Marie Curie appoints two new trustees

Dame Barbara Monroe DBE, a leading figure in palliative care, and Helen Weir CBE, Finance Director at the John Lewis Partnership, have been appointed as trustees of Marie Curie. The two new trustees bring extensive and relevant experience to the Council.

Dame Barbara Monroe DBE
Barbara has been a social worker for over 40 years. She joined St Christopher’s Hospice in 1987, becoming Chief Executive in 2000 and retired from this role in August 2014.

Barbara was the founder and Director of the Candle children’s bereavement project at St Christopher’s and was Chair of the national Childhood Bereavement Network for eight years. She is Module Leader on the MSc in Palliative Care and Policy run jointly by St Christopher’s and King’s College London. She has written extensively about psychological and social aspects of palliative care and sits on a variety of national committees supporting the development of end of life care. She was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2010.

Helen Weir CBE
Helen is Finance Director at the John Lewis Partnership. She had previously had the same role at Lloyds Banking Group, Kingfisher and B&Q. She spent her early career at McKinsey & Co and Unilever.

Helen is a Non-Executive Director of SAB Miller. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and was a member of the Accounting Standards Board from 2005 to 2008. Helen was, until recently, Chair of the Corporate Board at diabetes charity JDRF and a member of the Advisory Committee of the Said Business School at Oxford University.

John Varley, Chair of the Trustee Council of Marie Curie, said:
“We are delighted to welcome such distinguished and well-respected figures to our Council of Trustees.

“We know we are facing unprecedented challenges as a society in how we care for and support people at the end of their lives. To help meet those challenges, Marie Curie needs to reach more, and do more for, people and their families living with a terminal illness.

“I look forward to drawing on the expertise of our new two trustees and existing Council members to help Marie Curie meet these growing demands.”

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