Steve Ingham CBE, former CEO of PageGroup, is to become the new Chair of Business Disability Forum (BDF).
The non-profit business and disability inclusion membership organisation announced the new appointment today (5 July). Steve will take over from BDF’s current Chair, Steve Miller, in November. Steve Miller, who is Group CIO of International Personal Finance, has been i
n post since May 2019, during which time BDF’s membership has grown significantly.
Steve Ingham takes over the role following his retirement from PageGroup back in December 2022.
Steve became a permanent wheelchair user in 2019 after a near fatal skiing accident. This increased his existing motivation to bring about positive change for disabled people in the workplace. Steve’s experiences influenced his leadership of PageGroup where he was a strong and effective advocate for disability inclusion. Steve is also Chair of the Development Board at Back Up and on the board at Whizz Kidz, and Wings for Life. Steve was awarded a CBE in 2022 for his services to business and people with disabilities. He also joined the board of ParalympicGB in May 2023.
Looking ahead to his new role as Chair of Business Disability Forum, Steve Ingham said:
“I’m delighted to be joining Business Disability Forum as Chair. I believe that business has the important ability to change and improve the lives of this often-ignored talent pool of people with a disability. With over 550 members and representing more than 20 per cent of the UK’s working population, BDF has exceeded targets in the past and has an ambitious vision for the future; to further grow their membership so more businesses can become disability-smart.
“In Diane Lightfoot they have an exceptional CEO and I look forward to working with her. As someone with the lived experience of being disabled and with 17 years’ experience as the CEO of the global leading, FTSE 200 recruitment business, PageGroup, I believe we’ll make a great team.”
Outgoing Chair, Steve Miller, said:
“It has been an honour to serve on Business Disability Forum’s board of trustees and as Chair for the last four years. I am very proud of what the organisation has achieved during my tenure; hugely increasing in membership and impact both in the UK and globally. I am delighted with the appointment of Steve Ingham as my successor and I know he will be a real asset in moving this vital agenda forward. I very much look forward to staying in touch and to watching BDF’s next chapter unfold.”
Diane Lightfoot, CEO of Business Disability Forum, said:
“At BDF, our mission is to drive equity and remove barriers to inclusion for disabled people as employees and consumers. We do that by partnering with business, Government and policymakers to share what works and what else is needed to achieve meaningful change. I am delighted that Steve Ingham will be joining us as Chair later this year. He brings a wealth of experience and influence and I look forward to working with him to increase our reach impact and to achieve tangible and significant change for disabled people in the UK and beyond.”
Business Disability Forum is the leading business membership organisation in disability inclusion. In June, BDF published one of the most comprehensive studies into the workplace experiences of disabled people in the UK ever conducted. Find out more on Business Disability Forum’s Great Big Workplace Adjustments Survey Hub.
