The IPS Management Executive Group

Kay Miller

Kay Miller, PhD, CMgr, FCMI is an experienced charity CEO with over 20 years' senior management expertise in the scientific learned society and membership organisation sector. Kay began her engagement with the IPS as Interim Managing Director from July 2023.  

Before working with the IPS, Kay was the full-time CEO of the Healthcare Infection Society (HIS) from February 2017 until June 2023.  During this time Kay worked with the Trustees and HIS Council to transform HIS via the development of a new strategy, the recruitment of an experienced nine-strong staff team, the launch of a new Journal, the purchase of a new headquarters and a new organisational brand. Kay is currently working with HIS as part-time CEO until the new HIS CEO takes up the role in August. 

Prior to her role at HIS, Kay was Development Director and co-CEO at the Dr Hadwen Trust (now Animal Free Research UK), a medical research charity (2013-2017). From 2000-2013 Kay was Group Head of Membership Activities at the Biochemical Society where she led the Society's events, communications and membership teams. Kay is a Chartered Manager, has a PhD in plant physiology and four years post-doctoral research experience.

Prof. Sir Jonathan Van-Tam

Prof. Sir Jonathan Van-Tam is a public health specialist with a clinical background in emergency medicine, anesthesia, and infectious diseases. He is also an expert on respiratory viruses and pandemics and is the former Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Nottingham, and now it’s Senior Strategic Advisor in Medicine. 

Jonathan’s career has also taken him to UKHSA as now known, the World Health Organization, and the pharmaceutical and vaccine industries. Jonathan was seconded to the Department of Health and Social Care in 2017-22 as Deputy Chief Medical Officer. He is well-known for his leadership role during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly his straight, no-nonsense communication style from the podium at No.10 Downing Street, and for the acquisition and rollout of vaccines and antiviral drugs in the UK.

He received a knighthood from Her Majesty the Queen in her 2022 New Year’s Honours List for services to public health. He has recently been awarded the Royal Society’s Attenborough Award and Lecture 2022 for outstanding public engagement in science.

Professor Didier Pittet

Professor Didier Pittet is the Director of the Infection Control Programme and WHO Collaborating Centre on Patient Safety, University of Geneva Hospitals, Switzerland. Since 2005, Professor Pittet has additionally been the External Lead of the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Patient Safety Challenge “Clean Care is Safer Care” and African Partnerships for Patient Safety. He became Patron of IPS in 2013.

In the 2007 New Year Honours List, Didier Pittet was awarded the Honorary Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in recognition of his services related to the prevention of healthcare-associated infections in the UK.