The Refugee Council has appointed Maurice Wren, currently director of Asylum Aid and a Refugee Council trustee, as its new chief executive.
He will start on 11 March next year.
And Yvonne Cass, the charity’s vice chair, will become chair next month, succeeding Douglas Board who has been in the post for six years.
Wren will come to the Refugee Council after ten years at Asylum Aid, which advocacates for improved access to legal representation for asylum seekers. Before that he also held senior roles at Shelter and the Housing Associations Charitable Trust.
He joined the trustee board of the Refugee Council in 2006 and will resign this post to become CEO. He was appointed following an open and competition recruitment process involving advertisement and search.
Wren was also a co-founder of the Independent Asylum Commission from 2006 to 2008, and of Detention Forum, a coalition of charities working on immigration detention since 2009.
He replaces Donna Covey, who left the Refugee Council in August 2012 after five years at the charity.
'Passionate about the cause'
Wren said he had “immense respect and admiration” for the Refugee Council and was delighted at the prospect of leading it.
“I’m passionate about the cause of protection and know well from my long involvement in the refugee movement the vital role the Refugee Council plays in supporting those who seek sanctuary in the UK.
"I’m looking forward to working with my new colleagues at the Refugee Council, confident that we will continue to provide advice and support of the highest quality to those fleeing persecution and human rights abuses, and to advocate strongly for a just and fair asylum system.”
Douglas Board, the Refugee Council’s chair, described Wren as a leader who is “utterly courageous and tenacious on behalf of refugees”.
“His experience of the legal and wider humanitarian aspects of refugee and asylum issues, his leadership on gender issues, and his commitment to building partnerships will strengthen the Refugee Council and the sector in the years ahead.”
Yvonne Cass is also a trustee of the Northern Refugee Centre in Sheffield and in 2006 she set up an organisation called Marco (Migrant Asylum Refugee Community Organisation) in Barnsley.
