PR experts among new recruits to Diabetes UK's board

Two of the PR industry’s most high-profile communicators have been recruited by Diabetes UK as trustees to bolster its board.

Former Department of Health PR chief and TV politics reporter Sian Jarvis and London Stock Exchange communications director Ngozi Emeagi are among five new trustees joining the health charity.

Jarvis is currently a marketing and communications advisor to digital health firm Huma and has previously been director general communications at the Department of Health, executive director of external affairs at NHS Improvement, director of corporate communications at Asda and a political correspondent at GMTV.

Meanwhile, Emeagi is corporate communications director at the London Stock Exchange and previously held senior roles at PR firm FleishmanHillard as well as at Powerscourt Group, MS Amlin, Direct Line and Goldman Sachs. She is also the vice president of the Women in PR group.

Both Jarvis and Emeagi will join the 14-strong board at the end of May

Other new recruits to the charity’s board are Kantar chief commercial officer Martin Dewhurst, PA Consulting’s chief technology officer Matt Higham and Guide Dogs chief marketing and strategy officer Emma Foulds. All three have now joined the board.

The charity says that all the new trustees have either personal or professional experience of diabetes.

“Our vision is a world where diabetes can do no harm and we are delighted to welcome our five new trustees to our Board, bringing as they do such diverse and extensive experience to this vital work,” said Diabetes UK chair Carol Homden.

“They join us at an important time, when we are seeing more breakthroughs in research into the treatment and prevention of diabetes, wider adoption of diabetes technology, yet growing numbers of people living with diabetes, who need our support, and steepening inequalities in diabetes care and incidence. Their involvement in our work at this time is really welcomed.”

Trustees serve an initial three-year term which may be extended to a maximum of nine year.