Chris Askew OBE will join the GPhC as Chief Executive and Registrar on 1 October 2025.
Chris joins the GPhC from the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), where he has been Chief Executive since October 2023. Previously he held roles as Chief Executive at Diabetes UK and at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, prior to its merger to form Breast Cancer Now.
He moved into the not-for-profit sector following some years working as a shipbroker in the international freight markets and held senior fundraising positions at the charities Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Crisis and Action for Children.
He is a Trustee of the rare childhood condition charity Action for A-T and of Education for All Morocco. He is a director of the patient voice organisation All About Obesity. He was until recently a Trustee of the National Academy for Social Prescribing and previously has been a member of the BBC Appeals Advisory Committee.
Chris was awarded an OBE in 2020 for services to people with diabetes.
Gisela Abbam, Chair of the General Pharmaceutical Council, said:
“We are delighted to welcome Chris to the GPhC as our Interim Chief Executive and Registrar, and we are looking forward to working closely with him.
“Chris brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the organisation from his previous roles as CEO at the RCGP and leading charities. Chris will be working closely with our Council and the senior team to lead the organisation to continue to work effectively to deliver our new strategic plan.
“The recruitment process for the new permanent Chief Executive and Registrar is ongoing, and we will announce that appointment once it is confirmed.”
Chris Askew OBE, Interim Chief Executive and Registrar, said:
“I am greatly looking forward to taking on the role of Interim Chief Executive and Registrar and to supporting the GPhC to achieve its strategic aims at this crucial time of transition.
“Through my previous roles at the RCGP and in health charities, I have seen first-hand the vital role that pharmacy plays in improving people’s health.
“I welcome the opportunity to work with the Council’s key stakeholders, with pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, as well as with Council members and staff, at a time of significant change in pharmacy and health services across Great Britain”.