Caroline Stevens is the Chief Executive of the National Autistic Society, a position she has held since 2019. With over three decades of experience across healthcare and the voluntary sector, Caroline combines strategic leadership with lived insight – driven in part by her experience as a parent of an autistic son with a learning disability.
Previously, she was Chief Executive of KIDS, a national charity supporting disabled children and young people, and held senior roles at the British Lung Foundation and in the NHS, where she worked as a pharmacist and hospital director. She holds a BSc in Pharmacy and an MBA from the Open University.
In addition to her executive role, Caroline is a trustee at Homefield College, which supports young people who have learning disabilities and autism, and at Melanoma Focus, a health charity close to her heart since her husband’s diagnosis of nodular melanoma.
She is also a Business Mentor with Siemens, where she volunteers as a Leadership Exchange Partner to support participants on the company’s global General Manager Leadership Program, offering cross-sector insights through learning dialogues.
Caroline’s work reflects a strong commitment to inclusive, person-centred support and systems leadership – amplifying voices and building partnerships across education, health and social care.