NCVO has appointed Karl Wilding as director of public policy to succeed Ben Kernighan, who is leaving the organisation in June to become chief executive of the National Union of Students.

Wilding is currently head of policy, research and foresight at NCVO and described his new role as “a dream job for anyone who believes in the voluntary sector”.

He said: “My big priority this year is working with our members in the run-up to the next general election to ensure that charities’ priorities are on everyone’s agenda.”

He joined NCVO in October 2001 as a research assistant for its Almanac programme, he later became head of research and in 2011 took on the policy brief. He is also a board member of St Alban’s Centre for Voluntary Service and honorary visiting fellow teaching on Cass Business School’s MSc in voluntary sector management.

Sir Stuart Etherington, chief executive of NCVO said: “Not only is Karl tremendously well-known in the sector, he is also one of the foremost experts in the country on many of the issues affecting charities. NCVO has a strong tradition of developing its staff and I am particularly pleased that we have been able to appoint someone who first joined us 15 years ago as a research assistant.”

Kernighan, who was deputy chief executive and director of public policy, will join NUS in summer, and is taking over from Matt Hyde who is moving to the Scout Association. His appointment was publicly criticised by one of NUS’s trustees. NCVO previously stated that the role of deputy CEO would not be replaced.

 

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