Dr Marcus Stephan appointed CEO of music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins as Pauline Etkin OBE retires

27 February 2013

Dr Marcus Stephan has been appointed CEO of Nordoff Robbins, the UK’s largest private provider of music therapy. He will take over from Pauline Etkin OBE, who is retiring at the end of February 2013 after over 30 years with the charity.

Marcus Stephan has an extensive third-sector background working with a range of organisations in the UK and overseas. Previous roles include CEO of the British Society for Immunology and CEO of Body Positive, a leading NGO set up to educate and provide services around HIV/AIDS. He has also worked as a consultant to WHO Copenhagen and as Operations Director at the Red Cross.

Marcus holds a specialist Masters in voluntary sector administration from the LSE. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health and the Royal Society of Medicine and in 2001 he was awarded the Badge of Honour for devoted service to the Red Cross. More recently, he helped to set up the British Obesity Society and acts as the organisation’s CEO. Marcus will take up his post at Nordoff Robbins on 1 March 2013. He will report to Nordoff Robbins’ Board of Governors, chaired by David Munns OBE.

Pauline Etkin, a music therapist herself, began her career as a teacher and a senior lecturer at a teacher training college in Johannesburg before coming to London in 1982 to train as a music therapist on the Nordoff Robbins training programme.

Pauline has been leading Nordoff Robbins since 1991 – initially as Managing Director and then as CEO from 2008. She was instrumental in developing Nordoff Robbins’ very first two-year Masters of Music Therapy degree course and many of the UK’s leading Nordoff Robbins music therapists received their training under her direction. Nordoff Robbins’ work expanded significantly under Pauline’s leadership, now raising over £3m annually and delivering over 55,000 music therapy sessions every year.

Pauline, 67 was awarded an OBE for services to Music Therapy in the 2013 New Year Honours list.

Marcus Stephan said “I am really looking forward to joining the team at Nordoff Robbins. The organisation makes a huge difference to many people, and that’s something I am very passionate about. I am keen to build on existing achievements and lead Nordoff Robbins to even greater heights in the coming years.”

Pauline said “It has been an honour and a privilege to have worked alongside so many talented people at Nordoff Robbins over the last 30 years. Our clients, carers and the music have been my inspiration. I know I am leaving the charity in Marcus’ very safe hands.”

David Munns OBE, Chairman of Nordoff Robbins said “There are many thousands of disadvantaged children and adults whose lives have been transformed as a result of Pauline Etkin's work. Pauline's dedication to Nordoff Robbins is a lasting legacy for us all. She is leaving Nordoff Robbins in great shape to take on the challenges ahead and I believe that Marcus, with his strong third sector background, has the skills and expertise to meet those challenges.”