Senior Management Team

Daniel is the Chief Executive line managing the other members of the senior management team and having direct responsibility for the Membership and Finance Directorate. Daniel is one of the 4 directors of the College's subsidiary company, RCPath Trading Limited, which undertakes the commercial activities of the College operating under the 2 brand names of Events @ No 6 (the conference centre at 6 Alie Street) and RCPath Consulting (the College's management consultancy business). He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and the Chartered Management Institute.

After qualifying as an accountant Daniel worked in senior finance roles for a medium sized charity and various private sector companies, becoming Finance Director of the College in 1996, and Chief Executive in 1999. Outside the College Daniel is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer for the Paul Strickland Scanner Centre, an independent charity located within the grounds of Mount Vernon Hospital, and a Trustee of the Royal Society of Biology Pension Scheme. 

Diane is Director of Communications; she leads the team to deliver media relations, public engagement, public affairs, publishing and the website. The team works to improve understanding of pathology, producing the Bulletin, best practice guidance and members' newsletter, and managing media enquiries and training and supporting fellows to work with the media.

Diane is an experienced PR practitioner specialising in corporate communications, media relations, stakeholder engagement and public affairs. She also has expertise in strategic planning, change management and has a track record of building and leading effective teams. She has developed successful programmes of public engagement, advocacy campaigns and brand management in the public, private and voluntary sectors. She previously led teams at Consumer Focus and the Royal College of Nursing.

Ian Hopper is the Director of Corporate Services. He provides strategic leadership for the College's core support functions, including human resources, IT, facilities management, events and corporate administration. His role is pivotal in ensuring that these operational areas effectively support the College's broader mission and long-term objectives.

Ian brings extensive experience from senior roles across the public, not-for-profit and consultancy sectors, with a strong track record in organisational transformation, strategic planning, and operational excellence. His previous work includes leading a £15m transformation programme at the British Red Cross, influencing international governance frameworks at WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) and delivering complex, large-scale change projects as a consultant at PwC and within central government.

Known for his collaborative leadership style and outcomes-focused approach, Ian is committed to enhancing the efficiency, resiliance and impact of corporate services within the College.

In addition to his professional responsibilities, Ian serves as a trustee of Room for Work, a London-based charity dedicated to supporting individuals over 40 in developing the skills and confidence needed to re-enter the workforce.

Joanne is the Director of Learning and is responsible for the oversight, development and coordination of the work of the Training, Examinations, Assessment and International teams. Joanne joined the College in 2001, initially as the Postgraduate Education Officer (which subsequently became Training and Educational Standards Manager) and assisted in the development of the College Advisory Training Teams (CATTs), Joint Committee on Pathology Training (JCPT) and the development of the medical curricula. She was appointed as Head of Educational Standards, now Director of Learning, in 2008.

Joanne has previous experience of postgraduate medical education from working at the Royal College of Ophthalmologists and the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and obtained a Masters in Medical Education from the University of Bedfordshire in 2009.

Katherine is Director of Professional Practice at the College and oversees the Clinical Effectiveness, Member Engagement and Support and Workforce and Engagement teams.

Katherine joined the College in 2021 from the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) where she led the organisation’s work on standards, policy and guidance development, performance, equality, diversity and inclusion, and insights and intelligence. Prior to working at the HCPC, Katherine worked in Fitness to Practise Policy at the General Medical Council (GMC) and in grant funding at Cancer Research UK.

Katherine has a keen interest in improving and assuring patient safety and has developed strong standards, policies and guidance to inform the work of healthcare professionals in this regard. Katherine also has a strong interest in the wellbeing of healthcare professionals, having managed the GMC’s vulnerable doctors review and led work at the HCPC to develop and establish its Registrant Health and Wellbeing Strategy. Katherine sits on a number of study stakeholder and steering groups for NIHR funded research to support improvements in patient care and professional wellbeing.