Our leadership

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.

Stuart has been with RNIB since 2015, when he initially joined to lead on areas of financial strategy, planning and performance. Prior to joining RNIB, Stuart was at Parkinson's UK, after having spent the first half of his career in investment-related roles at Barclays Capital.

As Chief Financial Officer, Stuart is responsible for Finance, Performance, Technology (including data), Procurement and Risk.

When not working, Stuart coaches one of his son’s football teams and generally enjoys spending time with family.  Stuart is also a keen runner and cyclist, especially when it gives him the opportunity to raise money for RNIB!

Chris joined RNIB in January 2022 and leads our fantastic team of fundraisers and directs our income generation strategy. Chris has more than 20 years’ experience in charitable fundraising, having started his career as a telephone fundraiser and then progressing to leadership positions at the NSPCC, where he was Head of Corporate Partnerships, and the Samaritans, where he was Head of Fundraising.

More recently, he was Group Director of Engagement and Trading at disability charity Sense, where he oversaw a doubling of net income. Chris has three young children and in his spare time coaches his son’s football team with varying degrees of success and takes every opportunity he gets to take his motorbike for a spin!

Vivienne heads up our new social change directorate which brings together our External Affairs, Brand and Communications teams to deliver work that inspires real change. This new social affairs directorate plays an important role in implementing our strategy, overcoming inequalities and shifting perceptions of sight loss through creative campaigning, marketing and communications.

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. Prior to this Vivienne held a number of senior marketing and external affairs roles, including Director of Marketing and External Affairs at Alzheimer’s Society, and Director of Communications at Prostate Cancer UK.

In her spare time, Vivienne is a keen traveller. She also enjoys creative writing and swims as often as she can.

Daphne joined the team in September 2023, she has over two decades experience in senior and Board level positions. As a passionate global leader, Daphne takes a strategic, consultative approach and is a champion for innovation and inclusivity. She is joining RNIB after spending a year as Managing Director of Vetz Petz. Prior to that, she has been Head of Organisational Change at Barclays Bank, Vice President of Marketing Effectiveness at Nielsen and Chief Revenue Officer at Machine Vantage.

Daphne heads up RNIB Enterprises – our commercial operations arm encompassing transcription, consulting and retail services. She is driving forward our ambitious plans to grow our commercial income and customer base as well as being responsible for innovation within RNIB to bring new product and service propositions to market.

In her spare time, Daphne likes spending time with family and friends, working out and surfing.

Mari started as our Chief Operating Officer in September 2023 after a 16-year career in the Telecoms industry including at EE and BT. During this time, she filled a variety of roles spanning business operations including, Head of Retail Commercial Operations, she led the Retail and Emerging Channels function in BT’s Small Medium Business Unit and was most recently Emerging Channels Director for the company.

Mari is responsible leading our frontline service operations and delivering our UK-wide Sight Loss Advice Service and the Eye Care Support Pathway to reach more blind and partially sighted people and deliver an exceptional customer experience.

She has several family members with sight loss, including her 10-year-old son, and she is very passionate and committed to the cause.

When she’s not working, Mari is a lifelong learner, balancing that with healthy living for the whole family, travel and much time spent on the beach in Northumberland, where her little boy Finn, is dedicated to becoming a professional surfer.