Former Charity Commission chair Suzi Leather has been appointed as the next chair of Alzheimer’s Society and will take up the role in September.
She will succeed Stephen Hill, who has been chair of Alzheimer's Society for the last seven years.
Leather was chair of the Charity Commission from 2006 to 2012 and is currently chair of the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education and a patron for UK Clinical Ethics Network.
Kate Lee: ‘Brings a wealth of experience to the role’
Kate Lee, chief executive of Alzheimer's Society, said: “I am delighted with the announcement of Suzi as our chair and look forward to working with her. Suzi brings a wealth of experience to the role as well as direct experience of dementia.
“These skills and experience will be integral in supporting us to achieve our ambitious strategy and ending the devastation caused by dementia.
On her appointment, Leather said: “I am extremely pleased to be taking on the role of chair at Alzheimer’s Society at this exciting time.
“I look forward to working with my fellow trustees and colleagues across the organisation to drive forward our ambition of providing help and hope to people with dementia.”
Charity Commission background
The government passed the Charities Act 2006 just after Leather’s appointment as chair of the regulator, which determined charities must provide a benefit to the general public.
During her tenure, she led an investigation into whether independent schools met the requirements for charitable status and was scrutinised for her open membership of the Labour Party.
In 2012, a tribunal hearing between the Charity Commission and Independent Schools Council determined that fee-paying schools must also have public benefit to qualify for charitable status.This would be identified through providing bursaries to children from non-fee-paying schools.
Leather received personalised attacks during her time as Commission chair due to her open membership in the Labour Party, which some argued affected the independence of the regulator.
In 2012, she said: “It didn’t matter who was chair. They would have had a pretty tough job with the Charities Act 2006. It was a shame about the personalised attacks.
“But if you don’t expect to get some press comment in public office you are being naïve. They did not affect me but they were a slur on the independence of the Charity Commission.”
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