The chief executive of WaterAid, Barbara Frost, has announced she will retire next year after 11 years in the post.

A statement from WaterAid said the charity has “gone from strength to strength” under Frost’s leadership – growing its operation to 37 countries and tripling its income to £86m. She has also steered the charity from being a UK-based organisation to one with members in the US, Canada, Sweden, Australia, India and Japan.

Speaking on her retirement, Frost described her time at the charity's helm as “wonderful and inspiring years”.

“This has been a very hard decision to leave such a wonderful team and an organisation that is focused on transforming lives,” she said. “2017 is an appropriate time in the cycle of our global strategy and a good time to hand over to my successor. But until the day I actually leave, it’s full steam ahead as we have big ambition with lots and lots to do."

She added: “I will be 65 next year and would like to have more time with my partner Keith to travel and to do new things."

The charity’s chair, Tim Clark, said Frost was an “inspiration” who has led with “vision, calm pragmatism and humility”.  

“Barbara always selflessly puts people first, whether it’s the people we work for to help transform their lives, the people who support us, or the people who work for WaterAid,” he said.

“We have plenty of time to heap our thanks and praise on Barbara before she leaves, but until that time I know that she wants us all to focus on our work of transforming lives.”

Frost was the recipient of an outstanding achievement Charity Award in 2016. On accepting the award in front of a crowd of 600 sector peers, Parliamentarians and celebrities, Frost said she was “incredibly lucky” to be working in a sector that is “all about making the world a better place, tackling injustice, improving lives, and looking after our planet”.