Former Institute of Fundraising head of policy Andrew Watt has been named as the new president and chief executive of the organisation’s American counterpart, the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

In an announcement from Vancouver yesterday, Watt, who joined the AFP in 2006 after a ten-year tenure at the Institute on this side of the Atlantic, said he was “honoured” to be chosen for the post.

Watt said that he will be focusing on “maximising” the AFP’s partnerships and assets “to make it a vital leader within the philanthropic community”.

Andrea McManus, the chair of the AFP, said that the appointment of Watt followed an extensive and international search for a successor to Paulette Maehara, who will retire next month after nearly 13 years at the association.

McManus said: “Watt will guide the organisation into a new era by attracting the next generation of fundraisers, strengthening our connections to nonprofit organisations and making AFP even more accessible to the charitable community worldwide.”