Diabetes UK picks interim successor to chief marketer

Charity Diabetes UK has appointed Catherine Chin as interim marketing director after the departure of its top marketer last month.

Chin took over the role this week. She replaces Mike Hales, director of marketing and individual relationships, and will lead the forthcoming Diabetes Week which starts on June 9. She will also be looking at the charity’s existing strategy but would not confirm if she planned to review its advertising agency, The Gate.

Chin operates her own consultancy, FundMark Solutions, and has held a number of roles at charities, including head of relationship fundraising at Barnardo’s.

Chin also has experience working with packaged goods companies in Canada, including Aquafresh. She ran Global Media International when she first arrived in the UK in 1994.

Hale was responsible for Diabetes UK Measure Up campaign in partnership with NHS London earlier this year. The direct marketing and outdoor campaign features figures with tape measures around their waists.

The British Diabetes Association rebranded as Diabetes UK after the appointment of former chief executive Paul Streets in 1998. It has the largest membership of any illness-based association in Europe.