Diabetes UK has today announced that Chris Askew has been appointed as the organisation’s new chief executive.

Askew (pictured) will take up his new position at Diabetes UK on September 14 and will replace the current chief executive Barbara Young, who has been with the charity for five years.

Prior to its merger with Breast Cancer Campaign to form Breast Cancer Now, Chris Askew was the chief executive of Breakthrough Breast Cancer for four years. Askew has some 20 years’ experience working in the voluntary sector; first as assistant director of external affairs with Action for Children, then as director of fundraising with Crisis, before joining Breakthrough.

Askew has also been involved with a number of different charities' boards, having served as chair of the Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea Branch of the MS Society and as a trustee of Revolving Doors Agency and Action for A-T.

Sir Peter Dixon, chair of Diabetes UK, said: “We undertook a rigorous process to appoint our new chief executive and were impressed by Chris’ breadth of experience, drive and commitment to the cause and our vision. We very much look forward to welcoming him to our ambitious organisation to take it forwards and upwards, building on the sound achievements of the last five years”.

Askew said: “I am delighted to have been appointed as Diabetes UK’s next chief executive and to join a charity with such a great track record of success and with so much ambition to do more for people with diabetes. Barbara leaves a huge legacy of achievement and I look forward to building on this as I take the charity forwards over the coming years”.

According to its most recent set of accounts, Diabetes UK had a total income in 2014 of £41.8m and total expenditure of £36.3m.