Having founded the charity in 2015 and led it as CEO for nine years, Elly Nott has stepped down as Chief Executive to take up an alternative role in the leadership of the organisation.

As Elly embarks on her new role, the charity warmly welcomes Dr James Gough as its leader. James is a former military and aid doctor, having served with the British Army and international aid groups in Afghanistan, Egypt, Indonesia and Bangladesh.

Beyond the field of medicine, James has served with the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and founded both the virtual reality enterprise One Shot Immersive and a UK charity promoting and protecting the wellness of those who serve the Crown.

Dr James Gough MBBCh, newly appointed CEO of the David Nott Foundation, said:

“It is the privilege of my professional life to have the opportunity to serve the beneficiaries of the David Nott Foundation as Chief Executive. At a time of immense human suffering around the world, the dedication of our donors, our volunteers and our people is both humbling and critically important.”

Graham Hodgkin, Chair of Trustees of the David Nott Foundation, said:

“The David Nott Foundation continues to develop its position as providing the gold standard of conflict surgical training. The Foundation is known and respected among humanitarian organisations, government ministries and policymakers and trusted by healthcare workers. Crucially, our training saves lives and makes access to safe, skilled surgical care a reality for more people in conflict and catastrophe-affected regions.

Alongside Co-Founders David and Elly Nott, and my fellow Trustees, we are delighted to welcome James as our new CEO and have every faith in his ability to deliver our vision and mission to our stakeholders.  He will have our unwavering support as he takes on his new role as CEO of this remarkable and special organisation.”

Since our birth in 2015, our global faculty of trainers have upskilled over 2000 doctors in countries tarred by war and disaster, such as Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Ukraine and Palestine. Under James’s leadership, we look forward to further deepening our impact across the globe.

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