Welcoming our new Interim CEO Samantha Barber
The Board of Directors of the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) is delighted to announce the appointment of Samantha Barber as interim Chief Executive Officer.
Sam brings a wealth of experience as a strategic voluntary sector leader over the past 25 years, including leading membership organisations. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, the Chartered Governance Institute, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and achieved her MSc in Voluntary Sector Management from Bayes Business School. In her other roles, Sam has spoken regularly at conferences about health-related issues and patient advocacy and serves as a member of the NICE Voluntary and Community Sector Leadership Group.
Over the coming six months, Sam will work closely with the Board, staff and our community of members, providing leadership and clear strategic direction for our work, and building a secure foundation to enable us to continue to serve as a beacon of dynamism and innovation for art therapy across the UK.
Our Chair, Claire Louise Vaculik, said:
We are so pleased to welcome Sam to our art therapy community. Her longstanding passion and advocacy for people with health conditions, or struggling with difficult life circumstances, matches the values and aspirations held across our profession. Combining this with her experience of strategic leadership and systems thinking, we know she can support our community and the many people that we serve across the UK.
Sam responded:
I am hugely pleased and honoured to join BAAT as Interim CEO and to work with the Board of Directors and team to build on our strong momentum. I’m excited to champion the outstanding work of our members and further the impact of art therapy in fostering wellbeing, creativity, and meaningful connection across the UK, particularly for those facing health challenges.
Prof Diane Waller OBE, President of BAAT and one of the founders of the professional body, shared:
We are delighted to welcome Sam to BAAT. She has extensive experience in leadership roles within the voluntary sector, including in small organisations with similar structures to our own, to major ones such as Shelter. Her well-documented skills as a reflective values-based leader, and her ability to contribute strongly to public events will be of immense value to BAAT, as we continue to grow and develop as a progressive membership association.