A former government special adviser has been appointed chief executive of Adoption UK.
Emily Frith will join next month from the Office of the Children’s Commissioner for England, where she has been head of policy and public affairs for the past five years.
She succeeds Sue Armstrong Brown, who stepped down in March to become global director of environmental impact and thought leadership at the global environment charity CDP.
Frith was previously an adviser to then-Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on health and welfare during the coalition government, and before that led external affairs work for the health and social care charity Turning Point.
Adoption UK supports people who are adopted, families who adopt and the professionals who work with them.
Frith said: “I am passionate about achieving change for children, particularly those who have a difficult start in life, and giving them a voice and control in the decisions that affect them.
“My aim is to ensure the right balance between delivering the support people need right now and influencing policy and practice over the long term.
“I am looking forward to helping Adoption UK build on the strong relationships it already has with social workers, education and health practitioners, politicians and sector leaders in all four nations of the UK.”
Mike Ribeiro, chair of trustees at Adoption UK, described Frith as “the right leader at the right time for our organisation”.