Structure & governance

Professor Gill Reid CChem FRSC FRSE

President 2022-2024

Gill Reid is Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Southampton and was Head of School between 2016 and 2020.

Born and raised in Grangemouth, Scotland, Gill obtained both her BSc and PhD at the University of Edinburgh, before being appointed to a lectureship in Chemistry at Southampton in 1991.

Her research focuses on synthetic coordination and organometallic chemistry and their use in chemical vapour deposition and electrodeposition for the controlled growth of functional semiconducting thin film and nanostructured materials. These have important applications, such as solid-state memory, thermoelectric energy harvesting and battery materials. She also works on the development of metal-chelate binders for fluorine-18 towards positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and is the author of over 350 research papers. 

She previously served as an RSC Trustee (2011-15) and chaired the Outreach Working Group until 2018.

Dr Annette Doherty OBE FRSC

President Elect, 2022-2024

Currently Senior Vice President, Global Head of Product Development and Clinical Supply, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).

Annette has 35 years of international experience working within the pharmaceutical sector, including at Warner Lambert/Parke Davis (1987-2000), Pfizer (2000-2012) and most recently GSK (2012-present).  She has held a variety of scientific leadership positions across Discovery Research and Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) Development, most recently at GSK where she has been Senior Vice President of Product Development and Supply. She has been directly involved in the development and launch of over 30 new medicines in multiple therapeutic areas including respiratory, infectious diseases, oncology and immunology. 

She has BSc in Chemistry (1982) and PhD in Organic Synthesis (1985) from Imperial College of Science and Technology, London and did postdoctoral research under a NATO fellowship at Ohio State University (1985-1987).  In 2007 she received an honorary degree of Doctorate of Science from the University of Greenwich for her scientific leadership in research and contributions to education and industry/academic partnerships. Annette chaired the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) R&D group from 2005-2009, served on the ABPI Board and was a Board member of the Medical Research Council (2008-2012) and Trustee of the Royal Society of Chemistry council (2011-2015 and 2020-present). She has served on the Board of charities such as MRCT (now LifeArc, 2012-2019) and on the Medicines Manufacturing Industry Partnership (2017-2019).  She has been a Non-Executive Director of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust since 2017. She has been a member of Scientific Advisory group for the Biomedical Institute at the University of Cambridge since 2019. She has authored more than 100 peer reviewed scientific publications and reviews and is a co-inventor on more than 30 patents.

In 2009, Annette was awarded an OBE in recognition of her services to the pharmaceutical sector.

Claire Gallery-Strong CSci CChem FRSC

Honorary Treasurer, retires 2025

Claire Gallery-Strong has developed her chemistry career working across a variety of sectors including pharm, environmental and nuclear. Today, she is responsible for a national nuclear decommissioning waste programme, working for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. Graduating from NUI Galway, Ireland, she moved to the UK to develop in the field of environmental chemistry. Following an interest in analytical chemistry, she studied an MSc at Kings College London in Forensic Science specialising in chromatography. She moved into pharma and having transitioned sector once, brought her chemistry skills into the nuclear sector. She has developed her career through a broad spectrum of roles directing engineering project and programmes, introducing portfolio thinking and  bringing her scientific understanding to solve problems and deliver change.

Claire is an active chemist, mentoring for MRSC and CChem candidates. She champions change in her sector and established a younger members network early in her career and more recently has led the way in founding womens networks. Her work in these areas have been recognised by awards.

Dr Louise Armstrong-Denby CChem FRSC

Elected Trustee, retires 2023

Louise Armstrong-Denby has two decades of imaging and analysis experience and has successfully commercialized cellular and tissue imaging systems, software and services, building commercial teams and strategic partnerships across Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific. Louise is Chief Commercial Officer of Visiopharm, and leads the global commercial organisation in cancer research and diagnostics. She has previously held a number of senior global sales and product management positions in PerkinElmer and Andor Technology.

Louise is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), a Chartered Chemist (CChem) and has a PhD in Analytical Chemistry. She served as Chair of the Chemist's Community Fund Grants Committee for four years and was an RSC Volunteer Visitor for Kent for more than ten years.

Professor Annie Powell CChem FRSC

Elected Trustee, retires 2023

Annie Powell is a Professor at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Karlsruhe, Germany. A major research focus is on "Coordination Clusters" and their relevance to chemistry, physics and biology. She obtained her PhD from the University of Manchester in 1985, spent 2.5 years as a postdoc in the group of Prof Heinrich Vahrenkamp at the University of Freiburg where she learned how to handle organometallic compounds, X-ray crystallography and the German academic system. After moving through the ranks to Professor at UEA in 1998, she opted for the adventure of becoming a pioneering female and foreign professor within the German system. Subsequently she has been active in many International and local projects, acted as advisor and panel member on assessment boards and committees and supervised and mentored students from all over the world.

Dr Elizabeth Rowsell OBE CChem FRSC

Elected Trustee, retires 2023

Liz Rowsell is the Director of the Johnson Matthey Technology Centres, which form the corporate R&D facilities for the company. Liz has 24 years of experience working in the Chemicals Industry across a range of sectors such as pharmaceuticals, mining, process chemistry and consumer goods.

In her role as Director Liz works closely with her businesses, customers and academia to identify new opportunities and ensure the company has leading technology to meet them.

Liz has been working with the RSC for over 20 years, most recently as one of the judging panel for the RSC Emerging Technologies Competition. She is a member of the Government’s Advanced Materials Leadership council, working with academia, industry, skills providers and centres of excellence to provide strategic advice and leadership to enable the accelerated development of advanced material applications.

Dr Mandy Cooke MRSC

Elected Trustee, retires 2025

Mandy Cooke graduated from Leicester University with a BSc in Chemistry and PhD in Synthetic Organic Chemistry before moving into the Pharmaceutical Industry, where she has worked for more than 30+ years. During her career, she has worked in a broad range of strategic leadership roles across technical governance, product quality and regulatory affairs. She is currently a Senior Quality Director at GSK in an enterprise quality oversight position - leading key strategic quality programmes across the organisation. She has extensive advocacy and governance experience both within her organisational roles and within pharmaceutical industry associations.

Whilst her work experience is much broader than her early University education, she acknowledges that this chemistry knowledge and sound scientific basis has supported her throughout her career – thus feeding her commitment to actively contribute to the role of the RSC in enabling its’ members to succeed in their chemistry education. She is also an experienced change leader and passionate about enabling organisations achieve their strategic vision and continually improve.

Professor Richard Jackson CChem FRSC

Elected Trustee, retires 2025

Richard Jackson studied at the University of Cambridge, before undertaking postdoctoral work at the ETH Zurich. He started his independent career at the University of Newcastle, being promoted to Reader and then Professor in Synthetic Organic Chemistry. He moved to a Chair in Synthesis at the University of Sheffield, serving as Head of the Department of Chemistry for two terms. He recently retired from the University and is now emeritus Professor.

During his research career, he has published in the general area of synthetic organic chemistry, especially on the application of organometallic chemistry to the synthesis of amino acids, and more recently co-authored papers with theoretical chemists and biologists.

He was a member of the Review Group for the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) Subject Benchmark Statement in Chemistry, a member of the Chemistry Review Panel for the Higher Education Academy Physical Sciences Centre Review of the Student Learning Experience in Chemistry, and an elected member of the Standing Committee of Heads of Chemistry UK.

In Sheffield, he served on the University HR Committee, the Health and Safety Committee, and the University Finance Committee. He was as an elected member of the University of Sheffield Council, and Trustee.

Remya Norris CChem MRSC

Elected Trustee, retires 2025

Remya Norris is a biocidal product registration specialist at AkzoNobel. She has over 14 years’ experience in research and development within paints and coatings as well as previous experience in analytical and wider industrial settings. Remya has continued to be an active chemist, working with local and regional sections and other committees. She champions chemistry throughout academia and industry, carrying out talks and various forms of outreach. She has also founded twinning events between international and UK local sections with her work being recognised by the Inspirational Member award.

Professor Jeremy Sanders CBE FRSC FRS

Elected Trustee, retires 2025

Jeremy studied for his B.Sc. at Imperial College, London and for his PhD at the University of Cambridge. His research career has roamed across organic, inorganic, physical and biological chemistry, and currently involves trying to understand the polymorphism of nanocrystals created by mechanical grinding. His career at Cambridge included service as Head of Chemistry, then Head of Physical Sciences and finally as Pro-Vice-Chancellor (PVC) until his formal retirement in 2015. His responsibilities as PVC included the wellbeing of 11,000 staff, Energy and Sustainability, and relationships with local communities and authorities.

He is one of the “175 Faces” recognised by the RSC for his contributions to Equality and Diversity, and he continues to have national and international roles advocating for diversity and inclusion. He is a member of the Council of Imperial College, and Chair of Storey’s Field Community Trust, which is responsible for building community in the Eddington development in North West Cambridge. 

Professor Robert Mokaya OBE FRSC

Appointed Trustee, retires 2025

Robert Mokaya received his B.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Nairobi in 1988 and was awarded his PhD from the University of Cambridge in 1992. Following a Research Fellowship at Trinity College, Cambridge, he was awarded an EPSRC Advanced Fellowship in 1996. Mokaya joined the School of Chemistry at The University of Nottingham as a lecturer in Materials Chemistry in 2000 where he is now Professor of Materials Chemistry and Pro-Vice-Chancellor Global Engagement. He is a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award holder (2017-2022).

His research interests are on the design, synthesis and characterisation of new forms of sustainable porous materials and the study of their structure-property relations. The research involves exploring fundamentally new synthesis methods that are simpler, cheaper, and more efficient and offer valorisation routes to materials with optimised properties for targeted sustainable energy applications.

Professor Saiful Islam CChem FRSC

Appointed Trustee, retires 2024

Saiful Islam is Professor of Materials Chemistry at the University of Bath and will be joining the University of Oxford from January 2022. He grew up in Crouch End London and obtained his degree and PhD from University College London, followed by a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Eastman Kodak Labs in New York, and a lecturer position at the University of Surrey.

His research encompasses major contributions to the deeper understanding of atomistic processes in materials for lithium batteries and perovskite solar cells with over 225 publications. He is the PI of the Faraday Institution CATMAT project on lithium battery cathodes. He has received several awards including the 2020 ACS Award in Energy Chemistry, the 2017 RSC Peter Day Award for Materials Chemistry and the 2013 Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award, and is one of the RSC 175 Faces of Chemistry. He currently serves on the RSC journal Advisory Boards of Energy & Environmental Science and Journal of Materials Chemistry A, and previously served on the RSC Materials Chemistry Division Council.

Saiful presented the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures in 2016 for BBC TV on the theme of energy. He serves on the Royal Society Public Engagement Committee and is a Patron of Humanists UK.

Jonathan Oxley CChem FRSC CMgr FCMI

Appointed Member, Chair of Member Communities Board, retires 2026

Jonathan Oxley graduated from Heriot Watt University with a degree in Chemistry, joining BP for a career of 24 years, latterly across the sustainable energy sector, including a secondment to the Energy Technologies Institute where he co-led a bioenergy project to underpin 2008 UK Climate Act.  Jonathan was most recently at the World Energy Council, where he led their member, government and institutional engagement. 

A Chartered Fellow of both the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Chartered Management Institute, Jonathan has a passion for sustainability in business and for engaging communities in a common endeavour.  He is a Tallow Chandler gold medal winner, and was previously a member of the NERC Innovation Advisory Board.

Appointed Member, Chair of Publishing Board, retires 2024

Duncan Graham is the Research Professor of Chemistry and Head of Department for Pure and Applied Chemistry at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.  He obtained his BSc Honours (1992) and PhD in Chemistry (1995) from the University of Edinburgh before joining the University of Strathclyde in 1996 as a postdoctoral researcher.  In 1997 he secured a 5-year BBSRC Fellowship to start his independent research career.  He was appointed as a lecturer in 2002 and promoted to professor in 2004 then elected to the fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2007.  He was awarded the RSC’s Corday Morgan prize in 2009, a Royal Society Wolfson Merit Award in 2010 and the RSC’s Theophilus Redwood award in 2016.  He served as Editor in Chief of the RSC journal Analyst for 7 years and serves on several editorial advisory boards including Chemical Society Reviews and Chemical Science.  He was president of the analytical division of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2017-2020), and chair of the analytical chemistry trust fund (2017-2020). His scientific interests are in using synthetic chemistry to produce sensors that respond to a specific biological species or events as measured by Raman spectroscopy or SERS and collaborating with scientists from different disciplines to exploit these approaches.

Professor Marina Resmini FRSC

Appointed Member, Chair of Inclusion and Diversity Committee, retires 2023

Marina Resmini was born in Milan, Italy, where she grew up and studied Chemistry at the University of Milan. Following her PhD (1994) she moved first to the University of Amsterdam and then to London, following the award of a prestigious Marie Curie Fellowship. She developed her academic career at Queen Mary University of London, where she is now Professor of Materials Chemistry and current Head of the Chemistry Department, part of the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences. Her research interests are focused in the area of functional nano materials with applications at the interface between physical and bio/medical sciences, particularly as enzyme-mimics, sensors and drug delivery systems.

She has a strong interest in inclusion and diversity, in particular supporting young female researchers at the very early stages of their careers; she is now Chair of the RSC Inclusion and Diversity Committee.

Professor David M Smith CChem FRSC

Appointed Member, Chair of Professional Standards Board, retires 2026

David Smith took up his first independent academic position at the University of Exeter, where alongside his developing interests in high-resolution spectroscopy, he began to take on first departmental and then institutional leadership roles in education. He moved to the University of Bristol on closure of the Chemistry department in Exeter to become the manager of the Bristol ChemLabS Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. He has subsequently taken on more significant leadership roles, including as Deputy Head of the School of Chemistry. He now has an institutional rather than departmental role as Education Director for the Faculty of Science, where he is responsible for all undergraduate taught postgraduate education, including the development and implementation of University educational strategy, ensuring academic standards, and supporting students.

He is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. He is passionate about widening participation and ensuring equality of opportunity in higher education—from outreach at all levels, through developing new opportunities for students, such as degree apprenticeships and a new foundation programme, to supporting students from traditionally underrepresented groups to achieve their potential and close attainment gaps.