Leadership change at the Society

The Society will shortly be recruiting for a new Chief Executive for the Society to lead the team in Bristol. The Chief Executive is also Managing Director of the Society’s trading subsidiary Bioscientifica and therefore is responsible for ensuring that both components of SfE Group fulfil their charitable and commercial objectives.

The Society’s Council express a huge gratitude to Ian Russell, who has successfully fulfilled this dual role for the past nine years, for his leadership and guidance, not least through the enormous challenges of the pandemic. Ian will be leaving the organisation at the end of the year.

Following consultation with the Society’s leadership team and discussion within Council, a replacement will be sought who can continue to fulfil both CE/MD roles and will work to maximise the opportunities of a close synergy between the Society and Bioscientifica, while retaining the benefits of an agile trading subsidiary. An external recruitment agency with expertise in the charity sector will be overseeing the recruitment process and Council expect to have Ian’s successor appointed by January 2025.

All of Council, the Society’s committees, the Bioscientifica Board and staff - and we are sure also members - wish Ian all the best in his next steps, and look forward to welcoming the expertise and vision of our new leader to guide and shape the organisation to a successful future. We also welcome any feedback from members as we undergo this process, which can be shared with the General Secretary, [email protected].