Andrew McDonald appointed new chair of Scope

21 Oct 2014 News

Scope has appointed Andrew McDonald, former chief executive of Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, as its chair, replacing Alice Maynard.

Scope has appointed Andrew McDonald, former chief executive of Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, as its chair, replacing Alice Maynard.

The disability charity confirmed McDonald as its new chair at its Annual General Meeting last weekend. McDonald (pictured) has been in the civil service for the past twenty years and was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2007. The appointment reflects Scope’s commitment to having a disabled person lead the organisation.

Speaking at the AGM, McDonald said: “It is clear to anyone that has anything to do with Scope, that this is an organisation very much in its stride.

“A huge amount of credit has to go to Alice Maynard. This is a very different organisation to the one she joined in 2008. It’s testament to her leadership. I have a tough act to follow and publicly I would like to pay tribute to Alice's extraordinary achievements as Chair.”

Maynard had served two terms as chair of Scope.

Richard Hawkes, chief executive of the charity, said: “This is a big moment for Scope. Alice has done a tremendous job. The organisation is completely different to the one she joined. We are financially strong and we have a clear purpose and strategy. This in turn gives us the platform to be real force for change in society. These are big shoes to fill.

“We are very lucky to have Andrew joining us. He has led work on improving the lot of disabled workers across the civil service, and brings a wealth of professional, strategic expertise to the organisation.”

Read Maynard's exit interview with Civil Society News here