The Public Fundraising Regulatory Association has chosen a woman with decades of experience working in the media as its new chief executive.

Sally de la Bedoyere has taken up her post at the face-to-face fundraising regulator today, after heading up income generation at the RSPCA for two years. Her appointment follows the departure of longtime fundraiser Mick Aldridge last September after five years in post.

De la Bedoyere has held senior management roles in the newspaper and general media industries, working as managing director of the Evening Standard, and working for other Associated Newspapers publications. Before moving into the charity sector in 2010, de la Bedoyere was chief executive of independent radio ratings organisation RAJAR for six years.

Given the high profile of face-to-face fundraising in the media, relative to other types of fundraising, de la Bedoyere’s experience in the media industry may well make her distinct in style from her predecessor, known for his more aggressive manner with mainstream media.  

Paul Stallard, chair of the PFRA, said that de la Bedoyere was selected from a strong pool of candidates. “She has an appropriate mix of charity and commercial experience and I am sure the issues she dealt with throughout her successful career in media management will provide her with a lot of transferable skills,” he said.

The new chief executive acknowledged she joins the organisation, which only appointed its new chair this year at a “crucial time” for face-to-face fundraising, particularly in the wake of Lord Hodgson’s review of the Charities Act 2006 and following the acknowledgement by the PFRA that street fundraising standards have slipped.  

De la Bedoyere, who’s charity RSPCA is a member of the PFRA, said: “I know from personal experience the value of face-to-face fundraising for many charities and their beneficiaries. It is vitally important that this is done with the support of the public and local authorities, support that we will achieve and maintain through stringent professional standards and effective and transparent regulation.”

Cooperation among different groups is a key theme of the new chief executive’s language as she begins the role. “I look forward to working not just with the PFRA members and board to further develop our self-regulatory offering but all interested stakeholders,” she said. “Cooperation with local authorities and other sector bodies such as the Institute of Fundraising and FRSB is key to making Lord Hodgson’s recommendations work.”