NCVO announces Karl Wilding as next Chief Executive
Melanie May | 14 June 2019 | News
The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has announced that its next Chief Executive will be its current Public Policy and Volunteering Director Karl Wilding.
Wilding will take over from Sir Stuart Etherington in mid-September. Etherington is stepping down after 25 years at the organisation.
According to NCVO, the appointment follows an extensive recruitment process, managed by executive search firm Green Park, which included a scoping exercise involving consultation with NCVO members, its board and staff. Green Park spoke to over 400 leaders from across the voluntary, private and public sectors, identifying over 200 candidates while gathering intelligence on what voluntary sector leaders saw as important qualities for the new post-holder.
Over a period of six months, candidates were then invited to submit a CV and supporting statement, attend three rounds of interviews with Green Park, NCVO board members and two independent interview panel members.
Wilding joined NCVO in 1998, becoming Head of Research in 2001, Head of Policy and Research in 2011, Director of Public Policy in 2013, and Director of Public Policy and Volunteering in 2016.
He is an advisor to Charity Bank, a trustee of US voluntary organisation Creating the Future, a trustee of Communities 1st, a membership body for the voluntary sector in St Albans, and a regular parkrun volunteer.
Peter Kellner, Chair of NCVO, said:
“When we embarked on the recruitment process we knew NCVO needed to adapt to big changes in the charity sector and civil society more widely. We set out to find the person who could best meet these challenges and provide a new direction for NCVO. Karl’s awareness of these challenges and his strategy for change were compelling.
“Karl is a strong communicator with a sharp strategic focus, and he has an instinctive understanding of both the complexities within the voluntary sector and the values that unify it. His experience as a voluntary sector leader, a trustee and a volunteer give him a holistic view of what charities and volunteering need for the future.
“As head of research, Karl made NCVO’s research on charity finances the standard for rigour and reliability, and as director of policy and volunteering he has been a high-profile and effective advocate for the voluntary sector and volunteering.”
Karl Wilding added:
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“I’m excited and humbled to have been asked to lead the new NCVO. Charities and volunteering change people’s lives. As the Chief Executive of a re-purposed NCVO I want to stand up for the charities and millions of people who everyday make a difference to the causes that they believe in.
“I want to work alongside NCVO’s members to show what is best about charities and volunteering, and to share that far and wide.
“I’m very clear that we can’t stand still. The world has changed. People have more choices than ever when it comes to getting involved in a cause. I want NCVO and its members to lead the changes we need to remain relevant, important and influential even as society changes.
“NCVO’s biggest asset is our members, so I will focus on listening to and learning from the many incredible charities and volunteers that I meet every day. Together, we’ll develop a much sharper focus on what matters to the British public. We’ll move faster for the digital age. And together we’ll reflect the rich diversity that characterises modern Britain. The work of charities and people who volunteer has never been more needed – I can’t wait to help NCVO tell their story.”
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.