After eight years at The Brilliant Club, Chief Executive Dr Chris Wilson has announced his intention to stand down from the role early next year. Chris will continue to lead the charity until a successor has been appointed.
Chris began his time at the charity as a PhD Tutor for The Scholars Programme delivering tutorials on medieval history. The Brilliant Club now partners with over 800 schools and 40 universities and, in 2019/20, will work with over 15,000 pupils.
Dr Chris Wilson said:
“By the time I stand down, I will have been at The Brilliant Club eight years. I am sad to be leaving, but hugely proud of what has been achieved in that time. The charity is now a truly national organisation with a reputation for financial sustainability and robust measurement of impact. This is a huge credit to the vision of the Co-Founders, the leadership of the Board of Trustees and the hard work and good judgement of all of the exceptional colleagues I have had the pleasure to work with.”
“Next year is the right moment for me to step aside to allow someone else to continue the charity’s important and urgent mission. By then, we will have started to develop The Brilliant Club’s next five-year strategy and it is right that the incoming CEO has time, space and support to make a significant contribution to this process, before leading on its implementation. Although I will find it very difficult to leave an organisation which has played such a major part in my life, I am confident that it is the right decision for me and the charity.”
Dame Sue John, Chair of the Board of Trustees, said:
“Chris has been a wonderful leader of The Brilliant Club and an absolute pleasure to work alongside. He has led the organisation with confidence, intellect and compassion, extending the reach of our work and improving the prospects of thousands of young people in the process. It is a testament to Chris’ style and approach that he is hugely well-liked among the team and sets the standards for everyone else to follow.
“Chris’ exit leaves us with huge shoes to fill but I’m confident we can find the right person to take on this important role. There is no doubt this is a fantastic opportunity for someone that shares our passion for increasing the number of underrepresented pupils that progress to highly-selective universities. As Trustees, we are proud that The Brilliant Club is a great place to work and we will be seeking a new Chief Executive who shares our values, as well as a commitment to our mission.”
A job specification for the role of CEO can be found on the Prospectus website, here.