HRH The Princess Royal
Patron
"For more than 30 years, BQF has been at the heart of the UK Excellence movement, championing best practices, fostering innovation, and bringing together a thriving community dedicated to continuous improvement. BQF has played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of organisational Excellence across industries.
The members’ dedication to Excellence not only strengthens their organisations but also inspires others to raise their own aspirations. By striving for continuous improvement, they contribute to a culture of innovation and best practice throughout.“
Karen Leftley
President
Karen is the founder and MD of @Boomster Consulting which she created in March 2019. She is a business transformation professional with over 30 years of change, project delivery and operational experience. She has an extensive background in leading large change and project teams in a FTSE 100 company delivering sustainable cultural change. She has a deep passion and understanding of what it takes to create a culture of continuous improvement and has built a strong track record in being able to engage, empower and unlock the potential of teams to deliver results.
She has a reputation for injecting energy, creating movement and unlocking the motivation in others to confidently own and realise the change potential using simple tools and methods. She naturally captivates the hearts and minds of many along the way with her infectious style and approach.
Karen is President and non-executive director of the British Quality Foundation an independent and not-for-profit organisation. Karen has led the transformation of the BQF with strong focus on creating a valuable asset for members to leverage and share best practice, improve their performance and achieve sustainable excellence.
Laila Iftikhar-Ali
Transformation Executive
Laila is a transformation leader with deep experience in professional services, specialising in driving operational excellence at the intersection of people, process, and technology. She has advised executive teams and led global initiatives that delivered measurable business impact — increasing sales by 18%, boosting productivity by 22%, and driving a 24% uplift in digital product adoption across functions and territories. Known for her ability to cut through complexity and deliver results at pace, Laila consistently turns strategic ambition into tangible outcomes.
With a proven track record of digitising operations, enhancing P&L performance, and embedding cultures of continuous improvement, Laila brings strategic vision alongside hands-on execution. She is recognised for her ability to negotiate effectively, strengthen supplier partnerships, and create high-performing teams that thrive in complex, international environments.
Additionally, Laila contributes as a Non-Executive Director for the British Quality Foundation and Birmingham Newman University, and remains an active member of the Change Management Institute, where she continues to shape thinking on transformation and change leadership.
Passionate about sustainable growth and the human side of transformation, Laila helps organisations unlock performance by aligning people, technology, and process to achieve lasting results.
Carla Thomas
Director, Banking Service Transformation
Carla brings broad experience in leading and transforming large operational teams with a passion to improve customer experience and colleague engagement. Carla also has experience in strategy, transformation ,organisational design and development alongside broad experience in client facing roles. She has developed these skills in global and UK-based roles. Carla started her career in a contact-centre and has a rich understanding of the experience, the ideas and the passion which can be harnessed from the most critical people – those doing the work and engaging directly with customers.
Carla holds an MBA from the University of Chester and has published academic research on employee motivation (Jan 2024)
Carla lives and works in the Midlands and is a trustee of a charity which provides counselling and support for women who have suffered sexual abuse, alongside this Carla is an active VP with the Institute of customer service with a particular focus on the Service with Respect campaign which is working to improve legislation to support service workers facing abuse and assault as part of their working lives.
Daryl Brown MBE DL
CEO, Magpas
Daryl Brown is Chief Executive of Magpas Air Ambulance, where he has led the organisation’s transformation into a 24/7, nationally recognised emergency medical service. Under his leadership, Magpas has achieved significant advances in operational excellence, including the development of a modern helicopter base, training centre, and improved clinical capability.
Alongside his executive role, Daryl has served on the boards of Air Ambulances UK and the British Helicopter Association, and previously held senior governance positions within the NHS, aviation, and pre-hospital care sectors. His dedication to public service also includes civic leadership roles within Cambridgeshire.
Daryl was awarded an MBE for services to air ambulance provision and appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, recognising his long-standing commitment to excellence, innovation, and community impact.
Anu Kalia
Head of Global Process Experience, Tesco
Anu Kalia joined the BQF Board of Non-Executive Directors bringing over 25 years of cross-sector experience in strategic transformation, operational excellence, and cultural change. As the Global Lead of Process Experience at Tesco, Anu has been instrumental in driving large-scale improvements and embedding a culture of continuous improvement across one of the UK’s largest organisations.
A passionate advocate for excellence and collaboration, Anu’s career spans multiple industries, where he has consistently championed innovation, customer-centricity, and sustainable performance. His leadership style is rooted in empowering teams, fostering inclusive cultures, and delivering measurable impact.
Anu has been a dedicated ambassador for the British Quality Foundation (BQF) for more than a decade. His contributions include promoting the value of BQF membership across industries, mentoring emerging talent, and actively engaging new members. His commitment to sharing best practices and building communities of excellence aligns perfectly with BQF’s mission.
With his deep insight, energy, and strategic vision, Anu is poised to make a significant contribution to the Board, helping guide BQF’s continued growth and influence in the UK and beyond.
Alan Frost
Partner, Grant Thornton
Alan Frost is a Partner at Grant Thornton, where he advises boards and senior executives on large-scale finance transformation, organisational performance, and the delivery of sustainable value.
He brings a strong commercial perspective to organisational excellence, focusing on how strategy is translated into measurable outcomes, improved productivity, and long-term performance. His work centres on helping finance departments improve effectiveness, optimise their operating model, and create the capacity required to deliver growth and resilience in complex environments.
Alan is particularly focused on ensuring that transformation delivers tangible results. He champions practical, outcome-driven approaches that align leadership, capability, and operational delivery—enabling organisations to move beyond strategy into sustained execution.
Alongside his client work, Alan contributes to the development of future leaders and regularly shares insights on transformation, capacity creation, and public sector reform. His work strongly aligns with the mission of the British Quality Foundation in promoting organisational excellence and supporting businesses to achieve sustainable, high-quality outcomes.