David Holdsworth announced as next Charity Commission CEO
Melanie May | 8 February 2024 | News
David Holdsworth has been CEO of the Animal and Plant Health Agency since 2022 and worked previously at the Charity Commission as Deputy Chief Executive and Registrar.
He will take up the CEO role on 1 July this year, replacing Helen Stephenson as her term comes to an end. Stephenson has held the role for seven years.
In his previous Charity Commission role, Holdsworth led a transformation of the Commission’s data handling, digital capability and risk assessment. He also oversaw the regulator’s response to the Grenfell Tower fire and was instrumental in setting up the National Emergencies Trust. Prior to joining the Commission, he held senior roles in the Home Office and the private sector.
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The process saw record numbers of applications for the role, and was overseen by a recruitment panel chaired by a Civil Service Commissioner.
Holdsworth was also previously the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the UK Intellectual Property Office, and has extensive experience in both the public and private sectors at an executive leadership level. He spent over a decade at the Home Office in various roles including senior operational roles in the Immigration Service where he led several large UK wide transformation projects. In addition, he held different policy roles in the Home Office and was Deputy Chief Caseworker, and has spent five years in the private sector in senior executive positions of Managing Director and Partnership Director at two different FTSE 100 companies.
Orlando Fraser, Chair of the Charity Commission, commented:
“I am delighted to announce David’s appointment as CEO, and his return to the Commission. He was the outstanding candidate for the Panel, among a diverse and talented group of applicants.
“David brings the experience, talent and character required to lead the Commission into the next leg of our historic journey as the world’s most experienced charity regulator. In doing so, we will build on Helen Stephenson’s successful legacy. “David takes over an organisation on a strong footing, with a committed Board, experienced senior team and dedicated staff. He joins at a time when the charity sector has never been more important and visible in our national life, requiring an expert regulator, that is fair, balanced and independent, to underpin public trust and help the sector to thrive.”
David Holdsworth said:
“I am delighted to be returning to the Charity Commission and its vital work at such a crucial time. It will be a privilege to once again work with the Commission’s dedicated and talented experts.
“Charities have always played a vital role in our national life, our communities and our ability to move forward together as a society. Never has this been more needed than now. I look forward to working with the sector as they work today to achieve a better, brighter tomorrow for us all.
“I would also like to pay tribute to my incredible colleagues at the Animal and Plant Health Agency. The UK is lucky to have such an amazing group of people protecting our economy, animal, plant and bee health for the benefit of us all.”
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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.