Our Chair, Wendy Becker, will be stepping down from our Board of Trustees as she takes up a Non-Executive Director role at the world-leading pharmaceutical company, GSK.
Wendy said: “It has been a privilege to be the British Heart Foundation’s Chair and support its growing ambitions as the nation’s heart charity. It is with regret, therefore, that I have made the decision to stand down.
“My decision has been made in thoughtful consultation with the Board. We are very conscious of the importance of the actual and perceived independence of the BHF from companies in the pharmaceutical sector. It is clear that my new role as a non-executive Director of GSK could possibly be perceived as incompatible with that independence.
“I want to thank everyone involved in the charity and its communities for the incredible and vital work they do, which has saved countless lives, and to wish the BHF continued success."
Wendy will step down as Chair after an orderly transition to our Deputy Chair, Dr Sarah Clarke, as she takes on the new role with GSK in October 2023.
Our Chief Executive, Dr Charmaine Griffiths, said: “On behalf of everyone at the British Heart Foundation, I want to thank Wendy for her immense contribution as our Chair as well as her personal support which I have highly valued.
"We recognise the vital role that both medical research charities and the pharmaceutical sector plays in developing the treatments of the future, and respect Wendy’s decision in our shared desire to ensure the BHF continues to be seen as an independent voice for heart patients.
“Wendy has led the Board’s oversight of our strategy, helping to put us in a position to invest in more lifesaving research this year than ever before in BHF’s history. Her vision and confidence in the BHF as a global leader in medical research has raised all our ambitions, and we will continue to benefit from the contribution her leadership has made over the years ahead. We are on an exciting path and Wendy has made a major contribution to our journey.”
“Wendy will always be part of the BHF, and we wish her the best of luck in her new role to better human health globally.
