David Fletcher has been promoted to chief executive of Katharine House Hospice after four years at the charity.
Fletcher, who joined the Stafford-based charity in 2022 as its director of care, will succeed Richard Soulsby.
Soulsby left the charity earlier this month after 27 years in charge to take up the top job at the Hospice of the Good Shepherd.
Fletcher began his career as a paramedic working on ambulances, rapid-response cars and air ambulance services.
He held senior roles across healthcare and education prior to his time at KHH and was also a founding director of his own consultancy from 2017 until it was dissolved in 2020.
“My priority is to honour what makes Katharine House Hospice so special: the care, compassion and trust at the heart of the charity,” Fletcher said.
“We have a proud 37-year history, built by our community, staff and volunteers, and I want to protect and strengthen that as we look to the future.
“We need to keep evolving so we can meet the needs of more people, earlier in their illness, and in the places that matter most to them.”
Peter Catchpole, chair of Katharine House Hospice, said Fletcher would bring a wealth of clinical, operational and strategic leadership alongside a “deep understanding” of the hospice and the communities it serves.
“[Fletcher has] already made a significant impact since joining Katharine House Hospice, and the Board is confident he will lead the charity with compassion, ambition and integrity as we move into our next chapter,” said Catchpole.