Wendy Becker announced as the British Heart Foundation’s new Chair of Trustees

We have announced the next Chair of our Board of Trustees, who will start in the role in October 2022. 

Wendy Becker will succeed Dr Doug Gurr, the current Director of the National History Museum, who is stepping down after seven years as Chair. 

Ms Becker has been Chairperson at Logitech, a global leader in innovation and technology, since 2019 and a Non-Executive Director since 2017. 

Prior to joining Logitech, Ms Becker was the Chief Executive Officer at Jack Wills Limited, Chief Marketing Officer at the Vodafone Group and has held positions at TalkTalk, McKinsey and Procter and Gamble. 

Ms Becker said: “I am delighted to be joining the British Heart Foundation’s incredible team at such an important time in its history.

“The BHF has shown remarkable resilience through the COVID-19 pandemic, but its lifesaving research is now needed more than ever by millions of people living with heart and circulatory diseases.

“I am immensely excited to be joining the team as it seeks to inspire even greater support for ground-breaking science on the cusp of lifesaving advances.”

Ms Becker has also held a number of trustee and Non-Executive Director positions. She served for several years on Cancer Research UK’s Board of Trustees, latterly as Deputy Chair, and is currently a member of the Council of Oxford University and a Non-Executive Director at Sony Corporation.  

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, our Chief Executive, said: “I’m delighted to be welcoming Wendy to the BHF as our next Chair. I have no doubt that Wendy’s leadership, passion for research and expertise across medical, technology and commercial sectors will enhance the impact we have for millions of families affected by heart and circulatory diseases.”

“I would also like to thank Doug for his steadfast leadership, including through the toughest time in the BHF’s 60-year history. We look forward to celebrating his lasting legacy over the months ahead and I know he will always be part of our BHF family.” 

Dr Gurr joined our Board in 2015 and is stepping down after serving the maximum number of terms. 

In his time as Chair, Dr Gurr has shaped our Strategy to 2030, helped us to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, has overseen the growth of our research portfolio, and supported the initiation of significant scientific initiatives including the Big Beat Challenge and the BHF Data Science Centre.

Dr Gurr said: “On behalf of the BHF’s Board of Trustees, it is my pleasure to welcome Wendy to the team. It has been both a pleasure and honour to serve as BHF’s Chair for the past seven years and I look forward to a lifelong connection to this special charity as a supporter.” 

Find out more about our Board of Trustees