New leadership at Respond, as Interim CEO, Georgina Hoare, leaves at the end of this month having successfully led the charity for the last year. She will be joining Tavistock Consultancy (part of Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust) as a Senior Organisational Consultant from September.
Georgina joined Respond in October 2021 in the newly created role of Organisation Effectiveness Director and quickly led the development and implementation of our ambitious 3-year strategy. Now in its final year, the strategy has delivered measurable improvements in both the quality of our services and experience of our beneficiaries. You can read more about the improvements enacted during this time in our Impact Reports via our website, with our next Impact report for 2023-24 to be published next week.
In August of last year Georgina was appointed Acting, and subsequently Interim, CEO of Respond, taking on the leadership of the organisation at a challenging time and subsequently leading the charity through a period of significant transition.
On assuming the role, Georgina was tasked by the Board of Trustees with ensuring safe and effective delivery of services, ensuring staff wellbeing and the financial health of the charity. In late 2023 Respond, like many charities, faced significant financial pressures due to an increasingly challenging commissioning and funding landscape. Georgina led Respond throughout this period of financial uncertainty, developing an organisational recovery plan including a significant restructure which was completed by February 2024.
Over this same period, Georgina worked closely with Ben Higgins, CEO of Bild, and the Respond Board of Trustees to support the process exploring a charity merger.
Georgina now ends her tenure as Interim CEO having very effectively led Respond through a challenging period, culminating in the conclusion of successful partnership arrangements with the Bild Group. An in-principle decision has been made for Respond to join the Group in 2024 ensuring a sustainable future for the charity, our staff and our beneficiaries.
Amanda Naylor OBE, Co-Chair of Responds’ Board of Trustees said “The Board are extremely grateful to Georgina for all of her hard work, commitment and passion at Respond as Interim CEO. Georgina has been pivotal in ensuring that the organisation runs more smoothly, focussing on business and finances while ensuring really positive outcomes for our beneficiaries. We are all thrilled for Georgina and congratulate her on the fabulous opportunity in her new role.”
A new Director of Respond has been appointed, who will join the charity in late October and lead Respond within the Bild group. We look forward to announcing the appointment in the autumn.
In the intervening period, the charity will be collaboratively led by three members of the current senior leadership team, with Charlotte Murphy, Claire Dowan and Liz Felton taking on the role of Acting Co-Directors.
This transition marks the beginning of a new chapter for Respond, as we build on the successes of the last three years and continue to provide life-changing trauma-informed services.