The FPA Senior Management team

The FPA trustees delegate responsibility for day-to-day leadership and management to the Chief Executive and Senior Management team.

Julie Bentley MBA – Chief Executive

Julie has been Chief Executive of FPA since 2008. She has over twenty years’ experience in the charity sector. Her experience spans a broad range of issues, including young people, alcohol and drug misuse, homelessness, personal safety and sexual health.

Julie spent four years as Chief Executive of the personal safety charity Suzy Lamplugh Trust. She led on the modernisation of the organisation and was instrumental in diversifying its work.

Julie also led the merger of ACCEPT, a London-based therapeutic community, with Alcohol Recovery Project (ARP), a charity working with people affected by problematic substance use. She was Director of Corporate Development at ARP for four years, with responsibility for fundraising, business development, and communications.

Julie started her career with Essex Youth Service, before moving to London where she set up and ran a young people’s drug service recognised by Ofsted as an example of excellence.

Julie is a qualified youth worker and counsellor and holds a Masters in Business Administration. She is a trustee of young people’s charity Get Connected and of the housing charity Shelter.

John Gibbons – Finance Director

John has worked at FPA as Finance Director since 2001 and overseen many changes in that time. Highlights have been negotiating the sale of the trading subsidiary for a consideration of more than £2m, managing the final salary scheme closure and negotiating and managing the office move in 2006 which saw annual savings of more than £300,000.

John started his working life at a medium-sized practice in St Albans and worked there for seven years, managing a portfolio of over 200 clients in a variety of sectors. He then moved out of public practice to be a finance director in companies in the retail sector.

Natika H Halil – Director of Information Services

Natika has been the Director of Information Services at FPA since 2008 and now heads up the Press and Campaigns, Publications and Website and Information teams.

She has worked in the voluntary sector for over 14 years. She started her working career as a helpline volunteer at SANE line, the mental health charity; before moving into the field of infant health and bereavement. Before working at FPA Natika spent seven years at the Stroke Association, heading up their information services.

Natika has a wealth of experience in health and information provision and an academic background in psychology and psychotherapy.

Terri Ryland – Director of Practice Development

Terri has been Director of Practice Development at FPA since 2001. She has 26 years’ experience of practice and management, specialising in sexual health and child sexual abuse. Within the sexual health field, Terri has managed projects providing therapeutic, advisory and support services for children and families and specialist therapeutic work with children traumatised by sexual abuse.

Terri’s practice and management experience has also involved working with adults and young people who had HIV/late stage HIV infection, or who had misused substances. She has also managed a crime prevention project for vulnerable young people and their families.

Terri originally trained in both general and mental health nursing and has qualifications in social work and integrated arts therapy. She has also worked as an independent consultant and trainer to health and social care agencies.

Audrey Simpson – Director of FPA in Northern Ireland

Audrey has been Director of FPA in Northern Ireland since 1988.

Audrey was awarded a PhD for her research into the theory and practice of relationships and sexuality education in post-primary schools in Northern Ireland. She is co-author of two Northern Ireland wide research initiatives into sexual health and wellbeing, one of which focuses on people with learning disabilities.

In 2005 Audrey was awarded the OBE for services to health in Northern Ireland.