Our leadership team
Our team of executives are responsible for the day-to-day leadership of the organisation. They each have their own specialist areas and are led by the chief executive.
RSPCA Chiefs
Chris Sherwood
Chief Executive
Chris Sherwood has been the Chief Executive of the RSPCA since 2018. He has led the organisation through a major programme of transformation, which he set out in an ambitious strategy: Together for Animal Welfare. This strategy seeks to inspire everyone to create a better world for every animal. He has radically modernised the charity’s governance, organisational structure, senior team and brand. He has moved the RSPCA from long-standing substantial deficits into a sustainable financial position.
Through his leadership of the RSPCA, the organisation has recognised that animal welfare transcends national borders and repositioned the Society as an international organisation again and rebuilt international partnerships. He has also strengthened the charity’s campaigning work and refocused the organisation on prevention of animal cruelty and neglect.
John Kerslake
Chief Operating Officer
John Kerslake joined the RSPCA in January 2020 as director of field operations. John was appointed as Chris Sherwood's deputy, RSPCA chief operating officer in November 2020. He is responsible for the Inspectorate, as well as the other Field Operations functions. Previously John worked for the National Citizen Service (NCS), where he was chief operations officer.
Before joining NCS, John spent 25 years working in the private sector: leading sales and commercial teams at Cadbury for 15 years, followed by 10 years at Whitbread working across the sales, HR and operations functions for brands including Premier Inn, Beefeater and Costa, both in the UK and overseas. John's last role at Whitbread was as UK Operations Director for Costa where he led a team of 15,000 across 1,400 coffee shops. John has a passion for developing people, building great teams and delivery. Originally from Bath, Somerset, John studied at the University of Plymouth and now lives in South Warwickshire. He is the proud owner of his first dog, Brody.
Caroline Allen
Chief Veterinary Officer
Caroline holds the position of Chief Veterinary Officer having previously been the London Veterinary Director for the charity for three years. Caroline has 20 years of small animal veterinary experience across the sector - charity, independent and corporate practice and a track record of successfully leading practices through change and development. Caroline holds the RCVS Certificate in Small Animal Medicine, is a trustee of the BVA AWF and has been on RCVS Council. She has a rescue Staffy called Tilly.
Steve Bennett
Chief Inspectorate Officer
Steve Bennett became the RSPCA’s Chief Inspectorate Officer in 2023. Steve joined the RSPCA in April 2021 when he was appointed as the Deputy Chief Inspectorate Officer (DCIO) following a successful career as a Police officer. As the DCIO he held responsibility for performance, partnerships and modernisation, including several projects to improve efficiency, learning and innovation.
RSPCA Directors
Tania Hudson
Finance and Business Services
Tania spent the first half of her career in commercial travel and aviation, having qualified with British Airways, and spent six years as Finance Director of the Harrods Aviation businesses. In 2006, Tania moved into the not-for-profit sector to take on the role of Finance Director for Scope, a national disability charity, and from there lead the finance, procurement, IT, and digital strategies as Finance Director of Historic Royal Palaces, until relocating to Herefordshire in 2015.
An alumni of the London Business School's Corporate Finance Programme and Windsor Leadership Trust's Strategic Leadership Programme, Tania is a qualified teacher of secondary mathematics and is on the Boards of Herefordshire-based charity The Little Princess Trust as well as being Treasurer of the Deaf health charity, SignHealth. Tania has been a lifelong animal lover, and long term donor to the RSPCA and shares her home with two dogs, Iolo and Teddy, as well as five chickens.
Caroline McCague
People and Culture
Caroline joined the Society in May 2020 as an Assistant Director after a successful career working for a number of professional services firms. In September 2024 Caroline was promoted on an interim basis to the role of director of people and culture and is looking forward to continuing to support the organisation with its ambitions of being a great place to work. Caroline is particularly passionate about the importance of volunteering in society, and has been a volunteer for a range of organisations since a teenager, including St John Ambulance and the Scouts. Caroline supports Leybourne Animal Centre by fostering cats but does find it hard letting them go to their forever homes!
Emma Slawinski
Policy, Prevention and Campaigns
Emma joined us from the environmental charity Global Canopy, where she was Director of Strategic Communications. Previously Emma was Director of Campaigns and Communications at Compassion in World Farming and European Programmes Director at World Animal Protection. Emma has a rescue cat called Vinegar Jones and a horse called Tori. She is also the founder of the Wasp Appreciation Society. She said: "I am delighted to have been offered this opportunity. Working to improve the lives of animals is a privilege, and no organisation is better placed than the RSPCA to make that happen.
Tracey Pritchard
Engagement and Income Generation
Tracey joined us from Prostate Cancer UK, where she was Executive Director of Engagement. Tracey brings with her a wealth of experience from the charity sector, having previously worked as Director of Engagement and Head of Fundraising & Supporter Development at Friends of the Earth, Fundraising Strategy and Planning Manager at RNIB and Director of Fundraising at Sense. She has also been a trustee of the Women's Environmental Network. Outside of work, Tracey is a keen cyclist, walker and expedition leader. She has a passion for the outdoors and nature, and is a strong advocate for taking great care of the planet and everything that lives on it. She is also the proud owner of a rescue cornsnake, Sidney!
Emily Tierney
Strategy and Transformation
Emily Tierney joined the RSPCA in August 2021 and leads transformation programmes, business planning, performance, internal governance, and the portfolio management office. Previously, she was the Director of Governance and Delivery at the National Citizens' Service (NCS), where she introduced a new governance framework, reformed the Trust's relationship with Government, and managed the portfolio/project office.
Emily brings significant experience in risk management, project management, stakeholder engagement and planning. She has led large cross-functional teams including a multi-year transformational change programme, from inception to implementation. This included obtaining treasury approval for the £1bn business case, the procurement of the required supply chain and implementation of the target operating model. Before NCS, she worked in outsourced government-funded services for vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.
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Chief Legal Officer
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