27 November 2015
As of 1 December, Sandra Verkuyten OBE will be chair of our Board. She takes over from Huw Vaughan Thomas, the Auditor General for Wales.
Sandra said: "After four years on the Board, I am excited to be taking on the role of chair at a critical point in the evolution of NRCPD.
"We have recently released our statement of regulatory intent and are about to embark on an in depth conversation with our Registrants and the people who rely on their services. I look forward to applying my experience as chief executive of the Hearing Aid Council to making NRCPD fit to be a statutory regulator."
NRCPD is a service provided by the charity Signature, which exists to improve communication with deaf and deafblind people. Jonathan Farnhill, chair of Signature, said: "The Signature Board is delighted Sandra is taking over the chair of NRCPD.
"Huw has done an excellent job in steering the organisation through significant development over the past five years, making sure it is ready to take its next big step. The Signature Board is grateful to him for the dedication he has shown to excellence in communication.
"As a current member of the NRCPD Board, Sandra's appointment brings stability at an important time. But it is coupled with her strong vision, and I know she will quickly make her mark."
Sandra Verkuyten OBE started her career in microbiology, progressing to sales management positions for Boots and National Sales Manager for AMI Healthcare. A Masters degree in Business and Public Sector Strategy and a move into the NHS as a Business manager saw her quickly appointed to the board of UCLH.
In 1997 she was appointed CEO of BHB Community mental Health Trust. She successfully developed the trust and its clinical care, before leaving to join the board of Remploy.
Sandra became CEO of the Hearing Aid Council in February 2005 and after successfully abolishing the organisation in 2010, decided to take some time for a 'grown-up' gap year, learning the French language and floristry. She now has a broad and developing portfolio of board positions.
