We at Global Treehouse share our deep gratitude to Jonty Roland as he completes his tenure as Chair of the Global Treehouse Board of Trustees at the end of 2026. Jonty was a founding board member and has served as Chair of the Board of Trustees since Global Treehouse was incorporated as a charity in 2021. Jonty will continue to serve on the Global Treehouse Board of Trustees.
As Chair, he has played a pivotal role in guiding Global Treehouse through its formative years, working closely with founding Executive Director Laura Dale-Harris and bringing strategic judgement and a commitment to innovation. He was also the lead author of critical founding research, The Children’s Palliative Care Provider: A Blueprint to Spark, Scale and Share Innovation.
As an expert on health system reform and universal health coverage advising governments, global institutions and private sector organisations, he brought his analysis and knowledge to shape Global Treehouse’s first and ongoing projects. Deeply committed to supporting children, their families and their providers who need children’s palliative care, Jonty has helped shape the organisation’s ambitions from the outset.
Jonty’s guidance has been invaluable to the staff. He has offered wise advice and given generously of his time, especially during organisational transitions and parental leave, when he worked closely alongside staff and provided invaluable support and continuity. He balanced deep partnership with trust - he never micromanaged but was always ready to roll up his sleeves, whether supporting recruitment, helping secure a grant or providing wise counsel. His contribution has helped lay strong foundations for Global Treehouse’s next chapter, building on the difference already being made for children, families, providers and partners impacted across the world.
A Track Record in Global Health System Reform
Jonty is an independent adviser on health system reform and universal health coverage (UHC) to governments, global institutions and private sector organisations. He has worked in more than 25 countries across health system design, health economics and frugal innovation. His projects have included supporting the creation of six national health insurance (NHI) schemes across three continents and reforming several others, as well as numerous projects to improve care delivery.
Prior to becoming an independent consultant, he established and led KPMG’s Center for Universal Health Coverage as Program Director, before which he was Policy Director for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Global Health in the UK Parliament, as well as a variety of advisory and research roles within the English National Health Service. He trained at Cambridge Judge Business School and holds an MSc in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).
Throughout his work, he has held a passionate belief that health systems in high-, middle- and low-income countries each have something to teach and learn from one another.
“Our vision at Global Treehouse has always been about building something unique: a charity that combines compassion with entrepreneurialism, that can gather a global community of innovators to improve the lives of the millions of children around the world who have a right to high-quality palliative care.”
“I couldn’t have wished for a better founding Chair of Global Treehouse. Jonty brings deep expertise in health systems, but also something equally valuable: pragmatism, good humour and a real instinct for finding solutions. He’s been incredibly generous with his time, always ready to roll up his sleeves while giving me and the team the trust and space to lead. I’m enormously grateful for his partnership and friendship.”
