City & Guilds Group appoints Kirstie Donnelly as CEO

Kirstie joined City & Guilds Group in 2011 as Director of Product Development in City & Guilds before becoming Manager Director of City & Guilds and ILM, leading the assessment, credentialing and apprenticeship offers. She received an MBE in June 2011 for contributions to e-learning in the FE/adult learning sector.

Chair of the Board of Trustees, Sir John Armitt commented:

“Her commitment to City & Guilds Group alongside her depth of sector and leadership experience, as well as her passion for skills development makes Kirstie the natural choice for CEO. I and my colleagues on the board look forward to working closely with Kirstie as she continues to deliver against the vision and strategy for the organisation.”

Kirstie Donnelly added:

“I am thoroughly delighted to be taking on this new role permanently at an organisation I love so much. The need to reskill and upskill throughout our working lives has never been more acute and in my new role I will be making it my mission to really change the way the skills & FE sector is viewed. I want to help Government, employers and wider society to understand the critical role we play in helping everyone gain access to the skills and opportunities to succeed as well as ensuring organisations are equipped with the skilled workforces they need to grow and be prosperous.”

Kirstie has been acting as interim CEO since January 2020 and her permanent role will be effective immediately.