Meet the Team
Our founders
Garreth Wood
Co-founder & Chairman
Garreth Wood is a Scottish philanthropist and co-founder of Kids Operating Room, working to ensure all children have access to safe surgery. Driven by a belief that surgery is a human right, he and his wife Nicola are dedicated to breaking barriers to healthcare for the world’s most vulnerable children. He lives in East Lothian with his family, where he enjoys time on their farm, snowboarding, car racing, and building his rare Lego collection.
Nicola Wood
Co-founder & Trustee
Nicola, a former model and TV presenter with a BA Honours in Business Studies, co-founded KidsOR with her husband, Garreth, to expand access to safe surgery for children in need. Inspired by her own child’s life-saving surgery, she passionately advocates that all children deserve this basic right. She has led numerous successful fundraising campaigns and is especially focused on KidsOR’s efforts in Latin America.
our trustees
Prof George Youngson, CBE
Trustee & Chair of Advisors
Prof. Youngson graduated from Aberdeen University Medical School in 1973 and became a Consultant Paediatric Surgeon in 1988, later earning a personal chair in paediatric surgery. He served as Vice-President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and co-chaired Scotland's Cancer Network for Children. In 2009, he was awarded a CBE for his contributions to child health.
Sarah Masiyiwa
Trustee
Sarah Masiyiwa, KidsOR’s newest Board member, is a CNN journalist, filmmaker, and fundraiser known for her impactful documentaries. Following in the philanthropic footsteps of her parents, Strive and Tsitsi Masiyiwa, she supports education initiatives across Africa. She witnessed KidsOR’s impact firsthand during a visit to newly installed operating rooms in Kampala, Uganda, in 2019.
Graham Good
Trustee
Graham, a Scottish Chartered Accountant, has worked with the Wood family since 2002 as Director and CEO of JW Holdings and has been a Trustee of The Wood Foundation since its founding in 2007. He also serves as a Trustee for The Wood Foundation Africa and East Africa Tea Investments. Previously, he held senior finance roles with a Scottish media company, Wood Group PLC, and Aberdeen Asset Management. He is married with two children and four grandchildren.
senior management
David Cunningham
Chief Executive Officer
David is dedicated to achieving Universal Health Coverage, ensuring all children have access to quality healthcare regardless of where they are born. A global leader in children's health programs, he has impacted millions through projects worldwide. An expert in charity regulation, he serves on the UK Fundraising Regulator Board and its Standards Committee. Recently honored with an honorary doctorate from the University of Dundee, David is also a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health.
Lesley Glen
Chief Operating Officer
Lesley joined KidsOR in 2022 as Chief Operating Officer. As a law graduate and member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, Lesley brings a wealth of business experience to this varied role. "It’s a privilege to work in an organisation with such a clear sense of purpose - which is being driven forward by a dynamic team. It’s a pleasure to be part of."
Dr. Maija Cheung
Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Cheung is currently a surgeon at Yale University as well as the Chief Medical Officer for KidsOR. She attended Middlebury College, Dartmouth Medical School, and completed her General Surgery Residency and Fellowship in Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Yale New Haven Hospital. Dr. Cheung’s expertise extends beyond clinical practice, encompassing a broad spectrum of global health initiatives. She has spearheaded numerous projects for the Dartmouth Center for Healthcare Delivery Science, Yale Institute of Global Health, and as an ORISE Fellow at the NIH aimed at improving healthcare infrastructure, increasing training opportunities for the health workforce, and promoting access to care in underserved areas. Her work has taken her to remote villages, urban slums, and disaster-stricken regions where she has amassed extensive experience in addressing healthcare disparities across diverse populations.
Dave Tipping
Director of Global Operations
As Director of Global Operations, Dave is responsible for turning successful applications into delivered projects - not all on his own though! He manages a dedicated team based at KidsOR's Centre for Global Operations in Dundee. "I love working for KidsOR because I get to work with a team of fantastic people, solving difficult problems for brilliant partners all around the world." Born in Dundee, Dave now lives happily in rural Perthshire with his wife Susie and their two sons, Isaac and Oscar. When not at home or travelling the world delivering projects, Dave is a keen musician and can be seen regularly playing bass guitar around the pubs in Dundee. Dave graduated from DJCAD with a BSc and BArch in Architecture.