Natalie Bell Joins NABS as Trustee
Natalie Bell, CEO, Manning Gottlieb OMD, has joined the board of industry charity NABS as its newest Trustee.
Natalie will sit on NABS’ executive committee, helping the charity in its mission to advance the mental wellness of everybody in adland.
Natalie’s appointment comes at a critical time for NABS. The organisation is currently evolving its services in response to the findings of last year’s
All Ears community consultation, which revealed that over 70% of our industry want more to be done about mental health at work. Demand for NABS services continues to rise, with more than 4500 calls made to its Advice Line last year.
Natalie joins the NABS board as Keith Fowler MBE, NABS’ longest-serving board member, steps down after an incredible 44-year tenure. Keith served as both a director and trustee and spearheaded the introduction of NABS’ Advice Line. His notable career outside of NABS included time spent as CEO of EURO RSCG Marketing Group and executive chairman of Edman Communications.
Sue Todd, CEO, NABS, says, “Natalie is one of the industry’s most influential names. She brings a wealth of experience in digital strategy, media and leadership to the NABS Board and we know that she’ll help us as we evolve our mission to support all adlanders. We also can’t thank Keith enough for his incredible hard work and dedication over four decades. His support of NABS is unparallelled, and his legacy continues to this day as demand for the Advice Line grows each year.”
Natalie Bell says, “I am honoured to be joining NABS as a trustee to support Sue and the team. In an industry where we talk a lot about attention, I want to use my role to draw greater attention to the amazing - and in my opinion undervalued – work that NABS do for the industry we all love. Mental wellness has always been a hugely important area for me both professionally and personally. From an early age I experienced first-hand the impact that mental health challenges can have on individuals and those close to them and I want to ensure we support anyone in our industry who may face these challenges themselves and make sure they always have somewhere to turn to. “
Meanwhile, two new co-chairs have been appointed to the committee of Stranger than Summer, NABS’ flagship fundraising gala.
Gill Huber, managing partner, Future Factory and Kelly Parker, CEO, Wavemaker, take over from the last two years’ chairs, Liz Jones, founder, Conker, and Ed Couchman, head of sales, Spotify. This year’s Stranger than Summer, held on 6th June, raised a total of £150,000.
Sue says, “NABS is so grateful for all of the hard work put in by Liz and Ed, both as chairs and previous to that serving on the committee. They’ve helped us to drive Stranger than Summer attendance back up to pre-pandemic levels, surpassing our fundraising targets. Gill and Kelly have supported Stranger than Summer brilliantly for many years as committee members. I’m sure, as our new chairs, they’ll help us build on the 2024 achievements.”
