Diabetes UK has promoted Colette Marshall, its director of services, volunteering and local impact for the last decade, to be its next chief executive.

She replaces Chris Askew who is stepping down after eight years leading the charity to become CEO at the Royal College of General Practitioners.

“I am excited to take the helm at this time for Diabetes UK, and I look forward to working with the diabetes community, colleagues and partners to meet the challenges ahead,” said Marshall.

“This is a pivotal time in the future of the UK’s health. This year Diabetes UK calculated that more than 5 million people in the UK are living with diabetes – a number that is rapidly growing, and a crisis that must be addressed head-on.

“At the same time, we are seeing worrying inequalities in the health and care of people living with and at risk of diabetes, depending on their income, where they live, and their ethnicity.

“While we are in no doubt over the scale of the challenges we face, we are a charity brimming with ambition. Ambition for equality, better care and understanding of diabetes. Ambition for more breakthroughs in treatments and progress towards a cure”

Marshall is a former chief operating officer of health social enterprise MEND UK and spent five years until 2010 as director of UK programmes at Save the Children UK.

Diabetes UK chair Carol Homden added: “Colette is a highly strategic leader, with a wealth of experience from both the commercial and charity sector and a track record of ambitious campaigning and influencing.

"With her strong commitment to tackling the challenges of health inequalities and passion for the power of partnership working, we look forward to the growth and development of Diabetes UK under her leadership.”

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