Chief Executive of Diabetes UK to leave role

Chris Askew OBE is leaving his role as the Chief Executive of Diabetes UK after eight years in the job.

 Mr Askew is stepping away from the diabetes charity to join the Royal College of General Practitioners, where he will become the organisation’s new Chief Executive.

 Dr. Carol Homden CBE, Chair of Trustees for Diabetes UK, said: “On behalf of the Diabetes UK Board of Trustees, I would like to offer my sincerest and heartfelt thanks to Chris for the integrity, dedication and passion with which he’s led this organisation for the last eight years.

 “Recent years have demanded much of Diabetes UK and its team, presenting challenges for the communities we serve that Chris has led his excellent, hard-working team to meet head on.

 She added: “I know from experience the esteem and admiration in which Chris is held by his colleagues here, who will miss him even as they wish him well.”

 “I know the Trustees and all here at Diabetes UK will join me in congratulating Chris, and wishing him the very best in his new, much deserved position as Chief Executive of the Royal College of General Practitioners. 

 She concluded: “With more than 5m people in the UK now living with diabetes, Chris’s departure presents an opportunity for the next dynamic leader of our charity to meet the growing challenge of the diabetes crisis, and steer us ever closer to our vision of a world where diabetes can do no harm.”

 Chris Askew OBE, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, noted: “It has been an honour and a privilege to lead Diabetes UK for the past eight years, during which time people with and affected by diabetes have needed a voice and positive change more than ever before, and the charity has sought to highlight the seriousness of diabetes as a condition affecting over five million people in the UK. I hope in my time here we have risen to those twin challenges.  

 “In truth, none of what we have achieved as a charity during my tenure would have been possible without the dedication of all my colleagues working hard across the UK, without the support of our Trustees, and – most importantly of all – the passion and involvement of our community of volunteers, supporters and partners who, together, are our greatest strength.  

 “I am looking forward enormously to leading and working alongside the brilliant team at RCGP to deliver excellence in General Practice, advocate for patients, and give voice to the expert clinicians at the heart of our health service.”

 Professor Mike Holmes is Chair of Trustees at the Royal College of GPs. He said: “Chris is an outstanding charity leader with an impressive track record in transforming strategy development into tangible improvements, always keeping his focus on the members and staff at the heart of the organisation.

 “He has already impressed us with his grasp of the many challenges facing the College and general practice – along with the solutions he is proposing – and we very much look forward to working with him, learning from him, and benefiting from his vast experience and expertise.”

 Mr Askew will begin his new role in October 2023. Work is underway to appoint his successor.