The new chair of consumer charity Which? has promised a crackdown on high pay at the organisation, after it was prominently criticised in The Times for a £819,000 pay package for its chief executive.
The Times published a lengthy criticism of the charity yesterday – the seventh time it has singled out charities for criticism on its front pages in the last six months.
It follows a mid-year report revealing that Peter Vicary-Smith (pictured), chief executive of the charity, the Consumers’ Association, and its business subsidiary, Which?, will be paid a salary of £235,000, a further £35,000 in allowances and an expected £56,000 bonus. A long-term incentive scheme will pay out a further £493,000.
Tim Gardam, the new chair of the charity, told The Times that the remuneration was “very big indeed” and said the charity would not pay such sums while he was in charge.
“We obviously want to make sure we have the best people working here and that Which? maintains its sustainable growth, but equally I am mindful of the fact that we have to be convincing in terms of what our ideals and purposes are,” he said.
The Times on charity:
- Charities make £40m pushing finance services
- Help for Heroes being examined by watchdog
- Charities face tougher rules after anti-fracking campaign
- Charities cash in over relatives of the dead
- Anger over six-figure pay deals for charities
- Millions spent on Help for Heroes centres with empty beds
