Bite Back's New CEO: Welcome D'Arcy Williams!

Bite Back has appointed D’Arcy Williams, a global child health expert at UNICEF, as its new Chief Executive. He will take up the role in October 2025, following a competitive international search.

Williams played a key role in shaping and scaling UNICEF’s global strategy to prevent childhood obesity, with a specific focus on transforming food systems to improve child nutrition. This included forging a global youth-led advocacy partnership between UNICEF and Bite Back to spark the #FixMyFood campaign in more than 10 countries. Currently, Williams is bringing this food systems agenda to life with UNICEF in Tanzania, supporting the Prime Minister’s Office to advance bold food policies, including sugary drink taxes, nutritious school meals, front-of-pack nutrition labelling, and restrictions on harmful junk food marketing to children.

He brings nearly a decade of experience in community health, nutrition policy, strategic advocacy and youth engagement, with a track record spanning more than 20 countries - including work in Tanzania, Senegal, Cameroon, the US, Kenya, Nepal and the UK.

“I’ve long admired the incredible momentum Bite Back has built. Through UNICEF, I’ve seen firsthand the clarity, courage, and conviction of its youth movement — especially when speaking truth to power and challenging Big Food’s influence.

During my time in the UK, I witnessed the real impact Bite Back’s young activists are making, and I know how essential it is to place youth at the centre of policy change.

It’s an immense honour to serve and work alongside these young leaders as we continue to build youth power for a more just food system. I’m thrilled to join at such a pivotal moment — and I can’t wait to meet the team and get started.” – D’Arcy Williams, incoming CEO, Bite Back

Williams will assume the reins of the organisation in early October 2025. His appointment follows the departure of James Toop, Bite Back’s founding CEO, who led the organisation through an extraordinary period of growth and influence.

In welcoming this new chapter, Baroness Anne Longfield, Chair of Bite Back, offered her sincere thanks to Toop, whose visionary leadership as founding CEO helped shape the organisation’s mission and impact from day one. She also extended her deep appreciation to interim CEO, Nicki Whiteman, who worked with Toop from the outset to develop Bite Back’s vision and young activists.

"We are delighted to appoint D’Arcy Williams as CEO of Bite Back. D’Arcy brings a wealth of expertise, experience and passion to lead the organisation through its next crucial and exciting stage.

This is an exciting point in Bite Back’s journey as the organisation takes on new programmes of food advocacy in schools, continues its dynamic youth-led national and local advocacy and continues to deliver change in the food system and industry to support healthy food choices. We are delighted that D’Arcy will be leading the organisation as it goes from strength to strength to bring about real change for young people” – Baroness Anne Longfield, Chair Bite Back


For more information, interview opportunities, videos and photography:
Henry Makiwa on henry.makiwa@biteback2030.com / 07523681057