Fight for Sight names new chief executive
Keith Valentine, who has previously held roles at RNIB and Vision UK, will take up the role on 4 January
2 min read
28 November 2021
Fight for Sight has appointed its new chief executive, Keith Valentine, who will take up the position as of 4 January 2022.
Valentine is currently running the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on sight loss prevention. He has previously held the roles of director of external affairs at RNIB, and chief executive of Vision UK. He has also been a trustee of Retina UK and Action for Blind People.
In his new role, Valentine will be tasked with leading the charity to develop a sustainable strategy to build on the impact of its research. The organisation highlighted that two million people in the UK are currently affected by sight loss – a number set to double by 2050.
Welcoming Valentine, Louisa Vincent, the chair of trustees at Fight for Sight, said: “Keith’s career, accomplishments and experience clearly demonstrate how committed he is to make a real difference for people with sight loss.”
The new chief executive will “drive the next exciting phase of our development, with so much promising science bringing potential new treatments for people with sight loss,” Vincent continued.
Valentine has personal experience of living with a hereditary condition, retinitis pigmentosa, which caused him to lose his sight at 36 years old.
Commenting on his appointment, Valentine said: “I know first-hand just how much sight loss can affect generations of people, yet funding for sight loss remains so low on the agenda. This needs to change. Now more than ever, people with sight loss and their families need new hope for the future.
“I look forward to getting to know and working with our incredible supporters, scientists and the wider community to meet that challenge,” he added.
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