Getting on Board has appointed the former chief executive of FoodCycle as its new head.
Mary McGrath takes up the reins at the charity, which supports people from underrepresented backgrounds to become trustees, from Penny Wilson, who announced in April that she would be leaving after seven years in the job.
Wilson, who has written a regular column for Third Sector, previously said that she “needs a rest” before deciding her next steps.
McGrath, who stepped into the top job today, brings 30 years of voluntary sector experience to the position.
She spent 10 years as chief executive of FoodCycle, which provides community meals to people who are hungry and lonely, before becoming its chair in January.
In 2021 McGrath was appointed MBE in the New Years Honours list for her professional and voluntary services to disadvantaged people.
McGrath has also been a trustee of The Bread and Butter Thing, a charity that works with vulnerable people to make everyday essentials more affordable, from October 2016 to March this year .
From April 2012 to September 2013, McGrath worked as a special project manager for FareShare, a charity that distributes companies’ surplus food products to charities in the UK.
“I am passionate about the role trustees have to play in ensuring that UK charities are the best they possibly can be in order to lead to a better society for all,” she said.
“Through dialogue with charities and individuals we will facilitate charity boards to be diverse, ambitious, well-run and in the long run help solve some of society’s biggest challenges.”
Grant Taylor and Julie Nerney, co-chairs of Getting on Board, said: “This was an incredibly competitive selection process and we are delighted to have appointed Mary to lead us through this exciting period of growth and expansion.
“We are more ambitious than ever to offer the widest possible access to learning about trusteeship, make trusteeship more accessible and empower unheard voices in the process.”