Brian Wisdom is to step down as chief executive of People 1st after ten years with the skills and workforce development charity for the hospitality, passenger transport, travel, tourism and retail industries.
He has announced his intention to move on from his position in the latter half of 2014.
Wisdom will remain active as an ambassador for the business. Wisdom’s new role will provide continuity and an extended handover period for the organisation while allowing him his ambition to pursue other non-executive opportunities.
Chief operating officer Simon Tarr will be interim managing director while the board considers the organisation’s long term strategy, chairman David Fairhurst said.
Wisdom, who has led the organisation since its inception, said: “The past ten years have seen huge changes in the skills landscape and I am extremely proud of everything the People 1st team has achieved.
“It now seems like the right time to move on and let the business look at what it wants to achieve in the next ten years.
“We’ve vastly increased the number of apprenticeships within the sector, with more than 60,000 apprentices gaining qualifications in 2012/2013, and have worked with employers and providers to help increase the links between them.
“We have made great strides towards diversity through Women 1st and we’ve also helped the UK enter the top 10 destinations worldwide for the warmth of its visitor welcome for the first time.
“With such great achievements and the success we’ve had with improving the image and professionalism of our industries, it’s the right time to move on.”
Fairhurst, said: “Brian has been a fantastic leader for the past ten years and is a highly respected figure, both within People 1st and across the industries that it represents.
“Naturally we respect his decision to move on from his position as CEO, however we’re looking forward to continue working with him in his role as an ambassador for People 1st.
“During his time as chief executive, Brian has always taken advantage of every opportunity available, expanding the portfolio of industries we work across from hospitality, leisure, travel, and tourism to include both passenger transport and retail in the past few years.
“Under Brian’s leadership we now represent the entire tourism and visitor economy, which makes up one in five employees in the UK and contributes £143 billion to the economy each year.
“This has been especially important in the past few years as People 1st has moved from a grant funding system to becoming a fully self-sustainable business. Brian’s vision and determination have ensured that, as he steps aside, he will hand over an organisation that is well prepared for its next phase of growth.”