Our leadership

Matt joined RNIB in 2019 and serves as Chief Executive Officer, leading the organisation’s strategy and direction. 

He brings over 30 years of senior leadership experience in the retail sector. Matt spent 15 years at Marks & Spencer, starting as a merchandising graduate in the Textile division and rising to Director of International Operations. He later became Managing Director of Carphone Warehouse in the UK and Ireland and played a key role in Mothercare’s business transformation.

Matt is immensely proud of leading RNIB through the last six years, continuing its vital work in supporting blind and partially sighted people and positioning us at the forefront of informing the national debate around eye health and eye care.

Vivienne leads our Strategy and Public Affairs directorate, which brings together our Insight, Policy, Campaigning, Strategy, Performance, Innovation, Internation, Nations and Social Action teams. creating ambitious approaches to delivering real change, rooted in the priorities of blind and partially sighted people. 

This directorate plays an important role in setting strategy, supporting the organisation to deliver it, managing performance and taking policy into action. It also mobilises external change through influencing, campaigning and a new approach to driving social action to ensure communities are more inclusive. 

Vivienne is passionate about driving change and has a strong track record of aligning strategy, policy, brand and mobilisation to deliver change at a societal level. Before joining RNIB in September 2022, Vivienne was Director of Marketing and External Affairs at The Disabilities Trust where she was responsible for devising a new organisational strategy, overhauling the brand and communications of the Trust, as well as driving fundraising growth and overseeing work to support policy development, research and innovation. 

Daphne joined the team in September 2023, bringing over two decades experience in senior and board-level positions. A passionate global leader, she adopts a strategic, consultative approach and is a champion for innovation and inclusivity.

Prior to joining RNIB, Daphne served as Managing Director of Vetz Petz. Her previous roles include Head of Organisational Change at Barclays Bank, Vice President of Marketing Effectiveness at Nielsen and Chief Revenue Officer at Machine Vantage.

Daphne leads RNIB Enterprises – the organisation’s commercial operations arm encompassing transcription, consulting and retail services. She is driving forward ambitious plans to grow commercial income and expand RNIB’s customer base, while also leading our mission to bring innovate product and service propositions to market.

Mari joined RNIB in 2023 as Chief Operating Officer, responsible for overseeing the delivery of RNIB’s frontline service operations, including the Sight Loss Advice Service and Eye Care Support Pathway. Her goal is to ensure these services reach as many blind and partially sighted people as possible while maintaining an exceptional level of customer experience.

Before joining RNIB, Mari spent 16 years in the telecoms industry, holding senior roles at EE and BT. 

Having several family members with sight loss, including her 10-year-old son, Mari is deeply connected to RNIB’s mission and passionate about making a real difference in the lives of blind and partially sighted people.

Sean joined RNIB in 2024 and leads the People function, which supports our workforce and enables them to deliver on RNIB’s purpose. His work focuses on building a collaborative culture where everyone plays a crucial role in shaping our collective future.

Sean has significant experience leading People functions, having worked across multiple countries and sectors, including: technology, financial services, logistics, infrastructure and government. He has worked with organisations of up to 150,000 employees and brings a wealth of large-scale transformation experience.

Before joining RNIB, Sean was Global VP of People and Culture at Avast, a FTSE 100 Cyber Security company, where he supported the merger with a US business.

Linda joined RNIB in 2024 and drives technological innovation across the organisation. Her work focuses on transforming RNIB’s internal IT and systems and engaging with industry leaders to promote accessibility in tech design. With technology playing a vital role in delivering RNIB strategies, Linda’s leadership is key to creating a more inclusive digital world.

Linda brings extensive experience as a senior technology leader, with a background in tech innovation across both UK and international organisations. Prior to RNIB, she served as Chief Information Officer at Life Healthcare Group, where she developed and implemented a digital strategy to transform healthcare delivery and improve patient outcomes. She also held senior roles at Virgin Media O2 and Reckitt Benckiser.

Nina joined RNIB in 2023 and leads external engagement efforts to challenge societal perceptions of blind and partially sighted people. Her work focuses on inspiring wider public involvement and action in support of RNIB’s mission. 

Nina oversees public fundraising, strategic partnerships and philanthropy, as well as brand, communications and marketing. The Engagement Team is focused on inspiring all kinds of customer engagement and action at RNIB.

With a career spanning nearly two decades in the charity sector, Nina brings a wealth of experience. Before RNIB, she honed her expertise in fundraising at The Prince’s Trust, before transitioning to the Stroke Association, where she specialised in marketing and enhancing customer experience.

Kathryn joined RNIB in 2025, bringing over 25 years of experience across professional services, retail and financial services. A qualified Chartered Accountant, she has a strong background in financial leadership and transformation.

She has held senior leadership roles at several major UK institutions, including Barclays Bank, The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) and Post Office Limited.

At the FSCS, Kathryn served on the Board for four years and played a pivotal role in collaborating with government and regulatory stakeholders to support and enhance financial stability across the UK. More recently, she was interim CFO at the Post Office, where she provided strategic financial leadership to support the organisation through a period of significant change and transformation.