The British Beauty Council has announced News UK’s Head of Business Transformation Meribeth Parker as their newest chair. Meribeth will succeed Jane Boardman, the organisation’s co-founder and chair who will be stepping down after four years in the role, in June.
The role of chair at the Council is to run the board, oversee and manage governance and give leadership and direction to the CEO and the management team. It is a pro-bono, non-executive role. The Chair term is three years but can be extended with the approval of the Council’s members who granted a year’s extension for Jane whilst the organisation was stabilised post covid, and a new chair was sought.
The board is delighted to welcome Meribeth whose board experience is extensive & includes non-executive directorships for Jimmy Choo plc, Bally and Belstaff. Meribeth has an illustrious career in publishing and is currently Head of Business Transformation at News UK. She has previously held publishing directorships at Hearst. During her career, Meribeth has been closely involved in supporting and profiling the beauty industry.
On the appointment, Meribeth has said: “It’s an honour to take on this role. I’m passionate about the beauty industry and committed to raising its profile, improving its reputation and engaging a wide range of stakeholders to help make a difference to the sector. Jane and the team at the Council, alongside the board, have achieved so much in the last four years. Thanks to them, the beauty industry’s importance to the economy is now acknowledged and we can move into a new chapter with our heads held high. I look forward to leading the board as we continue to drive change.”
Jane Boardman, the Chair of the British Beauty Council, Communications Strategist and Chief Executive of Talk PR, said: “I am delighted to be handing over the baton to Meribeth who will make a terrific chair. It has been an honour to help found this wonderful organisation and lead it as chair for the past four years. When we formed the Council back in 2018 we had big dreams and set ourselves challenging goals, and I’m proud to say we have achieved way more than even our early optimism allowed for. I would like to thank the inspirational Millie Kendall and her wonderful team for making this dream come true. I’d also like to thank the members of the executive board for their commitment and conviction and for being a wonderful support to me as chair. I know that under Meribeth’s guidance the British Beauty Council will continue to go from strength to strength”
