About Sean

Sean became Chair of the Board of Trustees of Demelza in May 2023, taking over from previous Chair David Highton.

Sean’s experience is as deep as it is broad. A career pilot with the RAF, beginning in 1984, he flew missions in Iraq, the Former Republic of Yugoslavia and Afghanistan. Over the course of his service, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Queens Commendation for Valuable Service and the OBE and in 2008 was made a CBE.

He held a number of senior leadership positions during his prestigious career, including Station Commander of RAF Odiham, Chief of Staff Operations Air Command, and Deputy Commander Capability and Air Member for Personnel and Capability.

After retiring from full time service in 2018, Sean developed a portfolio career; among other pursuits, he is Air Officer for Northern Ireland, helping them to enhance the public image of the RAF in Northern Ireland. He also served as the Chair of the Board of Spencer Hospitals, a wholly owned subsidiary of East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, for four years where he gained a deep insight into the challenges facing the healthcare sector and how to navigate them.

It was here that Sean first learned of Demelza and the important work we do. When he stepped down from Spencer Hospitals in October 2022, he decided he wanted to give back to his local community and bring his extensive expertise forward into this exciting new charity role.

In his spare time Sean is still a keen pilot; as a certified helicopter and light aircraft instructor, he instructs students aiming for their private pilot licenses, and he is the Chief Flying Instructor of his gliding club. He is also a qualified Day Skipper and dinghy sailor.