Consumer Action

Tanya Heasman

Tanya is Joint Managing Director of System Concepts, an independent management consultancy providing risk management and user experience services to a wide range of public and private sector organizations. She was elected to the Council of Management of the Consumers' Association (now Which?) in 1997, and held the Deputy Chair of Council between 2003 and 2009. She was appointed to the Which? Ltd Board in 2008. She held a position as a lay representative on the Food Standards Agency Research Advisory Committee in 2002. She holds an MBA (Master of Business Administration) from London Business School, an MSc. in Ergonomics from London University and an M.A. in Experimental Psychology from Oxford University. She has two small children and in the little time that is left enjoys reading, scuba-diving, playing bridge, walking and skiing.

Nick Partridge

Sir Nick Partridge has worked for Terrence Higgins Trust since 1985 and was appointed its Chief Executive in 1991. Over the past 24 years, Sir Nick has been a consistent voice in the media coverage of AIDS and sexual health in all its aspects from health promotion, social care and advocacy through to research and treatment issues.

Terrence Higgins Trust has negotiated 26 mergers with other charities over the past ten years and now mobilises over 1,000 volunteers and 350 staff, providing a wide range of sexual health and HIV services. Sir Nick is Deputy Chair of the Expert Advisory Group on AIDS (EAGA), which advises Ministers and the Chief Medical Officers and a member of the Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health and HIV.

In health research, Sir Nick is Chair of INVOLVE which promotes patient and public involvement in NHS, public health and social care research. He is also Deputy Chair of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration, which aims to establish the UK as a world leader in clinical research.

Rebecca Smithers

Rebecca has been consumer affairs correspondent of The Guardian since 2006. She was previously the paper's transport correspondent and also wrote on education for nice years. She is governor of a North London secondary school.