MindForward Alliance, the global membership network that is transforming workplace mental health, has announced a new global Board and two new executive roles.

The new Board, which will be chaired by Brian Heyworth, Managing Partner at  Lansdowne Partners , will include:

• John Binns,  former Deloitte Partner and now CBT Coaching Specialist
• Susan Bright,  former Managing Partner for Hogan Lovells and now CEO for EIDA
• Poppy Jaman,  Founder and Executive Vice Chair, MindForward Alliance
• John Flint,  CEO for UK Infrastructure Bank
• Dr Gill MacLeod,  Senior Executive Occupational Health Physician  for HCA
• Ahmed Mazhari,  President, Microsoft Asia
• Ed Thurman,  CCO for Global Screening Services
• Fran Silvestri,  S pecial Advisor to the President and CEO of the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership , and
• Alison Unsted,  CEO of MindForward Alliance.

The new Global Board will support MindForward Alliance to achieve its strategy and vision.

In terms of the new executive roles, Alison Unsted, who was CEO of MindForward Alliance UK (previously known as CMHA UK) has been appointed to the role of CEO of the whole organisation. Poppy Jaman, former CEO and founder of MindForward Alliance’s global operations (excluding the UK), is stepping into a newly created role of Executive Vice Chair.

Alison’s focus will be on delivering on the whole organisation’s strategy, setting the standards for workplace mental health, globally, including driving forward the development of the global and regional workplace mental health programmes. Poppy will focus on expansion into new regions and achieving closer integration between the existing regions to facilitate collaboration.

MindForward Alliance has teams around the world – each with a specialist knowledge of local markets and the unique needs of people and businesses in those places. These changes at leadership level will ensure tighter alignment of activity and encourage collaboration and sharing of best practice across MindForward Alliance’s international operations.

Brian Heyworth, Chair of the Board, said,

“I am delighted that we have appointed such a strong Board – every person is passionate about improving workplace mental health and is bringing their own unique expertise. The strength of these appointments demonstrates that our Alliance continues to be business led and expert guided, which has been one of the keys to our success to date. This Board, working alongside Poppy and Alison – who both have played a huge role in driving the success of MindForward Alliance in recent years – will be a formidable team.”

Poppy, Founder and Executive Vice Chair of MindForward Alliance said,

“Our Alliance has come a long way from being a small group of brave business leaders in the City of London. We have grown to a network of nearly 100 purpose driven businesses and strategic partners, while our work on transforming workplace mental health has now reached every continent. We have achieved a lot by working together. But there much more that we can do – both at a global and at a local level. I am looking forward to getting started in my new role, working closely with the new Board, exec team and MindForward Alliance members to achieve real change.”

Alison said,

“I have been involved with the CMHA for nearly a decade – firstly as a UK member, then as part of the UK executive team and now I am honoured to become CEO. At every step, I have seen the potential of the workplace to protect, support and create mental health for people, and the powerful ripple effect this can have on wider society. I am looking forward to what we can achieve in the next decade.”

More Board members are expected to be recruited in the coming year to represent the regions that MindForward Alliance has a growing presence in.