tell us about the nominee’s professional background and any specific areas of interest
Orthotist, specialist paediatric orthotist and diabetic footwear
- What skills and experience will they bring to BAPO’s governance and the effective promotion and development of the profession?
Izzet has been an orthotist for many years, working for several of the larger companies as well as the NHS.
- Why do they wish to be elected?
He wants to give something back to BAPO and has a passion for orthotics.
Robert Afutu-Nartey
- Please tell us about the nominee’s professional background and any specific areas of interest
Robert is an experienced orthotist with significant clinical experience in addition to the financial and governance experience of running his own successful orthotic business.
- What skills and experience will they bring to BAPO’s governance and the effective promotion and development of the profession?
Adhering to financial and clinical governance in his professional role provides lots of transferable skills to the EC. I have found Robert to provide transparent and fair insights into EC matters which align with good governance procedures.
- Why do they wish to be elected?
To contribute to tackling the challenges the profession faces.
Sahar Siddiqui Wardle
- Please tell us about the nominee’s professional background and any specific areas of interest
Sahar qualified as a Prosthetist Orthotist but tends now to work as an Orthotists. Sahar is currently work with HCPC and previously spent 10 years working in USA.
- What skills and experience will they bring to BAPO’s governance and the effective promotion and development of the profession?
- Why do they wish to be elected?
To help promote P&O
Sophie Hill
- Please tell us about the nominee’s professional background and any specific areas of interest
Sophie qualified from Strathclyde in 1993, and after a period working in clinic, moved into an academic position at Salford in 1998. She subsequently taught for 10 years on the Norwegian prosthetics and orthotics programme before moving to Newcastle University in 2020, where she now teaches educational theory to other healthcare professionals.
- What skills and experience will they bring to BAPO’s governance and the effective promotion and development of the profession?
Sophie was previously on the EC from 2002 – 2008, during which time she held the roles of Secretary, Vice-Chair, and Chair. She has both an eye for detail and the ability to see the bigger picture and how things tie together. She brings this experience, together with experience of prosthetics and orthotics education
- Why do they wish to be elected?
Sophie is standing for election to the EC because she wishes to use her experience to support and develop the profession and the role of BAPO in moving the profession forward.
You are entitled to 1 vote maximum per nominee, and you can vote for as many as you wish to.
Voting closes at 11:59pm on Monday, 23 June 2025. You must be a BAPO member to vote.
The results of the vote will be shared at the BAPO AGM on Monday, 30 June 2025.
If you have not already registered to attend you can complete the BAPO AGM Registration Form here: https://forms.office.com/e/iPXBYtGjNZ
We hope to see as many BAPO members at the AGM as possible. BAPO is your organisation, and we look forward to some interesting discussions on the night.
