Dr Rima Makarem announced as Sue Ryder's new Chair of Trustees

Rima replaces Neil Goulden, who is retiring from his role this month after nearly nine years – the maximum length of time that a trustee is allowed to stay with one organisation.

Dr Rima Makarem trained as a scientist before going on to hold senior roles within the global pharmaceutical sector. She is the Chair of Queen Square Enterprises Ltd, an independent healthcare provider based in London, as well as Chair of Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care System (BLMK ICS). She is also a Lay Council member for the General Pharmaceutical Council.

Neil Goulden joined Sue Ryder as a Trustee and Chair of the Finance Committee in 2013, and has been a tirelessly enthusiastic and committed member of the board. Four years ago, Neil took over as Chair of Trustees, and his energy, expertise and vision have been crucial in shaping our strategic direction.

During Neil’s tenure, we embarked on our ambitious five year strategy to provide more care for more people, and Neil shared his extensive business and financial expertise to support and progress several major projects. This included our £6m Capital Appeal at Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice and the £3.9m Sue Ryder Neurological Care Centre Dee View Court Appeal; the development and growth of our Sue Ryder Online Bereavement Support; and the opening of our state-of-the-art Sue Ryder Neurological Care Centre Lancashire.

We are hugely grateful to Neil for the amount of time he has donated to Sue Ryder over the past nine years. He has been a passionate supporter of the charity and an excellent ambassador. We wish him the best of luck in the future and look forward to welcoming Dr Rima Makarem as our new Chair of Trustees.