Where now for the CIBT?

Adrian Belton resigns as CITB Chief Executive December 12, 2016 / Isla MacFarlane
Where now for the CIBT?

CITB Chairman James Wates has announced that Adrian Belton has resigned as Chief Executive and will leave at the end of 2016.

Sarah Beale, currently Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Performance Director, will become Acting Chief Executive.

“I would like to thank Adrian for his dedicated service to CITB and to our industry,” said Wates. “In the past three years, Adrian has led the development of key organisational reforms that have enabled and shaped CITB’s future offer to industry. Now that a plan has been delivered to the Board, Adrian has decided the time is right to leave CITB and pass on the baton for a successor to deliver on that plan.”

Belton’s departure has raised the eyebrows of some industry commentators. “CITB has some big challenges ahead if it is to address industry’s own concerns regarding its fitness for purpose,” said Mark Farmer, chief executive of Cast and author of government-commissioned review. “Ultimately refreshed leadership of this body could be important but I suspect will be viewed as tokenism by some.

“Any reform or review of the CITB will be like ‘moving deckchairs around on the Titanic’ unless some of the bigger picture issues facing the industry raised in my recent review are addressed. These require a coordinated and wholesale modernisation and change programme driven by industry and clients and supported by government. This is a much bigger problem than just reorganising CITB.”

However, Wates has assured the industry that he will be steadying the helm for the new Chief Executive. “As Chairman, I will take a more direct role in engaging with industry during this time, and providing support to Sarah and the rest of the executive team, in whom the CITB Board and I place our full confidence,” he said.

“CITB is now moving onto the next phase of its reform, which is engaging with industry on how it will support, delivering the required change and consulting on a new Levy Order,” Wates added. “This includes reforming the Grants Scheme to ensure that Levy funds are invested in the skills most needed by our industry.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Miranda Mylne

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