British Heart Foundation restructure sees three senior executives depart

The British Heart Foundation has streamlined its senior team as it looks to recover from a 50% cut in its income due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The move sees three of its senior executives leave and the charity’s eight directorates reduced to six.

Director of fundraising and current chair of the Institute of Fundraising Amanda Bringans, will leave after five years with the charity.

Carolan Davidge, the BHF’s director of marketing and engagement will also depart, after joining the charity in 2014.

Meanwhile, director of healthcare innovation Jacob West is also leaving. He joined in 2018 and is a former deputy director of the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, advising on health, education and criminal justice.

The BHF says all three “have decided to leave the charity to pursue new opportunities”.

The restructure sees the charity’s medical and health care innovation directorates merged into a single team led by medical director Sir Milesh Samani.

In addition, fundraising, engagement and marketing are to be merged into a new team, as part of the restructure.

In July, it emerged that 300 jobs are at risk at the BHF due to the “devastating” income fall due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The charity hopes at least half of these job losses will be met by current vacancies. A consultation is taking place on the plans.

“The coronavirus crisis is the biggest challenge we’ve faced in our 60-year history, and our dedicated teams have left no stone unturned in trying to fight it. But we need to take bold steps to protect our life-saving work,” said BHF chief executive Dr Charmaine Griffiths.

“Such a challenge brings into sharp focus the core of who we are as an organisation. The changes we’re making will accelerate work that’s already underway and will protect and prioritise our ability to fund world-leading cardiovascular research.

“The action we’re taking should give confidence to our colleagues, supporters and beneficiaries that we will maximise every aspect of what we do in pursuit of our mission to save and improve lives, and that we will thrive as the nation’s heart charity despite the challenges ahead.”

“We know this announcement comes at a difficult time for our talented BHF team. Whilst the decisions affecting my Executive Team have been taken, the implications for the rest of the organisation and the two new directorates are still to be agreed and initial proposals for how this might look will form part of the collective consultation.”