The  City Mental Health Alliance  (CMHA), an alliance of City businesses aiming to create mentally healthy workplaces, today announces two new appointments to its Board. Brian Heyworth, currently CMHA’s Vice-Chair International and Global Head of Client Strategy at HSBC Global Asset Management, has been appointed as Chair. He will succeed current Chair Nigel Jones, whose term comes to an end in May 2019, a position he has held since November 2016.

Beth Robotham, Executive Director at Goldman Sachs International in EMEA and current Vice-Chair UK of CMHA, has also been announced as Deputy Chair, a newly created role. Beth has been part of the CMHA since 2012, with Goldman Sachs being one of CMHA’s founding members.

As Chair and Deputy Chair, Brian and Beth will act as ambassadors for the CMHA within the business community, as well as in discussions with the Government and mental health organisations. In their new roles, they will be responsible for the governance of CMHA and leading the Board to set the CMHA’s strategy as it looks to expand across the UK and internationally.  In addition, Brian and Beth will work with CEO Poppy Jaman OBE to oversee the delivery of agreed commitments to CMHA’s members and to inspire health protection and creation in global businesses and cities around the world.

Poppy Jaman, CEO of the City Mental Health Alliance comments:

I would like to thank Nigel for being an incredible Chair for the CMHA. He has made an invaluable contribution to our development to bring the CMHA to where it is today.

As we look ahead, I  have full confidence in both Brian and Beth to lead the CMHA in the coming years . Brian has played a significant role in the development of the alliance to date. He was one of the first senior City business leaders to share the powerful story of his own mental health experiences and has been instrumental in helping to break down the barriers around speaking out about mental health in the workplace.

It’s also fantastic to see Beth Robotham appointed as Deputy Chair to help support the growing ambitions of the CMHA. Beth has been a key driving force in the alliance from the outset, including in her capacity as Vice-Chair UK, and will be an asset to CMHA’s next phase of development.

Brian Heyworth, Global Head of Client Strategy at HSBC   Global Asset Management  and incoming Chair of the City Mental Health Alliance comments:

The City Mental Health Alliance has made huge strides in recent years, with our members at the forefront of driving change and demonstrating their commitment to creating a better future for workplace mental health. I’m extremely honoured to have been appointed Chair of the CMHA during this exciting period as we look to further our impact by expanding our model to cities across the UK and globally.

Beth Robotham, Executive Director at Goldman Sachs  in EMEA  and incoming Deputy Chair of the City Mental Health Alliance comments:

I’m excited to take on the role of Deputy Chair as we respond to member feedback and expand our global ambitions. Collaboration and partnership have long been central to CMHA’s success and our members have shown how this, coupled with strong leadership, can have a meaningful impact in creating new standards for wellbeing in business. I look forward to continuing this fantastic work as we grow the CMHA.