Paul Breckell, the ebullient finance chief at Action on Hearing Loss, has been promoted to chief executive, succeeding Jackie Ballard.

Breckell, 41, has been managing director of corporate resources at the disability charity since July 2007 and played a pivotal role in its recent strategic overhaul and rebranding.

Previously he was finance director at Church Mission Society (CMS), where he oversaw the relocation of the charity’s head office and training centre from two premises in London and Birmingham to a single site in Oxford.

He was also chair of Charity Finance Group and still chairs its impact reporting steering group.  He chairs CIPFA’s voluntary sector panel too, and is a regular contributor to Charity Finance and civilsociety.co.uk.

New five-year phase

Action on Hearing Loss – the former RNID - is just entering a new five-year phase of building its new strategy, a process that will involve staff, supporters and other external stakeholders. Breckell said he was excited to lead this journey.

“I feel very passionate about our biomedical research work into finding a cure for hearing loss and tinnitus, and our excellent local service delivery which supports thousands of people with hearing loss throughout the UK,” he said.

“I want Action on Hearing Loss to have a vibrant and passionate national voice, defending the equal rights of people who are deaf or have hearing loss, and I would like to see us grow our international networks, bringing more profile for our biomedical research, but also enabling us to share learning and best practice.”

He takes up his new job on 20 August, replacing Jackie Ballard who quit recently to become chief executive of Womankind Worldwide.