Our structure

We’re divided into several areas, with each covering a specific part of our overall strategy. Find out about the work of these groups.

Chief Executive

The work of our Chief Executive is to:

drive forward our vision of creating a society without barriers for people with sight loss
take an ambassadorial role
champion change, both internally and externally

Matt Stringer, Chief Executive, RNIB

Matt Stringer joined RNIB in May 2019 after 30 years in the retail sector. He held senior leadership roles for well-known high street brands including Marks and Spencer, Carphone Warehouse and Mothercare.

Matt spent 15 years at Marks and Spencer after joining as a merchandising graduate in the Textile division. His final role was as Director of International Operations.

After Marks and Spencer, Matt became the Managing Director of Carphone Warehouse in UK and Ireland. Most recently he played a leading role in the business transformation of Mothercare, and during his six years at Mothercare, he occupied the roles of UK Managing Director, Chief Operating Officer and Global Product Officer.

Nick Apetroaie, Director of Care, Education and Safeguarding

Nick started his career as a care worker and rose through the ranks to become Care Director, then Property Director, Deputy and CEO of a housing association. He is also a Board Member of Guinness Care and Ungureni Trust. Nick is accountable for all of RNIB’s care and education services as well as safeguarding processes and practice across the organisation.

Keith Valentine, Director of Development

Keith Valentine is RNIB’s Director of Development. Keith has a background in leading urban renewal programmes but, as his own vision deteriorated, he turned his energies to the sight loss sector. He has spent the last five years holding senior and board positions at Vision UK, Thomas Pocklington Trust, RNIB and RP Fighting Blindness.

As RNIB’s Director of Development, Keith will put the experience of blind and partially sighted people at the heart of the charity’s work. He will act as an advocate and ambassador for RNIB working with partners, Government and other key stakeholders to create a world where there are no barriers to people with sight loss.

Digital Transformation

The Digital Transformation Directorate covers the IT, Data, Digital, Information Governance and Information Security areas of the organisation. It aims to ensure that digital, data and technology become a core part of the organisation supporting customer service excellence, having much greater reach.

Neil Beckingham, Director of Digital Transformation

Neil Beckingham joined RNIB in early 2019 as the interim Director for Digital Transformation. He has a strong record in driving technology enabled business transformation through a focus on customer experience and service improvement and has been recognised within CIO UK top 100 for four consecutive years. Prior to joining RNIB, Neil was interim transformation Director with a large international Chemical Applications company. He was also previously the Chief Information Officer at Your Housing Group, one of the largest Housing Businesses in the UK, and has held a number of Director roles in IT for companies including Symphony Housing Group and Shaw Trust.

Finance

Our Finance team makes sure we plan and make best use of the money we have to help create a world where there are no barriers to people with sight loss. Our Finance team is led by Stuart Fox.

Stuart Fox, Director of Finance

Stuart has been with RNIB since 2016, when he joined as Head of Finance Business Partnering to lead on areas of finance strategy, planning and performance. Prior to joining RNIB, Stuart was Head of Finance at Parkinson's UK, following having spent the first half of his career in investment-related roles at Barclays Capital.

Relationships

Our Relationships teams work with people in the outside world to make sure we can raise money and have our voice heard. The teams deliver our campaigning, marketing, fundraising, partnership development and Connect Community, working with supporters, raising the money we need to continue our vital work, and making sure people know about our work and what we stand for. Our Relationships work is led by Sophie Castell.

Sophie Castell, Director of Relationships

Prior to joining RNIB in 2017, Sophie previously undertook executive, interim and consulting roles across the commercial, voluntary and public sectors in both the UK and USA, working with a diverse range of organisations including Canal & River Trust, Coca-Cola, Unilever Ventures, Save the Children, the NHS and the University of London.

Services

Our Services team delivers a comprehensive omni-channel UK-wide service every day. This includes our Sight Loss Advice Service delivered through digital, telephone and face-to-face channels. The Sight Loss Advice Service also includes our Eye Clinic Liaison Officers embedded within eye clinics across the UK and our specialist support services covering employment, technology for life, eye health, confidence building and legal rights. Additionally, the team provides services to our consumer and commercial customers ensuring that content, products, services and environments are useable and accessible.

Our Services team is committed to providing a superior customer experience to every customer, every time regardless of how they choose to access our services.

David Clarke, Director of Services

David was previously Head of Customer Banking for London and the South East at Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank, and brings a wealth of customer focused experience to lead RNIB’s services.