Board of directors

Giles was appointed to the board in 2004 and as Chairman in May 2019. He is also a director of the group’s property holding companies and a member of the Governance Committee, the Investment and Capital Management Committee and the Remuneration Committee. He has previously been the Chairman of the Audit Committee. He is a consultant orthodontist at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust and also works part time in private practice. He is Caldicott Guardian and an examiner for the intercollegiate specialty fellowship examination in Orthodontics as well as a clinical advisor and expert witness for the General Dental Council.

Farrukh joined the Society as Head of Finance in 1999. He was appointed as deputy Chief Executive in 2003, and to the board and as Chief Executive in 2008. As the group’s Chief Investment Officer, he chairs the Investment and Capital Management committee and is also a director of the group’s property holding companies. After qualifying as a chartered accountant, he worked with Baker Tilly, BayernLB and PricewaterhouseCoopers, specialising in banking and insurance.

Melanie was appointed to the board in 2019 and as Vice chairman in June 2025 when she was also appointed as a member of the Audit Committee and Operational risk and reputation committee. She was consultant and honorary senior clinical lecturer in orthodontics at the Charles Clifford Dental Hospital and Clinical Lead for 12 years. Melanie is lead cleft orthodontist for the Trent Regional Cleft Network and has previously worked part time in private practice.

Brian was appointed to the board as a non-executive director and as a member of the Audit Committee in August 2020 and as the Chairman of the Governance Committee in June 2025. He retired as a specialist in orthodontics in 2021 and was an examiner for the Fellowship of the Faculty of Dentistry of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in orthodontics from 2011 to 2023. He has previously been a Consultant Orthodontist and Head of Department at St. Columcille’s Hospital in Dublin, Chairman of the Orthodontic Advisory Committee of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, member of the Intercollegiate Specialty Advisory Committee in Orthodontics and Chairman of the Gloucestershire Orthodontic Managed Clinical Network.

Simon was appointed to the board as an executive director in 2015 and has operational oversight of the Compliance and Marketing teams. He is also a member of the Investment and Capital Management Committee and a director of the group’s property holding companies. Simon joined the Society in 2007, after working for 11 years at Deloitte LLP in their actuarial practice, advising and working with Friendly Societies and insurance companies within the UK and Europe.

Martyn was appointed to the board in 2010. He is a member of the Governance Committee and Remuneration Committee and previously served as Chairman of the Governance committee and a member of the Operational Risk and Reputation committee. He is on the Council of Reference for the dental charity Bridge2Aid, a member of the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal. He was previously a member of the Probate Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and a member of the Statutory Panellist Assurance Committee of the General Dental Council. He was a chair of the General Dental Council’s Fitness to Practise Panel and a chair of the General Medical Council’s Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service. He has worked extensively in the training of newly qualified dentists, having been in various roles, including Regional Adviser in general dental practice and Associate Postgraduate Dental Dean. He is retired from general practice.

Jim was appointed to the board in 2017 and as Chairman of the Audit Committee in May 2019. Jim is a chartered accountant with over 20 years’ experience in the banking industry, working in various senior risk management roles. He was previously a Head of Risk for Liquidity and Banking Market Risk at a major UK bank, with responsibility for risk monitoring and control of the bank’s UK liquidity, asset and liability management, ALCO investments and pensions risks.

Kirby was appointed to the board in 2019 and has operational oversight of the Finance and Member Services teams. She joined the Society in 2006 as a member services consultant. She later moved into the Finance team and following her qualification as a Chartered Certified Accountant, was appointed as Head of Finance in 2012. She is also the Head of Human Resources.

Matt was appointed to the board in November 2021 and has operational oversight of the Information Systems Team. He joined the Society in early 2021. Matt is a graduate in computer sciences and holds an MBA from Cardiff Business School. He has over 25 years’ experience in information technology development, operations and management, including senior leadership roles in financial services and software industries in the UK, US and EMEA.

Raj was appointed to the board in May 2019, and as Chair of the Operational Risk and Reputation Committee in June 2025. He was previously a member of the Governance Committee and served as Vice Chairman from August 2020 to June 2025. He combined his career in General Dental Practice with his role as Associate Dean at the London Deanery and has been a policy adviser at the Department of Health and provided consultancy services to the NHS and the private and corporate sector. He has worked at Dental Protection for over 20 years where he was first appointed as a dento-legal adviser and is now Dental Director. Raj has been an examiner for the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners and has lectured extensively throughout the UK and overseas and has written extensively about practice management, governance and risk management within the dental profession. Raj was appointed MBE for services to dentistry in 2008.

Alister was appointed to the board in 2011. He is a member of the Operational Risk and Reputation Committee and the Audit Committee and previously served as the Chairman of the Operational Risk and Reputation Committee. He has worked in general dental practice since 1987 and was previously a dental practice adviser for the Yorkshire and Humber Area Team of NHS England, a clinical support manager for IDH Mydentist in the North East region, a past treasurer of the North Lincolnshire Local Dental Committee and dental practice adviser for Doncaster and North Lincolnshire Primary Care Trusts. He has also been a clinical assistant in orthodontics and a vocational trainer.

Huw was appointed to the board in 2014. He was appointed to the Operational Risk and Reputation Committee and as Chairman of the Remuneration Committee in February 2016. Huw started in general dental practice in 1981 as an Associate and was a partner of a family dental practice in North West Kent for over thirty years. Since 1996 he has been a dental adviser for the NHS and is currently senior dental clinical adviser for NHS England South East. Huw worked for over twenty five years in Dental Foundation Training, as a Vocational Training Adviser, Training Programme Director and an Associate Dean for Health Education England. He has also been a member of the Kent Local Dental Committee since 1988, being treasurer for over twenty five years.