New chief executive returns for new challenge

20.10.11

We have appointed international communications boss Gavin Grant as our new chief executive.

Gavin takes over at the start of 2012 as we look to sustain our anti-cruelty programmes while cutting costs amid the continuing economic slump.

Despite reducing our annual running costs by £10 million since 2009, we’re concerned by the stagnating economy's effects on animals. 

Gavin, a former RSPCA director, said:

The RSPCA is the world’s biggest and best animal welfare charity. It has an immense amount to be proud of and more to do in a challenging environment for all charities. 

People in this country care passionately about animals. There is enormous public support for the RSPCA and our work, and we need to harness that goodwill even more effectively to help meet these serious challenges.

Gavin - who has a dog and three cats - has substantial commercial, leadership and communications experience.

He was our director of campaigns and communication between 1988-91. He led communications for The Body Shop, and joins the RSPCA from the UK arm of the global public relations company Burson-Marsteller (B-M) where he was Chairman (B-M are the largest PR firm in Sir Martin Sorrell's WPP). While there Gavin founded B-M’s corporate responsibility unit and provided a range of international clients with strategic advice. 

Achieving big things

Gavin added:

The RSPCA is a big charity that achieves big things - when I was last at the RSPCA, we campaigned for a ban on conventional cages. Thanks to constant public support and action, that ban finally becomes law in January. 

We also wanted compulsory dog registration to promote responsible ownership. The moves towards this in Wales are great but the bigger battle is yet to be won. 

The RSPCA is unique - only the RSPCA can rescue abused animals and bring the abusers to justice.  

Our country reputation is as a nation of animal lovers. Sadly the truth can be very different. We have a chance to put that right.

Gavin takes over from retiring chief executive Mark Watts. Meanwhile he'll be out and about meeting RSPCA inspectors, staff, branches and volunteers throughout England and Wales. 
 

Every year the RSPCA finds more loving new homes for abandoned and abused animals than any other organisation.

We couldn’t do that without the support of our branches, volunteers and staff. They do so much for animals in need. I want to meet as many of them as possible before I start.

Key facts and figures

On average every 30 seconds someone in England and Wales dials 0300 1234 999 – our 24-hour cruelty line - for help. We received more than 1.1 million phone calls during 2010.

We work to improve the lives of millions of farm, laboratory, companion and wild animals.

We have about 460 uniformed staff working on the frontline to prevent cruelty and promote kindness to animals in England and Wales.

During 2010, we rescued and collected 130,033 animals, investigated 159,686 cruelty complaints and found loving new homes for 83,268 animals.