Verena has been the NMC's Senior Midwifery Adviser (Policy) since January 2019.  Before this, she was the Midwifery and Children's Nursing Officer at the Department of Health Northern Ireland (NI), seconded from her role as the Local Supervising Authority Midwifery Officer (LSAMO) in NI. This followed on from various senior clinical roles in the last 35 years, as Head of Midwifery, Deputy Chief Nurse, consultant and community midwife,  and including secondments as Project Midwife for the Confidential Enquires (CESDI) secretariat and Project Officer for the Changing Childbirth Implementation Team in the Department of Health. An initial interest in the importance of public health, policy and midwifery leadership at all levels was enhanced through a masters degree in advanced midwifery practice, followed by another in health policy, practice and financing. Verena trained as a general nurse in Belfast and has worked as a midwife in Scotland, England and Northern Ireland.