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New FRSB chief has racing background

Fundraising | 26 Jan 2009

The new chief executive of the Fundraising Standards Board (FRSB) is revealed today as Alistair McLean, who previously headed up the national regulatory body for greyhound racing.

McLean (pictured),who will take up the £60,000-a-year post on 2 February, was unanimously chosen by an appointment committee of five people – four FRSB directors and an external recruitment consultant.

He joined the National Greyhound Racing Club in May 2007, and has previously held senior positions at companies including Ernst &Young, Johnson & Johnson and London Wasps Rugby Football Club.

Blue chip business experience

Chairman of the FRSB, Colin Lloyd, said: “We are delighted that Alistair will be joining us shortly. He brings extensive regulatory, strategic, management and strong marketing experience with him from a number of blue chip business organisations.

“The board is confident that with this set of skills, Alistair will build on the foundations laid down by past chief executive Jon Scourse and the executive team at the FRSB. I was particularly pleased that the appointment committee was unanimous in the choice from the excellent candidates that applied for the position”.

Yesterday the FRSB was unable to tell Professional Fundraising how many people applied for the position in total, or how many applicants were from the charity sector.

Will be briefed on criticism

Director Zoe Willems, who has been ‘overseeing’ the organisation since Jon Scourse left at the end of last year, told PF she hadn’t spoken to McLean personally about the criticism that has been levelled at the FRSB in the past but said: “I am sure he will get a full briefing.”

She added: “One of the benefits at this stage is to have someone that is new coming in to the organisation who can look at criticisms of the past but can also look at the opportunities in the future and set things in a new context and a new direction.”

Lack of sector knowledge

On McLean’s lack of sector experience she said: “I think the general skills of a chief exec, self-regulation and marketing and so on were the most important, and some of the other work that we are doing in parallel as an organisation as a whole is bringing in more feedback from the sector and more expertise from the sector - both on the board and through the membership - which I am sure will complement his existing skills.

“And in the field in which he was working he will have had a considerable amount to do with related animal charities so he has certainly got experience of the charity world even if he isn’t coming directly out of that world in the employment sense.”

She added: “We are particularly excited about him joining.”

Adding value to the sector

In a statement McLean said: “I am thrilled to be joining the FRSB. Much has been achieved since its inception and it will be an exciting opportunity to take the organisation to its next stage of development. 

“I’m looking forward to working closely with the membership, creating greater awareness of the FRSB and adding real value to sector. There’s a lot to do but I am fortunate to have a good team to work with and I’m eager to develop good working relationships with the existing members as well as those who make it their 2009 New Year resolution to join the scheme and support self-regulation

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