In this Digital Fireside Annabel Venner will interview Alan Thompson, CEO of NRS Healthcare, to explore the value of a marketing background as a chief executive, the role of the CEO as the ultimate head of marketing, how marketers can prepare to become CEOs and what marketers can do to better support and engage with their CEOs.

Alan is CEO of NRS Healthcare, a PE backed business owned by Graphite Capital, that are the UK’s leading provider of products and services for people living with disabilities and special needs. A health, beauty, and consumer goods leader, he has built major businesses around the world. As Group Head of Global Sales at Reckitt, he played a key role as Chief Customer Officer at the top of the company, managing the revenue growth of a £9bn leader in Health and Hygiene. In business he is especially passionate about driving organisational engagement via ownership, simplification and by creating a culture of transparency and ambition.

​Annabel is a non-executive director, consultant, mentor and advisor. She is an award-winning board level marketing leader with more than 20 years of FTSE 100 and Blue Chip experience across finance, FMCG, healthcare and ecommerce sectors, and an outstanding record of driving business growth and profitability.