ACPOHE Executive Committee Members

Alex is an experienced occupational health physiotherapy leader with more than three decades of supporting people to stay healthy, active and connected to good work. As Chair of ACPOHE, Alex champions the vital role physiotherapists play in improving workforce health, strengthening evidence‑based practice, and shaping national conversations on work, health and productivity. 

Alongside her ACPOHE role, Alex works as a Physiotherapy Business Consultant, advising organisations on service development, operational excellence and effective MSK health strategies. She founded Back in Action UK and spent over 25 years developing and leading the organisation, including serving as Managing Director, helping to build its reputation for clinical quality and innovative occupational health physiotherapy services. 

Alex is passionate about advancing our profession, improving early intervention pathways, and ensuring physiotherapists feel confident and equipped to make a meaningful, practical impact in workplaces across the UK. 

Lina is a Specialist Occupational Health Physiotherapist by background and is passionate in helping people stay healthy at work. Lina has a great role at British Airways as a Musculoskeletal and Ergonomic Specialist – it has the four essential pillars of practice – clinical, leadership, education and research. Lina runs the in-house physiotherapy provision and works with the wider business to influence good Musculoskeletal Health in the workplace. Utilising data, evidence and experience a strategic and targeted approach is taken to support optimum employee health. Lina has extensive experience working within large corporate organisations and has previously worked at TfL and BT Group plc.  

Outside of work, Lina loves to travel the world (as much as humanely possible), swim, tantalise her taste buds with delicious cuisines and indulge in good vino and chocolate. Yoga helps to keep her balanced! 

Darren has dedicated his physiotherapy career to improving the health and wellbeing of people in work. His experience spans MSK and Occupational Health roles across the NHS, private practice, Transport for London, and now the British Airways Occupational Health team. Over the years, he has seen first‑hand that healthy workforces are the backbone of a thriving society, and that Occupational Health professionals play a vital role in helping people build a positive, sustainable relationship with their work.

As ACPOHE’s Treasurer and Membership Lead, Darren is committed to promoting the important work of the profession and ensuring that members have access to the resources, support and networking opportunities they need to thrive in Occupational Health and Ergonomics.

Outside of his professional roles, Darren enjoys staying active through running and regular exercise—often accompanied by his lovely lurcher.

Lasse has worked in Occupational Health since 2006, gaining experience across a wide range of organisations and industries — and discovering along the way that no two workplaces, or chairs, are ever quite the same. He holds a BSc in Physiotherapy and an MSc in Ergonomics and Organisational Behaviour, underpinning his commitment to practical, evidence‑based solutions that genuinely work in real‑world settings.

As an ACPOHE committee member, Lasse helps develop the association’s podcast and champions Occupational Health Physiotherapy, promoting the value of the profession across the wider OH community. He is passionate about ensuring ACPOHE is an organisation that empowers its members to excel. For him, the purpose of OH Physiotherapy is simple: keeping people healthy at work and supporting those who are off work to return safely.

Outside ACPOHE, Lasse co‑runs a family‑owned OH Physiotherapy company. He enjoys music — playing guitar and singing enthusiastically, if not always tunefully — as well as cooking and staying active.

Angela is a Musculoskeletal and Occupational Health Physiotherapist.  

Angela has held leadership roles in Musculoskeletal Health and Occupational Health in the NHS, industry and private sector working closing within and across multidisciplinary teams.  

Rehab and relationships run at the heart of Angela’s leadership, wellbeing and occupational health strategies. As Education lead, Angela is striving to involve and enable ACPOHE members. 

 Angela has been involved in quantitative and qualitative research  including workplace health and wellbeing, risk factors for sickness absence, participatory ergonomics and work based condition management approaches to enhance function, productivity and quality of life.  

Angela enjoys being on the move and especially if this involves dogs! 

Paul is a musculoskeletal physiotherapist specialising in occupational health and ergonomics. Paul has been on the ACPOHE committee since 2020 and during that time, has transitioned from more clinical leadership roles to working more in the education and research pillars.​

Paul spends most of his working week with Coventry University as the course director for the MSc Physiotherapy & Leadership (pre-registration) course. Paul also does some clinical and consultancy work in the fields of musculoskeletal, occupational health and ergonomics.​

On the ACPOHE committee, Paul has historically led the development of the webinar series and now leads the ‘research stream’. This involves sharing of best practices, participating in research and supporting members with research. Paul also delivers the ‘Intro to Ergonomics’ and ‘Assessing Fitness for Work’ courses.​

At home, you will find Paul trying to fit in the occasional game of padel and some time with his amazing wife, in between running around after his two daughters!

Katie Knapton is a physiotherapist, ACPOHE committee member, Chair of Physio First, and Founder and Director of Physio Fast Online. She works clinically across occupational health and independent practice, with a particular focus on demonstrating the impact of physiotherapy on work, function and long-term outcomes. Her interests centre on evidencing how timely, high-quality physiotherapy supports return to work, restores participation and contributes to sustainable healthcare delivery. Through clinical practice, leadership and data-informed advocacy, Katie is committed to strengthening recognition of physiotherapy’s measurable clinical and economic value across occupational and independent settings. 

Neil is the Director of Occupational Health and NHS Services at Back In Action UK, where he oversees all aspects of the organisation’s national OH and FCP services. His role spans clinical leadership, service development, and ensuring operational and financial delivery meets expectations. Throughout his career, he has worked with a diverse range of customers — from small councils to multinational companies — delivering on‑site clinics, providing ergonomic assessments, and more recently designing innovative services to help organisations reduce absence and improve employee wellbeing.

Neil is excited to join ACPOHE and contribute to the growth of the physiotherapy profession, while helping to strengthen recognition of the expertise Occupational Health practitioners bring to workplaces. He has a particular interest in ACPOHE’s education work, having previously run his own CPD course business, organising national MSK physiotherapy events with recognised professional speakers before relocating abroad. He hopes to bring this experience to support ACPOHE’s continued delivery of high‑quality CPD content.

Fran is an HCPC-registered physiotherapist with a background in musculoskeletal and occupational health practice, alongside experience in higher education teaching. He holds a BSc in Physiotherapy and postgraduate qualifications in manual therapy, with a strong focus on practical, evidence-based solutions that translate into real-world impact. 

His work spans clinical practice, leadership, and education — from managing OH physiotherapy teams and delivering remote MSK care, to teaching in occupational health, therapeutic exercise and rehabilitation. 

He is particularly interested in how education, innovation, and collaboration can improve both patient outcomes and workplace health. Outside work, he enjoys photography, music, and staying active. 

Jodie is an MSK physiotherapist working within the NHS at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Trust in a dedicated staff service role. She provides physiotherapy support to trust employees and works closely with the Occupational Health and wellbeing teams to deliver integrated, person‑centred care. She has also recently begun working on the WorkWell project with the local council, contributing to the national initiative supporting people who are struggling in work or seeking to return to employment.

Alongside her NHS role, Jodie undertakes part‑time private MSK work at a local practice and teaches physio‑led Pilates, combining her clinical expertise with a passion for movement and rehabilitation.

Pagan qualified as a physiotherapist in 2011 and quickly discovered her passion for MSK practice. She has around eight years’ experience working in Occupational Health and wellbeing across multiple NHS trusts. Her introduction to the OH world came when she supported a colleague during a period of surgery, and she immediately found a deep connection with helping staff manage MSK conditions in the workplace. Having worked her way through the NHS from assistant physiotherapist to clinical specialist, she understands first‑hand the challenges staff face, the impact of MSK issues on working life, and the importance of meaningful support. This insight continues to shape her day‑to‑day contribution within Occupational Health.

Pagan is currently a Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist in Occupational Health and Wellbeing at Cambridge University Hospitals. She provides a self‑referral physiotherapy service, delivers DSE and ergonomic assessments, offers peer support, and is beginning to contribute to wellbeing conversations across the trust. She also works closely with the wellbeing team, engaging with staff across a wide range of roles. Her current projects include identifying MSK sickness hotspots and developing educational and practical sessions, with the aim of building a comprehensive support package for safe return to work following long‑term sickness.

Pagan is excited to join the ACPOHE committee and is passionate about raising the profile of Occupational Health physiotherapy. She is committed to supporting colleagues across the profession and championing the vital contribution OH physiotherapists make in keeping people healthy, safe and supported at work.

Jenny is an occupational physiotherapist with over 15 years’ experience in musculoskeletal physiotherapy. Having worked in both the NHS and private sector, she set up her own private practice and founded an OH company working specifically with SME’s. Through her work, she sees first-hand the gap between work and health and strongly believes that physiotherapists have a significant role to play in bridging that gap. She is excited to be part of the great work being done by the ACPHOE to raise the visibility of occupational physiotherapy and better communicate its value. She is keen to play her part in helping seize the opportunities ahead and move the profession forward. 

Dr Glykeria Skamagki graduated as a Physiotherapist from the International Hellenic University in Thessaloniki, Greece in 2010. She worked clinically in Greece and UK within the NHS and the sports field followed by ongoing work in private practice. She gained an MSc in Applying Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy at Sheffield Hallam University in 2013 and a PGCert in Academic Practice in higher Education in 2016.

Glykeria specializes in occupational health and has been a committee member of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Occupational Health and Ergonomics since 2019. She completed her PhD study at Coventry University in 2022 focusing on the management chronic musculoskeletal conditions at the workplace and the ageing workforce. Glykeria worked at Coventry University before taking up the post of Assistant Professor in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy at the University of Birmingham.

I have worked in OH Physiotherapy for the last 21 years.  The majority of my experience has been in manufacturing, specifically the motor industry.  I currently lead a team of physios for Health Partners and look after the UK JLR sites.  My key interests are injury analysis, prevention and workplace initiative strategy.

Gayatri is experienced Occupational Health Physiotherapist, qualified in 2005, with over 20 years of expertise in musculoskeletal physiotherapy and holistic wellness. For the past seven years, she has worked in Occupational Health, currently with Jaguar Land Rover, while also running her own private physiotherapy and acupuncture clinic. 

As a Committee Member of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Occupational Health and Ergonomics (ACPOHE), Gayatri contributes to the monthly newsletter and actively promotes the value of Occupational Health Physiotherapy within the wider OH community. Passionate about keeping people healthy at work and supporting safe returns to work, she is dedicated to advancing best practices in the field. 

Outside of work, Gayatri enjoys yoga, trekking, cooking, writing and reciting poetry. 

I am delighted to support ACPOHE as their LinkedIn social media manager and newsletter lead. 

What makes me tick is helping people move from where they are to feeling empowered — equipped with the tools to autonomously make lasting change in their life and health. Occupational health was a natural home for that passion when I qualified as a physio. 

Since then I have worked across private MSK physio, health and fitness, and medical sales, and have more recently started my own business. 

Marketing has been one catalyst for growth across my career. Learning to communicate a mission, capture nuance of tone, and bring a brand to life has transformed my ability to deliver real, actionable change as both a physiotherapist and a business owner. 

For ACPOHE and their LinkedIn, I love championing the profession, amplifying the voices of our members, and helping more people understand the power of occupational physiotherapy — and the value it brings to the healthcare system and the wider community.