Olly Arber has joined Halma plc, the leading safety, health and environmental technology group, as director of brand and communications.

Arber will lead Halma's communications team in developing new strategies to build the group's profile, engage a broader audience and inspire new investors, recruits and acquisitions to become part of the Halma story.

Before joining Halma, Arber was director of communications at Nesta, a global innovation foundation set up to tackle the big challenges facing the world today, such as an ageing population and antibiotic resistance. He was responsible for setting and delivering the organisation's brand and communications strategy, focusing on raising Nesta's profile and increasing its reach across all its key audiences.

Arber graduated from Oxford with a first in English and then worked in media training and broadcast TV. After training as an online journalist, he worked in a start-up environment for GMTV's first ever website. He quickly become deputy editor, then moved into digital strategy for ITV.

Halma chief executive Andrew Williams says, "Halma has a sustainable growth strategy, a strong financial track record and makes a very real, positive difference to people by protecting life and improving quality of life worldwide. Olly will help us articulate and communicate our story, both internally and externally, in new and inspiring ways. He will ensure that we're compellingly conveying our mission, our values, our goals and how we contribute positively to people's lives."