The Air Ambulance Service has confirmed its chief executive of 18 years, Andy Williamson, has resigned.
Williamson left the charity, which operates across the midlands, last November with deputy chief executive Emma Peake acting as chief executive while recruitment for a permanent replacement begins.
The Air Ambulance Service was registered as a charity in 2003 and its latest annual accounts report its total income as £30.6m.
‘Time to do other things’
A spokesperson from the charity told Civil Society News: “Following more than 18 years at the Air Ambulance Service, Andy Williamson, the chief executive, has decided now is the time to do other things.
“Consequently, the board of trustees have agreed with Andy that he will step down as chief executive officer with immediate effect.
“We acknowledge Andy’s long service. With the development of our next strategy and opportunities such as the new Children’s Air Ambulance service, this is an exciting time. We can all be proud of our recent achievements and look forward to the future with enthusiasm.”
The board of trustees has confirmed it will be an open recruitment process and that details of the application process will be announced soon.
Previous concerns resolved
Former CEO Williamson came under fire in 2018 after a Sunday Times article alleged he had misspent charitable funds. Shortly afterward, a petition for him to resign was started.
The Charity Commission opened a regulatory compliance case into the service in March 2018 to assess these concerns, its governance, and finances. It issued trustees with an action plan to improve in certain areas.
A spokesperson from the regulator said: “After following up in September 2019, we were satisfied that the trustees had complied with the action plan and closed our case.” This was never escalated to a statutory inquiry.
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