Speakers

Wing Commander Rich Sutherland is the UK Defence Specialist Advisor for Rehabilitation. He has extensive clinical and leadership experience across all Defence Medical Rehabilitation Pathway levels, having led large Primary Care Rehabilitation Facilities and Regional Rehabilitation Units. Most recently, he was the executive lead of several healthcare teams comprising 160 Allied Health Professionals in the Rehabilitation Division at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre. He oversaw tertiary-level inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services for the most complex cases involving injured service personnel. Rich has deployed to operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, the broader Middle East, and Eastern Europe, where he has taken on leadership roles, managing clinical teams, mentoring, and training initiatives. He completed his staff and command training at the Intermediate level and graduated from Initial Officer Training in 2011 with distinction, earning the Daedalus Trophy for being the best all-around Officer Cadet. In addition to his clinical military responsibilities, he has experience as a physiotherapist working in elite sports. At the age of 16, Rich joined the Royal Marines and successfully passed Commando Training. A close relationship with injured military personnel fostered a desire to study and commission as a Military Physiotherapy Officer. He holds a First-Class Honours degree in Physiotherapy and received the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Outstanding Student Award and University School Prize for high-level achievement. Rich also earned a Master of Business Administration in Management, a Master of Science in Musculoskeletal Medicine, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring. From 2020 to 2024, Rich served as the Head of the Royal Air Force’s Physiotherapy Cadre. A former captain of the Royal Air Force Telemark Skiing team, he is a dedicated sportsman and fitness enthusiast. Rich has recently published articles discussing the efficacy of a coaching approach in clinical leadership within military settings and addressing burnout as a new pandemic in healthcare. He is passionate about effective leadership and how it is the most important factor underpinning quality healthcare delivery. Over the past decade, Rich has been a strong advocate for the integration of coaching and mentoring into healthcare leadership practices and has continued to champion, design, and implement coaching programs both within his organisation and externally.