Key Staff Biographies
Professor Cathy Warwick CBE, General Secretary
Cathy gained a nursing degree at Edinburgh University in 1975. She completed a one-year midwifery course at Queen Charlotte’s Hospital in London in 1976, and worked as a midwife across a variety of clinical settings in hospitals and in the community. She has held a number of senior posts in midwifery education and in the NHS managing midwifery and nursing services. Prior to joining the RCM, she was Director of Midwifery and General Manager for Women & Children’s Services at King’s College Hospital in London. She has an MSc in Social Policy, an Advanced Diploma in Midwifery (ADM) and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) of Adults.
Her diverse work has resulted in invitations to sit on many national maternity policy committees, and she has been Chair of the Midwifery Committee at the Nursing and Midwifery Council, and Chair of the Maternity Working Group contributing to the Darzi Report, Healthcare for London.
Cathy has also written and published widely on midwifery issues and lectures and speaks nationally and internationally. She was awarded a visiting professorship by King’s College, London in 2004,
She received a CBE for Services to Healthcare in 2006, and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from St George’s and Kingston University, London in 2007.
CW - Short biography
CW - Long biography
Louise Silverton, Deputy General Secretary
Following undergraduate studies in nursing, Louise undertook midwifery training at the Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavilion in Edinburgh. She practised in all areas of hospital and community before studying for an MSc in Nursing Education at the University of Edinburgh.
She was employed as a midwife teacher at St Mary’s Hospital, Manchester before moving to establish the first university diploma in Midwifery at University College of Swansea. Whilst at Swansea, Louise was elected to both the RCM Council and the Welsh National Board.
Following relocation to London, she was head of maternal and child health at the Nightingale and Guy’s College of Health before moving to the RCM as Director of Education and Practice Development. Louise has been Deputy General Secretary at the RCM since 1997 and is responsible for the provision of services to the RCM's members through its four UK country boards. She is the RCM's lead on midwifery regulation, Chair of the Editorial Board for the RCM's journals and was the convenor of the ICM 2008 Congress Planning Committee. She is also the author of The Art and Science of Midwifery (Prentice Hall 1993).
Jon Skewes, Director of Employment Relations and Development
Jon Skewes provides strategic leadership to the trade union function of the RCM across the UK, and he is also the RCM’s senior negotiator on behalf of Midwives and Maternity Support Workers (MSWs). In addition, he is responsible for developing services to members and overseeing functions, such as the RCM’s Communications and Employment Relations departments, respectively.
Jon represents the RCM on the NHS Social Partnership Forum, the NHS Staff Council and its Executive. He also sits on the European Union Social Dialogue in the Hospital Sector Committee.
Since joining the RCM 10 years ago, he has been the lead on its evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body; negotiations on NHS pay and conditions systems (Agenda for Change), new legal services and recruitment, including extending RCM membership to Maternity Support Workers. Jon is also an experienced campaigner, and has successfully deployed his skills on long-term campaigns, such as staff shortages and capacity issues facing midwifery.
Before joining the RCM, Jon worked as the Director of Human Resources at a large central London college. Prior to this, he worked for Unison (previously NALGO), as a National Officer responsible for education, police, local government and electricity.
He is a former Deputy President and Vice President of Loughborough Students Union and has been a member of both the university’s Council and Senate.
Educated at Truro School, Cornwall, Jon’s undergraduate degree is in Sociology and Economic History, and he has a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management. He is also a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
