Professor Judith Ellis OBE is a UK registered children’s nurse who has held various senior positions, including Director of Nursing and Workforce Development at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, London, UK; Dean/ Pro Vice Chancellor for Health at London South Bank University; Nursing Officer for Quality at the UK Department of Health; and a Council Member and Interim Chair of the UK Nursing and Midwifery Regulator.

Her doctoral studies focused around improving quality health care through best practice benchmarking and she has an honorary doctorate from Oxford Brookes University and an Honorary Chair at London South Bank University. She retired from her position as CEO of the UK medical Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health in May 2018, and having over the last 20 years, become increasingly involved in workforce development partnership activity and nursing leadership development in low and middle income countries, she has, for the last 6 years, been the Chair of the Tropical and Health Education Trust.

Tulipoka Nellie Soko is a former Director of Nursing and Midwifery Services who retired from Ministry of Health Headquarters in 2020. While at the Ministry, she was responsible for providing strategic leadership in Nursing and Midwifery services and ensuring provision of high standard care delivery to patients and families in order to achieve quality health outcomes. She utilized problem solving and analytical skills to address critical issues affecting nursing and midwifery services. Tulipoka also served as a Deputy Hospital Director responsible for Nursing and Midwifery services at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, a referral and teaching hospital where she collaborated with Nursing and Midwifery leaders from training colleges to promote students clinical learning. She established an In service department and provided in-service and on job training for staff at the hospital.

Tulipoka is a dedicated professional nurse/midwife with a vast experience in providing bedside nursing and midwifery care, running In-Service Education programs, including Leadership and Management at a tertiary hospital. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Administration, Nursing Education and Community Nursing Science (B Cur I et. A) from Medical University of Southern Africa, a Master’s of Science Degree in Public Health from University of Malawi, College of Medicine and has recently successfully defended her PhD thesis in Interprofessional Health Care Leadership and Education with University of Malawi, Kamuzu College of Nursing.