Two senior executives at City and Guilds have been placed on leave amid an internal investigation into the sale of the charity’s commercial arm.
Kirstie Donnelly and Abid Ismail, chief executive and chief financial officer, respectively, at City and Guilds, will be “absent from work”, the commercial arm’s new owner PeopleCert told The Guardian newspaper.
PeopleCert, a Greek language certification company, has commissioned an internal investigation into the sale, which was completed in October.
Concerns were raised about the sale, including reports of a possible restructure and Donnelly and Ismail being awarded £1.7m and £1.2m, respectively, in bonus payments, according to The Guardian.
The Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry into the City and Guilds of London Institute last week and is looking into the circumstances surrounding the sale.
In a statement, CGLI trustees said they were “cooperating fully” with the regulator’s investigation.
The PeopleCert statement said: “An internal investigation, led by our legal representatives and non-executive board members, has been commissioned in order to fully understand events before and after the sale by City & Guilds of London Institute (Charitable Foundation) of its awarding, assessment and training business (City & Guilds Limited), including the individual conduct of executives.
“In the meantime, Kirstie Donnelly and Abid Ismail, CEO and CFO of City & Guilds Limited respectively, will be absent from work.
“Their responsibilities have been assumed by other senior leaders to ensure we continue to deliver the best possible experience for partners, customers and learners.”
Donnelly and Ismail have been contacted for comment.