2013-08-01 News
Leading health and social care charity CRI today announced that current Deputy Chief Executive David Biddle has been appointed to lead the organisation as its new Chief Executive from 1 October 2013.
The announcement follows the decision of CRI Founder and current Chief Executive, David Royce, to stand aside from the position in order to pursue a part-time advisory role at CRI and in the wider voluntary sector.
David Royce, who has led the organisation for 19 years, has been responsible for increasing the charity’s turnover from £200k in 1995, to £100m in 2012/13, resulting in a huge number of people benefiting from CRI’s services.
His evidence-based creative approach, and desire to collaborate with smaller and specialist services through to larger private providers, have become cornerstones of what CRI offers today.
Royce said: “It has been a privilege and an honour to have led CRI for 19 years. I have had the opportunity to work with some of the most talented people in the field and have been inspired and motivated daily by the service users we exist to help. Developing services that help people to change their own lives will continue to be a big part of my life.
“The changing landscape of the sector has presented a natural opportunity to implement our succession plan, which we have been developing for some time. CRI has already announced its intention to develop its Criminal Justice services as a result of the changes proposed for the Probation Service and we feel that this is therefore the perfect time to put in place a new structure to lead the organisation through a period of great opportunity and change.
“David Biddle’s breadth of knowledge and expertise achieved over his 17 years with CRI make him the perfect candidate to take the organisation from strength to strength.”
Biddle, who joined the organisation in 1996, has been Deputy Chief Executive for 7 years. He has been instrumental in identifying opportunities for CRI to grow and has been working with the senior management team to structure the organisation for the future.
Biddle said: “This is one of the biggest periods of change our sector has been through and I’m looking forward to building on David Royce’s work to see how we can use our size and experience to benefit other smaller voluntary services and ultimately, provide the best care possible for end users.”
David Gregson, Chair of the CRI Board, said: “David Royce is respected throughout the sector. His achievements of setting up, growing and broadening CRI to become a standard-bearer for service delivery across the country with some 2,600 employees are exceptional by any standards. We are absolutely delighted that David will retain an important role as a part-time advisor to CRI.
“As part of our extensive succession planning over the past 12 months, the Board feels that David Biddle has all the tools and experience CRI needs to take it forward in this exciting new period for the organisation.”
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