Benaifer Bhandari has stepped down as chief executive of Board Racial Diversity UK after only a month in post for personal reasons.

Bhandari, who has more than 25 years’ worth of experience in campaigning for racial and gender equity, took up the post in early November 2025 but late last month the charity announced she was leaving.

Although she has left the role she has agreed to continue supporting the charity as an associate consultant.

Bhandari, who has returned to live in Glasgow, said that her time at Board Racial Diversity UK showed her “that I can have greater impact in a more sustainable way by working as an ad-hoc consultant, to continue promoting diverse boards across the UK”.

Last year she was also appointed as co-CEO of the Anti-Racism Observatory for Scotland. She begins in this part-time role this month, which is based at the University of Strathclyde and funded by the Scottish Government.

She joined Board Racial Diversity UK from Hopscotch Women’s Centre in London, where she was chief executive.

Board Racial Diversity UK said it was “sadness” that it had announced her departure as CEO but it is “delighted” that she has agreed to stay on as a consultant.

“We are grateful for the positive impact she has made during her time with us and we wish her well in her new CEO role starting in January,” said the charity, which added that its founder Malcolm John will stand in as acting CEO while it searches for a permanent replacement.

In December Board Racial Diversity UK was one of four organisations to receive funding by funder Henry Smith Foundation to help charities improve trustee diversity.

---