Meet the Team
The ADG Team
Neil Carmichael
Executive Chair
Neil Carmichael is Honorary Professor at UCL's Institute for Education and Global Business School for Health. Neil is also Trustee, Sir Heinz Koeppler Trust – Wilton Park, promoting international peace and security; and, a member of the Advisory Board of the D Group, strategic advice and international network. He is a Trustee of the Sir Edward Heath Charitable Foundation and CEO of the UK China Education Cooperation (UCEC). Neil was Member of Parliament for Stroud (2010-17), serving on the Education Select Committee throughout period and latterly as Chair. He established the All Parliamentary Party Group (APPG) on School Leadership and Governance, Chair of Vascular Disease APPG, producing influential reports on clinical methods and took the Antarctic Act 2013 through Parliament. Neil was Chair of the Conservative Group for Europe.
Ruth Chesmore
operational director
Ruth is Director of Operational Affairs focusing on areas including NHS contract reform and commissioning and self-employed matters across all 4 UK nations as well as contributing to the overall activities of the ADG. Ruth is also a member of the Bupa Dental Care Executive team where she is responsible for NHS and Commissioning strategy. Ruth has 10+ years' experience in dentistry including Operations, M&A, Portfolio Management and Transformation and has an MBA from Manchester Business School. Prior to dentistry, Ruth worked in various management and leadership roles within the wider Bupa insurance business.
Dr sandra white OBE
Clinical director
Graduating from Manchester in 1985, Sandra worked in maxillo- facial units, as a GDP and a salaried GDP. Most of her clinical career was spent in special needs services treating medically compromised, inpatient learning disability and mental health patients, those experiencing homelessness, travellers, prisoners, domiciliary patients and nervous children. She specialised in adults with dental anxiety and phobias. Following Dental Public Health specialist training she worked with NHSE to commission dental services and worked in general public health across Local authority and NHSE. Sandra was responsible for the feasibility and Consultation into water fluoridation in Southampton. She has lectured widely, played a role in BDA, BASCD and has been a TPD, a lead trainer and an examiner for ISFE in dental public health. As National Lead for Dental Public Health for England her team were responsible for the national epidemiology programme, water fluoridation and improving oral health. She led the dental public health response to COVID and AMR and supported DHSC, NHS E / HEE, OCDO at a national level with issues such as contract reform and workforce development.
ian gordon
special adviser
Ian has been a Member of ADG since 2012 with the Group Ian co-founded (Alpha Dental). He was a Member of the ADG Board from 2014 to 2021. He is currently a Special Advisor to Neil Carmichael, attending Board meetings and also Member meetings in his capacity as Dental Director of Riverdale Healthcare, one of the ADG member companies. Ian qualified as a dentist in 1984 and still practices one day a week in North Yorkshire. His role with Riverdale is as a Board and Exec team member with a lead responsibility for NHS dentistry and Commissioning but acting as a conduit between the clinical finance and operational teams in the business. He is Chair of North Yorkshire Local Dental Committee and a part time Dento-legal advisor for Densura.
Gordon Bell
Head of Finance
Gordon joined the ADG in 2014 as Secretary to the Board. In 2022 he was appointed to the role of Head of Finance with responsibility for financial and management accounting and Company Secretarial matters. After graduating and working in retail and industry he studied to complete a PGCE Secondary teaching qualification. He then went on to study accountancy and worked for most of his career in Education as a Bursar & Company Secretary in both Independent and State Schools.
KATE CLARK
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
Kate Clark, Director of Communications. Kate is a senior communications professional with over 25 years’ experience in health and wellbeing PR. Kate has a particular specialist interest in dentistry comms with other local and national groups on her client roster. Kate’s remit is to promote the views of the ADG and its members to all relevant audiences through media outreach and social media.
Laura Barley
Head of Administration
Laura has a degree in business and a varied career, with a constant strong backbone of administration throughout. Laura went from working in an office in the recruitment industry to being a Police Officer in Glasgow. Latterly, Laura worked in an intelligence department, where she assessed and disseminated intelligence to relevant internal and external partners and strengthened intelligence through research. After leaving the police force, and prior to embracing this role, Laura was a Project Coordinator. She joined the ADG in October 2022.