New Chief Executive at DEC
Howard Lake | 22 May 2012 | News
Fundraising co-ordinating body The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) has announced that Saleh Saeed, former Chief Executive of Islamic Relief Worldwide, will take over as its new Chief Executive from September 2012.
At Islamic Relief Worldwide, Mr Saeed oversaw an increase in the charity’s income of 45% from £48 million to £70 million. He also played a leading role in Islamic Relief’s responses to disasters, including those in Gaza, Haiti, Pakistan and East Africa, all part-funded by the DEC.
Saleh Saeed has a background in managing major digital inclusion projects, working with the Microsoft-backed Black Country Consortium and for Sandwell Council.
The DEC acts as a single fundraising voices for leading UK aid agencies at times of humanitarian crisis in poorer countries. It has established partnerships with broadcasters including the BBC, ITN, ITV, Sky and Channel 4, as well support from organisations including BT, Royal Mail, the Post Office and the British Bankers Association.
Saeed succeeds Brendan Gormley who has worked as Chief Executive at the DEC for the past 14 years, during which time the DEC has raised more than £900 million. DEC Chairman Clive Jones said: “Brendan Gormley has been an outstanding Chief Executive and has helped the DEC raise more than £900m for the many appeals he has led. He will be a hard act to follow but we are confident Saleh is more than up to the task.”
Gormley is not planning to take another full-time role when he steps down but is now sitting on the Lead Expert Group for the Improving Future Disaster Anticipation and Resilience Project, part of the Foresight work of the Government Office for Science.
www.dec.org.uk
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.