Amerdeep Somal
Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman & Chair of the Commission

Amerdeep joined us in February 2024, taking on the role of Ombudsman alongside her positions as Board Chair of the Law Society and as a Judge of the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (not currently sitting).

Amerdeep brings a wealth of experience to the Ombudsman role, having previously acted as the Financial Regulators Complaints Commissioner and the Chief Commissioner at the Data and Marketing Commission. She was also a former founding Commissioner of the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Professor Stephen J Perkins
Advisory member of the Commission and Chair of the Remuneration and Appointments Committee

Stephen J. Perkins spent the first part of his career in industry, notably as a member of the ‘privatisation team’ in electricity generation, going on to work in an executive role for National Power PLC, a FTSE top 30 business. In that capacity, he supported business development through acquisition and greenfield investment across, Asia, southern Europe and the USA.

He spent a period leading a successful start-up business: the Strategic Remuneration Research Centre, in partnership with colleagues at City University, London, working with an array of blue chip organisations. Following doctoral research at Oxford University he transitioned into a full-time academic role, teaching at that ancient institution as well as modern universities offering business management education in the UK and Germany.

In keeping with his professorial chair, in the years 2011-14 he chaired the Corporate Governance Special Interest Group of the British Academy of Management and, until its disbanding in 2015, sat as a member of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Academic Advisory Council. He remains a CMI Subject Matter Expert.

Most recently, Professor Perkins served a four-year term as Dean of the Guildhall Faculty of Business and Law, London Metropolitan University, stepping down from that role in 2016.

Past experience also includes having served as a non-executive director on the board of a large NHS trust undergoing transformational change.

An international authority in the field, he is currently editor-in-chief for a major volume: the Routledge Companion to Reward Management, due for publication in 2018. He leads the CIPD Annual Reward Survey team, which investigates and reports on reward management practice across ‘UK plc’.

He sits as a Magistrate on the Central London Bench.

Frances Harrison
Advisory member of the Commission

Frances is a consumer policy specialist.  She is Chair of Brighton and Hove Citizens Advice; and in addition she serves as: non-executive board member of The Motor Ombudsman; a board member of the Consumer Code for Home Builders; a member of the Finance and Leasing Association’s Lending Code Group;  Independent Complaints Reviewer for The Registry Trust; trustee for Emmaus Sussex; and a policy adviser to the training organisation, Developing Youth Practice.

In the past Frances has served as a member of the Legal Services Consumer Panel and the Financial Services Consumer Panel; and worked for the National Consumer Council as Head of Policy Research and Development; the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux  providing support for local bureaux in consumer law and practice; and for local authorities where she managed consumer advice services. She chaired the Consumer Congress and the Institute of Consumer Affairs, and has represented consumers on a range of government and trade body working groups.  She is particularly interested in vulnerable consumers where she has had a variety of operational and policy experience.

Andrea Keenoy
Advisory member of the Commission

Andrea is a Chartered Accountant with over 20 years’ experience.  She previously worked for the National Audit Office (NAO) auditing a range of government departments and their arm’s-length bodies. Other roles at the NAO included leading a range of interventions aimed at improving board effectiveness and a secondment as a Committee Specialist to the House of Commons Scrutiny Unit, supporting Select Committees.

She is currently Chief Operating Officer at the Housing Ombudsman, having joined the organisation as its Director of Finance and Corporate Performance.  During her time at the Housing Ombudsman, she has overseen the introduction of its new operating model, the expansion of the workforce from c.80 employees to over 400 and the development of a comprehensive Ombudsman service that achieves positive change.  She is also a review team member of the International Ombudsman Institute’s peer review panel.   

Outside of work, Andrea is an Associate Governor at a maintained primary school, attending its Finance and Resources Committee having previously been a full member of the governing body.

Rebecca Hilsenrath
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and ex-officio member of the Commission

Rebecca has been appointed temporary Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

Prior to taking up the role of Ombudsman, Rebecca was the organisation's Chief Executive Officer and before that was its Director of Strategy.

Before joining PHSO in 2021, Rebecca was Chief Legal Officer and then Chief Executive Officer of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. 

Prior to that, after holding a number of roles in the then Government Legal Service, she was CEO of LawWorks (the Solicitors Pro Bono Group) for five years, a national charity facilitating free legal advice to community groups and individuals in need.

Rebecca trained as a lawyer and began her career at Linklaters. She set up the National Pro Bono Centre in Chancery Lane and has sat on the boards of a number of charities and advice agencies, including the Bar Pro Bono Unit and the Mary Ward Legal Centre. She holds two honorary doctorates awarded in recognition of services to law and is currently the Chair of Governors of the London Academy of Excellence in Tottenham, sponsored by Tottenham Hotspur Football Club and Highgate School.

Neil Calvert 
Advisory member of the Commission

Neil’s professional background is in education. During a 26 year career working in state secondary schools across the Midlands, Neil served as a headteacher, an executive headteacher and the founding CEO of a Multi-Academy Trust, before moving into the educational charity sector as CEO and Principal of the Co-operative College. His non-executive experience includes a six year term as Vice Chair of Governing Council at the University of Derby.

In recent years, Neil has developed a portfolio of roles in the field of professional regulation. He currently holds lay panel member and chair positions on investigation and fitness to practise committees of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the General Pharmaceutical Council, the General Optical Council and the Architects’ Registration Board.

Neil has chaired remuneration committees at the University of Derby and the DHL UK Foundation. An Accredited Lay Pension Trustee, he is currently the Independent Chair of the Derbyshire Local Government Pension Board and he also chairs the network of LGPS Board Chairs for the Central region. Neil has been a Lay Member of the Lord Chancellor’s Recruitment Advisory Committee on Justices of the Peace for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire since 2021.

Nigel Ellis
Chief Executive Officer

Nigel Ellis was appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2017, after previously being our Director of Operations and Head of Investigation. Previously he was in charge of National Inspection and Assessment at the Care Quality Commission, leading 150 staff in specialist teams of inspectors, investigators and professional advisors. 

Before this he was Head of Investigations at the NHS regulator, the Healthcare Commission, leading high profile investigations into systemic failures including: high mortality rates at Mid Staffs NHS Trust, outbreaks of hospital infections at Maidstone and Stoke Mandeville, abuse of people with learning disabilities at Cornwall Partnership Trust, maternal deaths at Northwick Park Hospital, and the failure of services to Peter Connelly (‘Baby P’) in Haringey. Nigel has worked in different roles in the voluntary sector, including Director at the MS Society, parliamentary lobbyist, and consumer rights researcher.

Paul Conroy
Director of Intake & Assessment

Paul Conroy joined us in 2000 and previously served as an Investigator and Assistant Ombudsman before leading a significant transformation project as the Head of Assessment. He also led the piloting of the Government’s schools complaints service across fourteen local authority areas in 2010 – 2012.    

Previously Paul worked at the Legal Services Commission, as well as working as a Welfare Adviser and manager of several advice centres providing information and support to members of the public.

Karen Sykes
Director of Investigation

Karen Sykes joined us in 2005 and served as an Assistant Ombudsman before becoming Director of Investigation in April 2017. Karen has been responsible for managing an investigation team through a period of significant change as well as work to enhance business efficiency, knowledge management and the impact of our casework. In her current role she is responsible for leading, managing and co-ordinating the Investigation function.

She was previously a Policy Manager at the Yorkshire and Humber Assembly with a focus on economy and skills, policy and scrutiny of the Regional Development Agency. Karen has also had a number of local government roles in Yorkshire and the North-East working in economic development, planning, transport, environmental services, social care and housing.

Julie Odams
Head of Policy and Communications

Julie Odams joined us in 2023 having previously served as Assistant Director of Communications & Customers at Derbyshire County Council. She is responsible for contributing to the wider impact of our work through leading the sharing and promotion of learning, training and stakeholder engagement and is also our Data Protection Officer.

Julie has held a number of roles in local government in the Midlands specialising in communication, stakeholder engagement and customer service and has also led communications and engagement in universities in the North West and Midlands.