Guide Dogs Chief Executive, Bridget Warr, steps down

The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association’s Chief Executive, Bridget Warr, has announced that she will be stepping down from her role in March 2010, after six years at the charity’s helm.

Since 2004, Bridget has led the development and implementation of the charity’s five year strategy ‘Moving Forward Together’. She has also led the organisation through the process of defining its strategy for the next five to ten years.

As Chief Executive, Bridget has helped bring about significant developments in the charity, including increased investment in the guide dog service in order to help more blind and partially-sighted people across the UK to enjoy the same freedom of movement as everyone else. The charity has also fundamentally reviewed the way in which it recruits, trains, and thanks its volunteers. It has also made significant strides in campaigning and fundraising which are now delivering tangible results.

Bridget has regularly represented Guide Dogs on the national and international stage; including as a board member of ACEVO (Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations) and Chair of the International Guide Dog Federation (the global standards body). She also played a fundamental part in pulling together the UK Vision Strategy.

Bridget said: “It will be a huge wrench to leave Guide Dogs but I believe the time is right both for me and the organisation, for me to move on.

“I am proud of the achievements we have made in delivering the last five year strategy, particularly providing hundreds of new guide dog partnerships and achieving changes in the law to uphold the rights of blind and partially-sighted people, in reviewing our approach to supporting volunteers and in our successful campaigning. The guide dog service is second to none.

“Working with Guide Dogs’ clients, volunteers and staff has been an inspiration. It is now time for a new person to take the lead as the organisation sets out to deliver its new 10 year strategy and I want to make a contribution elsewhere.”

Tony Aston, Guide Dogs’ Chair of Trustees commented: “We will miss Bridget’s vision and her unfailing passion for promoting the interests and wellbeing of blind and partially-sighted people across the UK.

"Under Bridget’s leadership we have moved forward significantly in delivering improved high quality services for visually impaired people and have defined our new strategy; helping blind and partially-sighted people to get about.  I am sure her skills and experience will mean that she will continue to work to benefit others.”

Over the coming months Guide Dogs will be advertising and recruiting for a replacement Chief Executive. Guide Dogs hopes that the new Chief Executive will be appointed in time to overlap with Bridget to ensure a smooth handover.

The consultants for the recruitment process are David Fielding and Amy Barden at Tribal (0207 323 7190).