Canal and River Trust CEO Richard Parry to step down
The Canal and River Trust has announced that chief executive Richard Parry will step down this summer after 12 years in the role. A recruitment process for his successor as CEO will begin shortly.
Parry joined the trust in 2013, a year after its formation, and has overseen its development into an established national charity.
Parry says: “It has been an honour to lead the trust through such a key period, working to build a sustainable future for our historic canal network, increasing the number of people benefiting from it and wider appreciation of its value to the nation. I have loved working with such committed colleagues and a rising number of amazing volunteers who together deliver the ongoing care that the 250-year-old canal infrastructure demands – and making so many friends amongst those who use our canals and share our passion for them.
“After 12 years, it is the right time for me to hand over to a new chief executive to lead the trust on the next stage of its journey alongside our chair, David Orr, who took up his post two years ago. My departure this summer will fit into a cycle of succession so that David and the new chief executive can look to the longer-term future, including strengthening the trust’s partnership with the government with over four years of the current parliamentary term to run.”
In October, the Canal and River Trust released its annual report & accounts for 2023/24, revealing a year marked by record spending on maintenance, and increasing pressures on its operations due to the ageing canal infrastructure and rising costs exacerbated by climate change and inflation. These challenges come at a critical time, with the trust facing significant government funding cuts set to begin in 2027.
Parry adds: “There is a huge amount of work for the trust to do over the coming months and I will be focusing all my efforts on delivering our priorities until I hand over later this summer.”
Trust chair David Orr says: “Richard has made a fantastic contribution, establishing the trust as a much-admired national charity. He has led the organisation through many challenges and chalked up many achievements over the past 12 years. He has been dedicated to the national treasure that is our canal network, venturing across the country to be a visible, engaging leader.
“We face many more challenges in the years ahead, and the board and I will be looking to recruit a successor of the calibre needed to follow on from Richard, to take the trust forward on the next phase in our journey, to grasp the wonderful opportunities we have to use our canals to support many of our national priorities and improve the lives of millions of people.”
The post Canal and River Trust CEO Richard Parry to step down appeared first on Marine Industry News.
