Our people are our most valuable assets. We recognise that effective leadership is vital to enable our people to deliver the Corporate Strategy objectives, priorities and vision. Our Senior Executive Team, led by Chief Executive Victoria Hills, is responsible for the strategic direction of the RTPI.
Victoria reports to the Board of Trustees on all aspects of the Institute's activities, and is the link between volunteers and staff. The Chief Executive, Chief Operating Officer, Director of Communications, Director of Education and Profession, Chief Technology Officer, Director of Scotland and Ireland, Director of Wales and Northern Ireland make up the Senior Executive Team. Heads of Service, who report to the Executive Team, lead on other key aspects of the Institute's work.
Executive Team
Victoria Hills MRTPI FICE
Chief Executive, Royal Town Planning Institute
Victoria Hills MRTPI FICE
Chief Executive, Royal Town Planning Institute
Richard Patrick
Chief Operating Officer
Richard Patrick
Chief Operating Officer
Following a number of marketing and business development roles, both in the UK and Europe, Richard has nearly twenty years’ experience of commercial and corporate services leadership roles with leading membership and third sector organisations. At the RTPI he is responsible for the Human Resources, Information Technology, Facilities, Governance, Marketing, External Affairs and Communications functions. He also leads the institutes’ commercial development activity including the national events programme and membership growth activity. Outside of work Richard holds a Burnley FC season ticket, keeps hens and is a listening volunteer with the Samaritans.
Craig McLaren FRTPI
Director, Scotland, Ireland and English Regions
Craig McLaren FRTPI
Director, Scotland, Ireland and English Regions
Craig is Director of Scotland, Ireland English Regions. In this role he leads the Institute’s policy, public affairs and member services work in Scotland and Ireland and is the lead Director for our work in our English Regions.
Prior to this Craig set up and managed the Scottish Centre for Regeneration in Scottish Government and its agency Communities Scotland, as its Director. He has also been Chief Executive of the Scottish Urban Regeneration Forum (SURF); Scottish Planning Policy Officer with the RTPI; and a planner and economic development officer for the London Borough of Kingston upon Thames. Craig is a Fellow of the RTPI, a Fellow of the RSA and an Academician of the Institute of Urbanism. He previously sat on the Boards of Scotland’s Towns Partnership, Resilient Scotland, Built Environment Forum Scotland, Greenspace Scotland and the Jim Boyack Memorial Trust, and, was chair of the Scottish Government’s National Walking Strategy Delivery Forum.
In his spare time Craig spends time with family and enjoys walking, listening to music, attending gigs and playing the drums.
Roisin Willmott OBE FRTPI
Director, Wales, Northern Ireland and Planning Aid
Roisin Willmott OBE FRTPI
Director, Wales, Northern Ireland and Planning Aid
Roisin is a Fellow of the RTPI and has worked in planning and regeneration for over 30 years, working in local government, consultancy and education. She is the RTPI’s Director for Wales, Northern Ireland and Planning Aid focusing on delivering member services and leading on planning policy and practice activities in the two jurisdictions, is the Director lead for Planning Aid England and is a member of the RTPI’s Senior Executive Team. In 2017, Roisin was awarded an OBE for services to planning in Wales. Roisin completed a PhD at Cardiff University, analysing governance systems to implement European Regional Policy in Wales. Outside work, Roisin enjoys exploring places close to home and further afield, often on foot.
Andrew Close MRTPI
Director of Education and Profession
Andrew Close MRTPI
Director of Education and Profession
Andrew is a Chartered Town Planner and urban designer and has worked in consultancy, local and national government planning roles since 2000. As Director of Education and Profession at the RTPI he is responsible for Institute-wide education policy and accreditation procedures, student advice and support including the new RTPI Bursary project, member’s lifelong learning and CPD monitoring and standards, and the RTPI Future Planners volunteer initiative to promote planning as a career choice to young people.
Anil Ramdhan
Chief Technology Officer
Anil Ramdhan
Chief Technology Officer
Anil is the Chief Technology Officer at the RTPI.
Simon Creer
Director of Communications, RTPI
Simon Creer
Director of Communications, RTPI
Simon is responsible for all external channels including public affairs. He has extensive experience in the professional and membership space, having worked for four separate membership bodies including the Institution of Civil Engineers, The Russell Group and The Association of Colleges. He also spent five years working in Government communications for the Department for Business where he finished his time as Press Secretary. His primary focus is the long-term value of awareness campaigns and the use of clear communications tactics involved in supporting Pillar Three of the corporate strategy. Prior to working in comms he was a national newspaper journalist in Ireland and spent time living in Dublin, Belfast and Glasgow.
Senior Management Team
Richard Blyth FRTPI
Head of Policy Practice & Research, RTPI
Richard Blyth FRTPI
Head of Policy Practice & Research, RTPI
Richard Blyth has been Head of Policy Practice and Research at the RTPI since September 2011. Since then he has established the RTPI’s new policy paper series starting with Housing in 2013 and also the special RTPI Centenary Planning Horizons research programme with 5 projects being published in 2014. He is in charge of the RTPI’s work on Brexit and the RTPI’s England policy. Prior to this he was an Associate Director at Capita Symonds where he worked on commissions for local authorities on infrastructure planning to support core strategies, and for a number of private clients on regeneration schemes. He spent over four years in the Civil Service, including being responsible for Local Plans in England. Richard led a small team within the Joint Strategic Planning Unit which produced the last Berkshire Structure Plan and has also worked for district councils on local plans. He spent two years in the Gambia West Africa as a physical planning officer working on physical development plans and market regeneration.
Lesley Mitchell
Head of Human Resources and Office Services
Lesley Mitchell
Head of Human Resources and Office Services
Sarah Woodford
Head of English Regions
Sarah Woodford
Head of English Regions
Martine Koch
Head of Membership
Martine Koch
Head of Membership
Andrew Close MRTPI
Director of Education and Profession
Andrew Close MRTPI
Director of Education and Profession
Andrew is a Chartered Town Planner and urban designer and has worked in consultancy, local and national government planning roles since 2000. As Director of Education and Profession at the RTPI he is responsible for Institute-wide education policy and accreditation procedures, student advice and support including the new RTPI Bursary project, member’s lifelong learning and CPD monitoring and standards, and the RTPI Future Planners volunteer initiative to promote planning as a career choice to young people.
Anil Ramdhan
Chief Technology Officer
Anil Ramdhan
Chief Technology Officer
Anil is the Chief Technology Officer at the RTPI.
Craig McLaren FRTPI
Director, Scotland, Ireland and English Regions
Craig McLaren FRTPI
Director, Scotland, Ireland and English Regions
Craig is Director of Scotland, Ireland English Regions. In this role he leads the Institute’s policy, public affairs and member services work in Scotland and Ireland and is the lead Director for our work in our English Regions.
Prior to this Craig set up and managed the Scottish Centre for Regeneration in Scottish Government and its agency Communities Scotland, as its Director. He has also been Chief Executive of the Scottish Urban Regeneration Forum (SURF); Scottish Planning Policy Officer with the RTPI; and a planner and economic development officer for the London Borough of Kingston upon Thames. Craig is a Fellow of the RTPI, a Fellow of the RSA and an Academician of the Institute of Urbanism. He previously sat on the Boards of Scotland’s Towns Partnership, Resilient Scotland, Built Environment Forum Scotland, Greenspace Scotland and the Jim Boyack Memorial Trust, and, was chair of the Scottish Government’s National Walking Strategy Delivery Forum.
In his spare time Craig spends time with family and enjoys walking, listening to music, attending gigs and playing the drums.
Dipty Patel
National Events Business Manager
Dipty Patel
National Events Business Manager
Dipty has over 20 years’ experience in event and project management. Dipty manages the RTPI National Events team. Portfolio includes the delivery and execution of high-profile events such as the RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence, Young Planners' Conference, Minerals Planning Conference, and various specialist events which all support the 2020-2030 Corporate Strategy.
Jennifer Bosiacki
Head of Finance
Jennifer Bosiacki
Head of Finance
Kate Howarth
Marketing Manager
Kate Howarth
Marketing Manager
Machel Bogues
Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Manager
Machel Bogues
Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Manager
Martin Damonsing
IT Manager
Martin Damonsing
IT Manager
Roisin Willmott OBE FRTPI
Director, Wales, Northern Ireland and Planning Aid
Roisin Willmott OBE FRTPI
Director, Wales, Northern Ireland and Planning Aid
Roisin is a Fellow of the RTPI and has worked in planning and regeneration for over 30 years, working in local government, consultancy and education. She is the RTPI’s Director for Wales, Northern Ireland and Planning Aid focusing on delivering member services and leading on planning policy and practice activities in the two jurisdictions, is the Director lead for Planning Aid England and is a member of the RTPI’s Senior Executive Team. In 2017, Roisin was awarded an OBE for services to planning in Wales. Roisin completed a PhD at Cardiff University, analysing governance systems to implement European Regional Policy in Wales. Outside work, Roisin enjoys exploring places close to home and further afield, often on foot.
Richard Patrick
Chief Operating Officer
Richard Patrick
Chief Operating Officer
Following a number of marketing and business development roles, both in the UK and Europe, Richard has nearly twenty years’ experience of commercial and corporate services leadership roles with leading membership and third sector organisations. At the RTPI he is responsible for the Human Resources, Information Technology, Facilities, Governance, Marketing, External Affairs and Communications functions. He also leads the institutes’ commercial development activity including the national events programme and membership growth activity. Outside of work Richard holds a Burnley FC season ticket, keeps hens and is a listening volunteer with the Samaritans.
Simon Creer
Director of Communications, RTPI
Simon Creer
Director of Communications, RTPI
Simon is responsible for all external channels including public affairs. He has extensive experience in the professional and membership space, having worked for four separate membership bodies including the Institution of Civil Engineers, The Russell Group and The Association of Colleges. He also spent five years working in Government communications for the Department for Business where he finished his time as Press Secretary. His primary focus is the long-term value of awareness campaigns and the use of clear communications tactics involved in supporting Pillar Three of the corporate strategy. Prior to working in comms he was a national newspaper journalist in Ireland and spent time living in Dublin, Belfast and Glasgow.
Béatrice Crabb
International Lead
Béatrice Crabb
International Lead
Béatrice is International Lead at the Royal Town Planning Institute. She is leading and coordinating the development and delivery of the international function and activities of the Royal Town Planning Institute, including the implementation of the Institute’s International Strategy. She is a Chartered Planner with 13-years working in the private and public sector on a wide range of projects including international collaborations. She recently completed a secondment with the Royal Institute of British Architects delivering a strategic capacity development component on behalf of the UK Built Environment Advisory Group as part of a multidisciplinary team working with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Global Future Cities Programme in partnership with UN-Habitat.