I come to this role after three years as permanent representative to the UN for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). We also aim to empower and be accountable to the people we serve. Working through the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, we make sure that our support is timely, efficient and dignified. This helps people during some of the most traumatic crises of our time – Covid-19, hunger, and migration and displacement linked to conflict and climate change. Together, we support programmes and emergency response work in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. I joined the British Red Cross in February 2021 to lead an outstanding team based in the UK and abroad. My role allows me to see first-hand every day the amazing things people do to support others in times of need. It is a huge privilege to become the British Red Cross’ first chief operating officer and I feel extremely proud to be able to say that I am part of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. I am a trustee at Phoenix Futures, a charity specialising in supporting people through rehabilitation following drug and alcohol addiction. I have also worked in the Ministry of Justice where I was the HR director for Her Majesty’s Courts Service.

Prior to joining the British Red Cross, I held several senior HR and senior operational positions in Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. I am accountable for ensuring that our people’s experience is a positive one in that they have the right tools to do their jobs and the right investment in their development and wellbeing, whether they are a member of staff or a volunteer. Property and facilities, as well as business partnering, also fall within my remit. My responsibilities include internal services such as HR, information technology, governance and data protection. My aim is to foster a culture and ways of working that empower our people to do their best work, while also enabling robust controls in key areas. With the CEO, I also lead the organisation’s overall transformation agenda. In this role I lead on the delivery of high-quality internal services that enable volunteers and staff to do their jobs well. I became chief operating officer in March 2021, having been chief people officer since June 2019. I spent five years as managing director for services at the Royal National Institute for Deaf People. These included three years as director of commissioning and primary care at an NHS Primary Care Trust in Gloucestershire. I also held a number of executive appointments at other organisations. These included managing director of operations, head of international programme development, director for the London and south east region and director of strategy and planning and information systems. Before becoming chief executive, I performed a number of roles during my time at the British Red Cross. I began my career as an economist in commercial management consultancy. Bringing together over 230 organisations, our goal is to build greater national resilience to improve the experience of people affected by emergencies. In addition, I co-chair, along with Maddy Desforges from NAVCA, the Voluntary and Community Sector Emergencies Partnership. I am also a trustee at the social enterprise Catch 22, and serve on the boards of the Disasters Emergency Committee and the National Emergencies Trust. I serve on the Foreign Secretary's human rights advisory panel and the 5 Year Forward view Prevention Board for the NHS. I make sure that the services and programmes we provide in the UK and internationally are high quality, that we respond to the greatest need and that we are accountable to those we serve. I lead and collaborate with our nearly 4,000 staff and over 17,000 volunteers, ensuring that as an organisation we are delivering maximum impact for people in crisis. I’m responsible for an annual income of over £300 million.

I head the executive leadership team, working closely with our board of trustees in fulfilling our charitable mission. I became chief executive of the British Red Cross in October 2014.

Across the board meaning