Sam has 15 years of experience working in and with the NHS across the UK, developing and delivering new community-led service models to aid collaboration and innovation. In 2019 she was invited to share her work in the NHS in Wales by TEDx Aberystwyth.
As co-founder and MD of Yma, her role is to bring alive our purpose – to create the conditions where primary care in Wales can thrive now, and for future generations.
Sam is also a passionate advocate for renewable technology and an electric vehicle enthusiast, seeking ways to accelerate progress in this area at a local and national level.
Julia is a post-doctoral chemist with a background in lithium-ion battery materials and teaching.
Julia joined Yma in 2020 and is leading our project management function. The project management team takes on a variety of projects both external and internal, some of which are on our Projects page. We are always interested in doing new things, or learning how to do familiar things better.
Julia enjoys finding creative solutions to problems, playing with spreadsheets, and illustration.
Matthew is the Data Protection Officer ‘DPO’ for Yma. This means that he works with the team at Yma around all aspects of information governance and data security. It is easy to just see this as a security role: Matthew thinks it is more about using information in a way that creates a learning culture and supports innovation, whilst at the same time keeping the promise that we make to our staff, partners, customers and patients to keep it safe.
Matthew has a long-standing connection with Yma, having worked with Sam Horwill when ‘Here’ was founded in Brighton, in 2008, where he is still a Non-executive director and Chief Information Officer.
Kari has a background working with children with developmental delays or disabilities and their families as both a Teacher of the Deaf and a Developmental Specialist in the United States. Following relocation to Wales and a long career break, Kari hit the ground running with Yma. Having first joined our team as an Office Administrator in September 2022, by March 2023 she became a Project Support Officer and in September 2023 she was promoted to Pathway Sharing Facilitator on the Health Pathways Programme. This role allows her to connect with people and teams across the system and to bring efficiency and consistency to a complex national programme. Outside of work, Kari enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, yoga, and DIY.
Mathew, a seasoned Programme Manager, brings diverse expertise from healthcare, events management, and operations. His career highlights a variety of essential skills, including a natural aptitude for connecting with people, a strategic mindset, and a proven ability to drive success through innovative ideas. Transitioning to Yma in September 2023, Mathew's prior roles in health boards across NHS Wales showcased his adeptness in project management, working as part of Mental Health Services and corporate transformation. Skilled in risk assessment and stakeholder engagement, he drives strategic initiatives, advocating for sustainability. His collaborative spirit contribute to Yma's mission of enhancing primary care in Wales and beyond.
Ewan joined the Yma team in October 2023 as Project Support Officer.Ewan is currently completing a PhD at Aberystwyth University, which gives him a good grounding in data collection, analysis and management, as well as writing reports, engaging with stakeholders and conducting interviews. Ewan’s openness and ability to talk to people has made a success of the interviews, whilst his proficiency for administrative support work and data handling has helped with the delivery of Yma’s project work. Ewan enjoys the variety of people he gets to work with at Yma, and the opportunity to see the positive impact of his work on the Welsh health landscape. Outside of work Ewan is ordinarily a bookworm,but also enjoys karaoke and being busy in local organizations such as Holy Trinity Church as secretary and the Aberystwyth branch of the Royal British Legion.
Sarah joined the Yma team in April 2024 as a Project Support Officer. She enjoys the diversity of her role, providing administrative, research, writing and engagement support to several projects at a time. She has 12 years of clinical background in diagnostic ultrasound. Sarah is originally from Toronto, Canada where she spent most of her career working in a hospital setting where her patients were at the heart of her work. Her clinical experience has sparked an interest in exploring how care experiences and health outcomes can be improved in health and social care systems. Joining Yma has provided her an opportunity to use her knowledge of healthcare systems along with her research and writing skills to create meaningful change in this sector. Sarah is currently completing a Master of Health Informatics. Outside of Yma Sarah is a professional barista and aspires to become a latte artist.
Kim joined Yma in 2023 following a career break to care for her young family after relocating from Manchester. A former MD, she has a strong background in Operations Management with a varied history of departmental development, policy compliance, planning and strategy, marketing, and design. With a wide-ranging business knowledgebase and an eye for detail, Kim hopes that her skillset will further Yma’s growing reputation and development. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, gardening, and spending time with her family and their Border Collie, Vivienne.
Laura joined Yma in April 2023. Originally from Cardiff, Laura is now based in Southwest Wales. With over 20 years of delivering technology and organisational change within the Welsh health and social care sector, Laura joined Yma as a skilled communicator, coach and leader. Laura’s purpose is to create meaningful change for the benefit of the Welsh community. Laura brings the underpinning values of empowerment, learning and empathy to all areas of her life. Laura lives in a bilingual home, is a mum to teens and can be occasionally found on a paddleboard along the Carmarthenshire coast.
Chloe worked with us as a Project Administrator and later as a Project Support Officer from July 2021 to March 2023. During her time here Chloe supported the development of the team's project and programme management processes and was able to develop her interests in planetary health, social prescribing and health access equity. Chloe will be undertaking an MSc in Public Health and Promotion and is looking forward to growing her knowledgebase further.
Will has worked as a GP partner in West Wales for 10 years and has a special interest in medical education and leadership. Will worked as part of the Yma team providing clinical leadership, in particular ensuring that the core values of primary care are at the centre of our projects for the benefit of patients across Wales.
Dawid worked as a Project Administrator at Yma for approximately eight months in 2021. During this time, he supported the company's financial and administrative activities while completing his bachelor's degree at the university. This was his first professional work experience, and he learned many transferable skills, such as task prioritisation, communication, and teamwork. Afterward, he held leadership positions in the logistics and banking industries. Currently, Dawid is working as an Accounting and Administration Manager for Private Equity Funds at State Street.
Rhys worked at Yma from 2021 to 2023 as the Product and Partnership Lead, supporting practices in seeking solutions for their needs. After creating excellent connections both within the team and across the country, Rhys moved on to pastures new as an Accounts Development Manager for Lloyds Pharmacy Clinical Homecare.
Where is Yma based?
We are based in AberInnovation just outside of Aberystywth, making us well placed to work across Wales
How can I contact the Yma team?
To contact us you can email Yma@dymani.cymru or phone 01970 823003
Can I see your Modern Slavery Statement?
Our Modern Slavery Statement can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/MSS24to25
Can I see your Annual Report?
Visit this link to see our latest Annual Report:
https://tinyurl.com/YmaAR24