Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice for England and Wales, has announced she is standing down after 10 years in the role.
Guy will take up a new position as the independent assessor for the Financial Ombudsman Service at the end of October.
The charity has seen significant growth and expansion into new services during her time as chief executive. Last year Citizens Advice had over 34.5m visits to its website and helped 2.8m people in person, by phone, email or web chat.
More recently, Guy has led the organisation’s Covid-19 response. Thousands of Citizens Advice staff and volunteers shifted services “virtually overnight” to offer advice and guidance. The Citizens Advice website saw record-breaking traffic.
'I am confident that Citizens Advice will continue to go from strength to strength'
Gillian Guy, outgoing chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: “I feel immensely proud and privileged to have played a part in this essential and greatly treasured service. It has proved resilient in the face of challenge, innovative, and relentlessly focused on the needs of individuals and communities.
“I have been fortunate to work with people of passion, commitment and talent, who, with the service itself, have been at the core of my life for the last decade.
“I am confident that Citizens Advice will continue to go from strength to strength, helping millions of people overcome their challenges in the decades to come.”
Alistair Cromwell, chief operating officer, is to become acting chief executive while recruitment for the permanent position takes place.
Cromwell has been at Citizens Advice for nine years and has led a number of national functions, including finance, business development, technology, governance and transformation.
Cromwell said: “Over the coming months I will work closely with Gillian to ensure a smooth handover.
“My priorities will be to continue the essential work Citizens Advice has been doing to help people navigate the worst impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, while keeping up the momentum on the delivery of our three-year strategy to meet the changing needs of the people who come to us for help.”
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