Meet our Speakers

Tyler Amell, PhD, is Registrar and Director of Admissions and Student Services at PCU-WHS. His PhD was in Rehabilitation Science from the University of Alberta. He is an internationally recognised thought leader on the topic of workplace health and productivity, and is a frequent speaker and writer on the topic. He is chief health and strategy officer at MediKeeper. His prior experience includes roles as partner/vice president at a global human resources consulting, technology and services firm; chief executive officer of a human resources technology company; and vice president of Canada’s largest independent health care and rehabilitation company. Tyler is a past board member of the US-based Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI) and the Canadian Association for Research on Work and Health (CARWH). He currently serves on the executive board of directors of the National Wellness Institute (NWI) and the Work Wellness Institute. His areas of expertise relevant to disability management include workplace health and productivity, disability prevention, absence and leave, ergonomics, and job retention and return to work.

Prof. Dr. Joachim Breuer, is the former Director General of the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) and President of the International Social Security Association (ISSA), a United Nations organization located in Geneva. He is a former Professor at the Institute for Social Medicine and Epidemiology in the Department of Insurance Medicine at the University of Lübeck. Dr. Breuer studied law at the Universities of Bonn and Berlin, obtaining his degree in 1984, and became a doctor of law in 1985. He joined the Federation of German Accident Insurance Institutions (the HVBG) and in 1995 he became Director General of the accident insurance and prevention institution for the German mining industry. In 2002, he became the Director General of the HVBG, now the DGUV, the umbrella organization of all German accident insurance funds in the industrial sector. He also holds leading positions in several other German institutions and organizations. In 2014, he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit for his honorary commitment.

Paula Coffey began her career as a registered general nurse and is now Director of Claims, Rehabilitation, and Medical Services at Unum UK, a leading employee benefits provider. With over 20 years of experience in the insurance and healthcare sectors, Paula has held senior positions at Bupa, Canada Life, UnumProvident, and Cardif Pinnacle (BNP Paribas).

Before joining Unum UK, Paula also worked in a consultancy role within the NHS, continuing to maintain a strong interest in the evolving healthcare landscape. As a recognised thought leader, Paula regularly speaks at industry conferences and contributes to publications.

Luke Collins joined Unite the Union in January 2023 as National Health and Safety Advisor. Luke is responsible for supporting the manufacturing, steel, aerospace/shipbuilding, foundry and automotive sectors amongst others. Luke has served as a Unite health and safety representative for several years before entering Occupational Health and Safety Management as a professional.

Dr Nancy Doyle, C. Psychol. led Genius Within as CEO for over 10 years, before moving to Chief Research Officer in September 2021. As a proud neurominority herself, she is passionate about improving the way neurodiversity is treated in the workplace. She is also the founding member of a British Psychological Society Working Group, providing guidance to other Psychologists in the field. Nancy wrote a definitive guide to neurodiversity at work for the BPS and has contributed to many other publications and expert reference groups with organisations such as ACAS, ERSA and the DWP.

Nancy’s research work in evaluating coaching and demonstrating a tangible impact from managers’ perspectives was commended by the BPS. In 2019, Nancy was also recognised for her contribution to Policy Impact in Occupational Psychology.

Elisabeth Kasilingam is currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer of the European Multiple Sclerosis Platform (EMSP) and as Vice-President of the European Patients’ Forum. In these roles, she is highly committed to working towards better quality of life of patients with MS and other chronic conditions by the implementation of successful, results-oriented projects and policy campaigns and actions.  Elisabeth entered the European political arena more than 15 years ago, pursuing her interests in the field of human rights and specialising in the health and social sectors.

In her work with EMSP, Elisabeth has been developing capacity-building programs to support the further development of national MS patient organisations and health and social advocacy campaigns, as well as engagement activities to develop young patient advocates.

With over 20 years of experience in personal injury insurance, Jason Lardelli has held key leadership roles across both public and private sectors in New Zealand and Australia. Since joining WorkSafe Victoria in July 2023 as Executive Director of Scheme Reform, he has been at the forefront of driving industry improvements and return-to-work initiatives.

His extensive career spans executive roles at ACC (NZ), Comcare (Canberra), EML (NSW), TAC (Victoria), and now WorkSafe Victoria. A seasoned leader in scheme reform and claims management, Jason brings a wealth of strategic insight to the industry.

A long-standing advocate for education and professional development, Jason has served multiple terms on the Personal Injury Education Foundation (PIEF) board, reinforcing his commitment to industry excellence. He holds a Bachelor’s in Economics and a Master’s in Health Management, equipping him with both financial acumen and a deep understanding of health-focused recovery strategies.

Dr Shriti Pattani is the National Clinical Expert in Occupational Health and Wellbeing for NHS England. She is also the Clinical Director and head of service for Occupational Health and Wellbeing in an acute Trust in London.

Dr Pattani’s expertise is ‘health of healthcare workers’ and she is passionate about providing access to occupational health and safety services for all people of working age. She is the Global Health & Work Clinical Advisor (Occupational Health, Safety & Wellbeing), with the NHSE Global team.

She is an external subject matter expert to WHO and part of the external technical advisory group to development of a joint WHO/ILO global policy brief on enhancing safety, health, and wellbeing in the workplace.

She was awarded an OBE in the 2024 Kings New Years Honours list for her services to Occupational Medicine.

I have 9 years’ experience working in Functional Assessment Medicine. Primarily in delivery of Work Capability Assessments with recent experience in supporting delivery of The HAAS Contract (PIP and WCA delivery). I have a proven track record supporting management of quality outcomes within benefits medicine.  In my current role I also am responsible for external stakeholder management, I support in delivery of commercial targets in the context of a supply chain and have been involved in contract bids.  I also hold the position of Responsible Officer within my organisation.

Since 2020 I have held the position of Chair of The Specialist Interest Group for Functional Assessment (SIG SOM). This is a collective of healthcare professionals, from the field of Functional Assessment Medicine. With a diverse range of clinical disciplines and backgrounds. Members include key stakeholders from a variety of sectors including Benefits medicine, Vocational Rehabilitation, Occupational Medicine and The DVLA.

Despite various past iterations, since my appointment as chair we have made significant progress in elevating the professional recognition of the field. Successful projects under my leadership include, the implementation of GP teaching, formulation of a intercompany welcome letter, distributed across multiple businesses, regular updates on the SOM website regarding careers in disability assessment and a SOM sponsored podcast.  Currently we are working on the creation of an external qualification for clinical functional assessors as well as an educational package to facilitate delivery of work and health conversations in an evidence informed, consistent manner. We have also responded to green and white papers concerning both Work Capability Assessments (WCA) and Personal Independence Payments (PIP)

At the heart of our culture is the idea that Functional Assessment is an under- represented speciality. We believe further work alongside continued professional collaboration will afford understanding and heightened levels of involvement from other medical fields and improved engagement among our colleagues.

Dr. Cameron Stockdale is an internationally recognized leader in organizational behaviour, workplace wellness, and change leadership. He is the former CEO of the Work Wellness Institute and currently serves as Chair of the International Leadership Association’s Healthcare Leadership Community and Vice Chair of the Executive Health and Safety Council of British Columbia. With over 25 years of experience in emergency health services, Dr. Stockdale brings a practical and policy-informed perspective to the intersection of health, leadership, and innovation. He holds a Doctor of Education in Interdisciplinary Leadership (Creighton), a Master of Laws (Edinburgh), a Master of Arts in Leadership (Guelph), and a postgraduate certificate in Organizational Behaviour from Harvard. Dr. Stockdale holds both national and provincial appointments advising Canadian governments on disability policy and legislative change. His current research explores how emerging technologies influence psychological safety, legal accountability, and leadership practices in modern workplaces undergoing rapid transformation.

Kristin Tugman, PhD, MSc (Rehabilitation Counselling), BA (Sociology), CRC, LPC, has been involved in the field of disability management for more than 20 years. Her educational background is Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Florida, Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counselling from Georgia State University, and a PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Capella University. She is also a Certified Rehabilitation Counsellor and a Licensed Professional Counsellor. She has been adjunct professor at several universities teaching graduate and undergraduate students the medical, psychosocial, and vocational aspects of disability. She has also held senior positions with insurance companies and organizations providing counselling and vocational rehabilitation programs. She is well published and has presented at numerous international conferences.