Mark Koziol
Chairman, PDA
Mark Koziol was an elected Council member of the RPSGB (which prior to 2011 was the pharmacy regulator), consequently, he saw first hand what happened in the peppermint water case in the late 90’s and what he saw alarmed him. Determined to ensure that no pharmacist should ever have to rely upon the legal support of their employer again in the event of a serious incident, he stepped down from the RPSGB to establish the Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) in 2003.
Mark has devoted the majority of his professional career to ensure that the PDA provides support to employee and locum pharmacists by giving them a voice, defending them in any work related incidents and also by helping to create safer working environments and more professionally fulfilling roles for pharmacists. As the Chairman of the PDA Board and as the Chief Executive of the organisation, he leads its senior management team. He has overseen the growth of what has become the largest membership organisation for pharmacists in the UK.
He currently serves in a number of additional capacities.
- Secretary General of the Association of Employed Community Pharmacists of Europe. (EPhEU)
- Council member of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP)
- Member of the FIP Data and Intelligence Commission
Paul Day
Director, PDA & PDA Union
Paul Day has been involved in Trade Unions at the national level since the mid-1990s. His background in membership organisations includes serving as Deputy General Secretary of the Association of Teachers & Lecturers, Chairman of the Abbey National Group Union and Chief Operating Officer at the Business Disability Forum.
Paul’s early career was in general insurance and retail banking until he moved into the not-for-profit sector to combine his management skills with his passion for the voluntary sector and public service. He has been part of the governing bodies of a number of not-for-profit organisations and served on four local authorities, including being a cabinet member on a unitary authority and Mayor of his home town.
Paul joined PDAU in 2017 to manage our trade union activity and later that year also became the Director of PDA. He is a member of the General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU) Executive Committee, a Trustee of Unions 21, Vice-Chair of his local Healthwatch organisation and a Trustee of Pharmacist Support.
Alison Jones
Director of Policy
Alison has worked in the pharmacy and healthcare sector for over 18 years, predominantly in government affairs and policy for LloydsPharmacy, Celesio UK and latterly McKesson UK. This work included leading on consultations across a broad range of policy areas, developing strategic stakeholder engagement plans and working with trade and representative bodies. Prior to her healthcare roles, Alison worked in the public sector for a police authority and the Department of Employment, now known as the Department of Work and Pensions.
Mark Pitt
Director of Defence Services & General Secretary PDA Union
Mark Pitt spent 20 years working in community pharmacy progressing through various store/area management roles to a senior head office position for one of the pharmacy multiples. Mark joined the PDA shortly after it was formed and was elected three times as an Assistant General Secretary of the PDA Union. From 1 April 2023 he became the General Secretary of the PDA Union. Mark also sits as a lay member for the Employment Tribunal Service.
Claire Ward
Director of Public Affairs
Claire Ward is the Director of Public Affairs for the PDA. As a former MP and Government minister (1997 – 2010) Claire understands the value of engaging with policymakers across all parts of the UK to best represent the interests of PDA members. After leaving Parliament, Claire was the CEO of the Independent Pharmacy Federation and Chair of Pharmacy Voice.
Claire brings a thorough knowledge of the pharmacy sector together with an extensive political understanding of this role. In addition to her role at the PDA, Claire is a Non-Executive Director on a number of bodies including a foundation hospital trust in Nottinghamshire.
Collette Bradford
Director of Organising and Engagement
Collette began her career in law where she had first-hand experience of union activism being a corporate site representative and organiser for the Accord union (1998). Collette was previously Director of Organising (ATL Section) at the National Education Union (NEU), the UK’s fourth-largest union. At ATL, Collette had progressed from Organiser to National Organiser to Director of Organising. Collette led the organising team and managed the unions’ field-based resources. In addition, Collette supported the activity of the ATL Future network for student teachers and other member networks integrating CPD and organising activity.
Alima Batchelor
Head of Policy
Alima Batchelor is the Head of Policy at the PDA and has spent the past 17 years working in primary care. Alima started her career in hospital pharmacy, spending her pre-registration year at Good Hope Hospital in Birmingham followed by a year at Ealing Hospital in London. Alima then returned to Birmingham and worked in community pharmacy for several years including stints at Lloyds Pharmacy and Boots.
Alima spent 5 years at Sandwell General Hospital gaining experience in elderly care, theatres, ICU, TPN and cancer services before taking on several roles in primary care which culminated in four years as Head of Medicines for Birmingham South Central CCG.
Kate Kensington
Head of Education
Kate Kensington was previously Head of Professional Development for two education trade unions, ATL (now part of the National Education Union) and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT). Kate has also worked as Head of Operations at a commercial training provider and as a freelance consultant working on a range of projects in the charity sector. As Head of Professional Development Kate was responsible for developing and leading the professional development strategy across the UK. Kate led the education team and managed the union’s national portfolio of professional development and reps training. This meant ensuring that members had access to a high quality, relevant and diverse programme.
KATE ROWBOTTOM
HR Manager
Kate has spent the past seven years working in generalist HR. A psychology graduate, Kate’s HR career began in 2011 when she undertook Sainsbury’s two-year graduate programme. During this time she also gained her Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management (CIPD Level 7) through Robert Gordon University. After leaving retail, Kate went on to hold HR posts in the security and manufacturing sectors, before joining the PDA in 2017. Kate is passionate about employee engagement and relishes the opportunity to make a positive impact on peoples’ working lives, even in a small way.