International Stress Board of Trustees
ISMA was founded and is still supported by the top names in the field of Stress Management. It is the world's largest and most widespread organisation of Stress Management professionals with branches in 10 countries. There have been seven International Conferences and ISMAUK (the largest and the most active international branch) has organised twelve National UK Conferences.
Here is the current Board of Trustees of ISMAUK
Executive Members
Finance
Ann McCracken is the author of ‘Stress Gremlins’, lecturers in Stress Management at Westminster University, and regularly contributes to TV, radio and the press. Ann's interest is developing accessible training through on-line programmes which measure organisational stress in ‘real time’. Ann’s company (AMC Mentoring), offers strategies for stress which include risk assessments, stress audits and training for organisations.
Membership/Standards and Stress News
Jenny Edwards career began as a healthcare professional in acute care provision, for 9 years working as a RGN in coronary care and subsequently as a RGM in midwifery and then in the community as a Health Visitor. Jenny further developed her career by qualifying as a Psychotherapist from The National College of Hypnosis and Psychotherapy, followed by achieving a Diploma in Advanced Hypnotherapy. Jenny has been running her own private practice in Esher, Surrey since 2000, working as a psychotherapist and stress management consultant. Completing an OCR Diploma in Stress Management Jenny has subsequently established Solutions 4 Stress as a consultancy service. Going into Companies, Organisations & Schools, Jenny provides training in the form of seminars & workshops to manage and reduce stress, enhance leadership skills, increase performance & improve the work-life balance.
Commercial
Francis McGinty has a background firmly rooted in business and consequently understands the value of ‘the bottom line’. Combining his experience of business with the study of human behaviour and it’s affect on the wellness of both individual and organisation his company, Becalm Ltd, has been supplying financial organisations with a complete stress awareness policy fulfilling HSE guidelines. He has supplied risk management assessments for organisations and for individual employees. He has introduced stress-awareness training programmes and coached individuals in the management of stress. He has successfully and succinctly enabled returnees to return the workplace.
Francis McGinty is a clinical hypnotist. He is also an accredited Master Practitioners in Neuro Linguistic Programming, being trained by the founders of NLP, Dr Richard Bandler and John Grinder. Human Neuro Linguistic Psychology, trained by John Overdorf. He also holds diplomas in Thought Field Therapy (also known as ‘tapping’), once again, being trained by the founder Dr Roger Callaghan; who also introduced him to the invaluable use of the Heart Rhythm Scanner as a diagnostic and monitoring tool. Francis has also trained in Organisational Stress Management, qualifying him to train organisations to achieve the required HSE methodology. He holds an OCR diploma in stress management, which is the only qualification in stress management recognised and accredited by Oxford and Cambridge Universities.
Dr Derek Mowbray is a Chartered Psychologist, Chartered Scientist and Fellow of The Institute of Healthcare Management. He is also visiting Professor of Psychology at Northumbria University. His experience includes that of a chief executive in the public and voluntary sectors, and as a company director in the private sector. He is an Independent Technical Expert for the European Commission assessing health services of countries seeking admission to the EU. Derek’s work in the primary prevention of psychological distress at work, and his expertise in leadership development and resilience is widely acknowledged as instrumental in changing approaches to managing stress. His initiative in developing a Manager’s Code based on promoting behaviours that achieve commitment and trust is being applied in the public, private and education sectors, as part of his drive to embed wellbeing and performance in all organisations. He is the founder and a director of OrganisationHealth and The Management Advisory Service, and is a popular and regular contributor at national conferences on health and wellbeing.
Brand Development and Charity (National Stress Awareness Day)
Renée Clarke (MASC) IHHT, MICHT
Renée has worked in the health and wellbeing sector for 8 years and she is passionate about the benefits of workplace health and wellbeing and the effects it has on performance. Her company, Midlands Workplace Wellbeing was established in 2009 following client feedback regarding the difficulties of finding quality providers of Health and Wellbeing Services. In 2010 Renée set up the Workplace Wellbeing Employers Forum which is a bi-monthly forum to bring like-minded employers together to share best practice, gain new ideas on a range of workplace health topics and learn about initiatives being run both locally and nationally. She is soon to host the first Midlands National Stress Awareness Day conference with Dame Carol Black as new note speaker.
Regions and Finance
Dr. Katie Porkess MSc MBA PhD
My early career was in IT - designing and developing business systems. This led to business management consultancy. In 1998, an existing client, a major employer in the area, asked me to examine their HR database for information about absence rates. The analysis revealed that 25% of the absences were attributed to stress. However, discussions with the occupational nurse and welfare officer indicated but that employees were reluctant to acknowledge stress as a cause for absence because of the stigma attached to the condition and that the true figure was nearer 40%. These findings intrigued me and on completing the contract, I went on to obtain qualifications in the management of stress in the workplace. In 1999, I set up my stress management consultancy. I am particularly proud of an electronic risk assessment tool that I have developed. It reports on stress at the organisational, functional and other group levels as well as for individuals. This flexibility allows businesses to target their stress management strategies precisely where and as it is needed, and at the same time, enables individuals to learn what areas of their work-life would benefit from attention. In June 2011, I successfully completed doctorate level research into the relationship between stress and corrupt/unethical behaviour in groups. I have now returned full-time to my stress consultancy business. My client list includes the MoD, academic institutions, the NHS and not-for-profit organisations. Private sector clients include companies in the manufacturing sector. In addition, I mentor individuals to help them develop coping strategies within their workplace. From time to time I also help people who have been off with long-term stress, to return to the workplace.
Membership and Standards
Susan Scott MSc. FCIPD. MBANT. MISMA.
For the last 25 years I have worked as a Behavioural Change Consultant and executive coach providing senior management & executive leadership programmes for public and private sector organisations in the UK, Europe, USA and Australasia. I am a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and have an MSc in Organisational Behaviour from Birkbeck, University of London. In 2006 my passion for a healthy mind and body led me to qualify as a nutritional therapist. I now combine this with business psychology to run wellbeing programmes to help employees maintain healthy working lives and also provide stress management support for individuals in my clinic. I joined ISMA one year ago and fully embraced the opportunities it offered by becoming a stress advisor, attending our regional meeting and attending the PAS 10:10 training. I would be delighted and honoured to bring my expertise and enthusiasm to the ISMA board and see opportunities to take ISMA forward by forging links with Occupational Health professional bodies and the CIPD.
Non Executive Members
Management Processes
Martin Rust is a Chartered Engineer and member of the Association for Project Management and Chartered Management Institute. His consultancy practice works with people and organisations to help them achieve success efficiently and effectively. He brings to ISMA over 30 years of planning and project management experience and through a focus on project related management is committed to the development of ISMA as the recognised body in all areas of stress management.