The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has paid tribute to Dr Doug Gurr for his ‘immense contribution’ as Chair of its Board of Trustees.
Dr Gurr, Managing Director at the Natural History Museum, stepped down after seven years as Chair on 20 October 2022. He has been succeeded by Logitech’s Wendy Becker.
In his time as Chair, Dr Gurr shaped the BHF’s Strategy to 2030, helped the charity navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, and supported the initiation of significant scientific initiatives including the Big Beat Challenge and the BHF Data Science Centre.
Reflecting on Dr Gurr’s tenure, BHF’s Chief Executive Dr Charmaine Griffiths said:
“I want to thank Doug for his immense contribution to the British Heart Foundation and our mission to save and improve lives.”
“Doug’s leadership has been instrumental in overcoming some of the biggest challenges in our 61-year history, while his advocacy for making significant investments in cutting-edge areas of science has ensured we remain at the forefront of research to save and improve lives.”
“We’re now delighted to be welcoming Wendy Becker as our next Chair, who I know will build on Doug’s phenomenal legacy.”
Dr Doug Gurr said:
“It’s been my pleasure to serve as the British Heart Foundation’s Chair for the last seven years – a time in which I’ve been lucky enough to see first-hand the lifesaving difference we make to so many families affected by heart and circulatory diseases.
“I’d like to thank the Board, the BHF team, and all our fantastic supporters for everything they do to make the British Heart Foundation such a special organisation. I’d also like to wish Wendy Becker the best of luck as she takes on this unique and brilliant role.”
Ms Becker has been Chairperson at Logitech, a global leader in innovation and technology since 2019 and a Non-Executive Director since 2017.
Prior to joining Logitech, Ms Becker was the Chief Executive Officer at Jack Wills Limited, and Chief Marketing Officer at the Vodafone Group and has held positions at TalkTalk, McKinsey and Procter and Gamble.
Ms Becker also served for several years on Cancer Research UK’s Board of Trustees and is currently a member of the Council of Oxford University and a Non-Executive Director at Sony Corporation.
Wendy Becker said:
“I feel honoured to have been appointed the British Heart Foundation’s Chair and would like to thank Doug for his many achievements over the past seven years.
“With increasing numbers of families devastated by heart and circulatory diseases, the work of the British Heart Foundation has never been more needed. I’m incredibly excited to be working with our fantastic teams to ensure we’re able to meet this challenge by turning cutting-edge areas of science into lifesaving breakthroughs.”
The British Heart Foundation is the UK’s leading heart charity and largest independent funder of cardiovascular research. Thanks to the generosity of its supporters, it currently funds an active research portfolio of nearly £450 million.
