Ilora Finlay is Consultant in Palliative Medicine at Velindre Hospital, Professor of Palliative Medicine at Cardiff University School of Medicine. Her contribution to care of the dying in Wales and globally has been immense. The postgraduate course she developed and has directed for 25 years has taught over 2000 doctors; many becoming leaders worldwide. Her papers on bereavement in children and her exposé of poor care of prisoners were pivotal in changing UK policy. She chairs the Medical and Dental Academic Advisory Board for Wales; she developed pan-Wales Integrated Care Priorities, and she introduced routine evaluation of patients' experience of palliative care services which influenced introduction of seven-day services.