Rebecca Ganz, Non-Executive Director, Entrepreneur & C-Suite adviser and Women on Boards Lead for the North

Rebecca Ganz (aka Becks) is an ex-pat who successfully kickstarted her Non-Exec career in August 2018. With a range of Chair, Non-Exec & Advisory Board roles, which span Education, Institutional Health and Business sectors, Becks knows what it takes to strategically build a Non Exec portfolio, while continuing to grow her Entrepreneur and C-Suite coaching practice. Becks is Non-Exec of Bolton NHS Foundation Trust & Blueskeye AI Ltd, Trustee of Leodis Multi Academy Trust and Advisory Board Member for Patchwork Health. As part of her Board roles, she Chairs various committees relating to transformation, strategy, finance, risk & remuneration. For further background on Becks, please see www.rebecca-ganz.com

Leigh Gell, Trustee, Vice Chair Youth Council & Football Development Officer (Women & Girls) – Manchester FA

Leigh leads strategically on Women & Girls football across Greater Manchester and literally lives and breathes football. She is an ambitious leader with a driving force for positive change, championing access for Women & Girls in everything that she does. She is the driving force behind grassroots football clubs and working with them to ensure they can provide equal access for Women & Girls as well as running a number of ambitious programmes to increase representation both on and off the pitch. 

Leigh continues to break barriers and is currently a FA Referee enjoying the challenges it brings and travelling across the Country weekly to service the game. Despite being the only female in the room when she first completed her course she continues to prove gender should never be a barrier and is a passionate advocate for women challenging the status quo!  

Beyond her day job, Leigh is a Trustee of National Football Museum which enables her to continually stay outside of her comfort zone and continue to challenge on inclusion. Despite being in the earlier stages of her career, Leigh doesn’t let her age or gender be a barrier for achieving and supporting on areas that matter to her.

Maudlyn Akosua Awuku, Award -Winning Gender & Youth Leadership Advocate, International Speaker, Policy Strategist & Consultant Board Member

Maudlyn Akosua Awuku is a trailblazing leader in gender equality and youth empowerment, with over 10 years of transformative leadership experience. As founder of Anijie Global Foundation and GEWE Network UK, she has empowered over 55,000 women and youth globally through sustainable initiatives and advocacy.

Board Member of Club Alpbach London (European Forum Alpbach), Maudlyn brings valuable governance expertise alongside her passion for advancing women in leadership. Currently serving as Advocate for 50:50 Parliament UK, her impressive credentials include recognition as a Forty Under 40 UK Influential Young Leader, recipient of the Young Achievers Award at the UK House of Parliament, and UN Women UK Delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women.

With a Master’s in Project Management from University of Salford Manchester (Alumni Rising Star Award recipient) and experience at the United Nations Development Programme, Maudlyn combines strategic expertise with grassroots impact. Her empowering LEGIT Blueprint—Lead, Empower, Grow, Inspire, Transform—reflects her commitment to developing purposeful leaders who drive meaningful change. Through her international speaking and advocacy work, Maudlyn continues to champion inclusive leadership and break barriers for underrepresented voices in decision-making spaces

Lucy Buckley PhD, Board Advisor, Founder – The Digital Health Assurance Company, Entrepreneur in Residence, Pharmacist

Lucy Buckley is a strategic board advisor and healthcare innovator, passionate about reshaping the future of healthcare through governance, technology, and purpose-led leadership. A registered pharmacist with a PhD from the University of Manchester, Lucy brings a rare blend of clinical insight, commercial acumen, and digital expertise to the boardroom.

Her career spans academic drug discovery, NHS and private sector clinical roles, and senior positions in the pharmaceutical industry. As the founder of The Digital Health Assurance Company, Lucy advises investors, supports start-up founders, and helps digital health businesses scale responsibly while improving patient outcomes.

Lucy’s board advisory work is grounded in a holistic understanding of healthcare systems—bridging clinical, commercial, governance, and tech domains. She’s experienced the highs and lows of executive leadership, including raising investment and launching a virtual fertility clinic, and now uses that experience to guide others.

An Entrepreneur in Residence and lifelong learner, Lucy thrives on challenging the status quo and connecting with diverse perspectives. She believes board roles are a powerful way to drive meaningful change in healthcare and beyond.