Meet our Directors
The Board of Directors at The Griffin Institute…
Meet our Directors
Dr Vasiliki Kiparoglou MSc MBA (Oxon) PhD Chief Executive
Vasiliki is an experienced Chief Executive Officer with a demonstrated history of working within the Research and Healthcare industry. Her skills include: Strategy, Operational Management, Clinical Research, Healthcare Leadership, Governance, Lean Six Sigma, Business Finance…
Professor Nader Francis, MBChB, FRCS, FEBS(hon), PhD Director of Training
Nader is an expert colorectal surgeon at Yeovil, committed to minimal invasive surgery and enhanced recovery. He is a passionate teacher and educator with an educational PhD in assessment of surgical skills, which underpins his…
Professor Jia Hua, MD, PhD Director of Science
A qualified medical doctor and trained orthopaedic surgeon in China, Jia Hua completed his PhD in Orthopaedics at the University College London, UK. An expert in the development of endoprosthetic joint replacements, Jia has developed…
Sir John Griffin Honorary President
Sir John Griffin is a distinguished businessman and philanthropist. He founded Addison Lee in 1975 with just one car, and nearly 40 years later sold the company in 2013 to The Carlyle Group for £360 million. He left school with no qualifications after contracting tuberculosis as a child and went on to have an illustrious career, including serving as founder and chairman of the Private Hire Car Association. He is an Enterprise Fellow of The Prince’s Trust, committed to supporting and inspiring the next generation of British business leaders, and Chairman of Finito, which provides one-to-one mentoring, coaching and guidance to those starting out on the career ladder.
In 2009, Sir John was presented with the Entrepreneur of the Year award by global accounting firm Ernst & Young, and in 2013 was named The Irish Post’s first Business Person of the Year. In 2014, he established The John Griffin Foundation as a focus for his growing charitable and philanthropic activities, and he has since committed more than £12.5 million to refurbishing the building and supporting The Griffin Institute at Northwick Park.
Sir John was Knighted in the 2024 New Year Honours List for services to Business and to Charity.
Sir John Griffin Honorary President
Meet our Trustees
The Trustee Board at The Griffin Institute oversees the strategy and direction of the Charity.
Richard Atienza-Hawkes – Chair of Trustees
Ex CEO/Managing Director of a leading provider of continuing professional development for psychotherapists. Possesses over 30 years of experience as an Executive Director and Senior Manager in the Health and Social Care Sector.
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Bruce Mauleverer KC FClArb MA
Vice Chair, retired barrister. Former Deputy High Court Judge of the UK with wide expertise in international law. Bruce practised at the Bar in England for 30 years.
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Hugo Robinson – Treasurer
Partner at Kings Park Capital and a Fellow of The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
Meet our Trustees
Colin Green Founder and Emeritus Scientific Director NPIMR
Colin Green was one of the pioneers in developing cyclosporine A as a revolutionary new drug to prevent rejection of transplanted organs and helped set up the Restoration of Appearance and Function Trust (RAFT) charity as co-Director of its Institute for Plastic Surgery Research in Mount Vernon Hospital. In 1994 he founded the Northwick Park Institute for Medical Research and remained Director until September 2008. He was made full Professor of Surgical Science at University College London in 1996 and was made the UNESCO Chair in Cryobiology and Academician in the Ukraine National Academy of Sciences in 1998.
His main research interests have been in surgical reconstruction, tissue regeneration, stem cells seeded into decellularised tissues, novel burns treatments and organ transplantation. Most notably, he helped pioneer the development of carbon monoxide releasing molecules as potential therapeutic agents for inflammation, ischaemia-reperfusion damage and bacterial infections, particularly their possible role in coronary artery disease and strokes. He has written more than 500 publications and has a strong interest in global healthcare and education particularly as they impact on conflict resolution and human rights.
