Having worked in an adult hospice as a finance director, Nici joined Forget Me Not in February 2015 and is an Associate Chartered Governance (ACG) professional and a member of the Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland (CGIUKI). Responsible for finance, human resources, IT & data, estates and facilities and corporate governance and our company secretary, Nici’s passionate that we have the best people, resources, systems, tools and facilities to remain a fit and resilient organisation now and into the future.
Our senior leadership team
Nici O’Dowd
Finance and Corporate Services Director
Lis Meates
Director of Services Development & Delivery
Lis trained as a children’s nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital before working as a community children’s nurse in London. In 2004, she became an advanced paediatric nurse practitioner at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, setting up a community children’s palliative care team and supporting families whose child has died suddenly and unexpectedly. Lis is passionate about giving families choices that work for them and she is currently working towards a PhD in Palliative Care.
Gareth Pierce
Chief Executive
Having previously worked in retail, Gareth joined Forget Me Not in 2016 as head of trading. He subsequently became director of income generation, responsible for fundraising, marketing and retail. In 2023, Gareth became our CEO, tasked with protecting the charity’s future so that we can support more families in more ways, continue to blaze a trail for children’s hospice care and ensure that no family in West Yorkshire has to face the loss of their child alone.
