Appointment of New Chief Executive Officer, Philip Bramson

Philip joins us with a strong background in leading mental health organisations and a passion for championing the needs of people experiencing mental distress. His experience will be instrumental in leading us as we enter the next phase of our organisation, as we continue to evolve and deliver for our communities.

In his new role, Philip will focus on embedding our current 2-year business plan while also supporting the Board and collaborating with staff, volunteers, service users, and other stakeholders to develop our long-term strategy.

We are excited to welcome Philip to the team, effective from 2 September.

Philip shared his enthusiasm for the role, saying:

“I am absolutely thrilled to be joining Rochdale and District Mind as its new Chief Executive in September. I will soon leave my role as Chief Executive of The Advonet Group after nearly 12 years. Advonet is an advocacy charity in Leeds, where I helped the organisation grow, partner with others and develop new services to address unmet needs. My current job, life experience and previous roles have given me good understanding of challenges facing people needing support over their mental health.

My first paid job in the charity world was for Mind in Barnet back in 1993 as a drop-in worker. Since then, I have held a variety of roles in health social care charities: working in a project for people who were street homeless with complex mental needs, being a Senior Leader in KeyRing, a national charity which wanted to deepen its mental health expertise and managing 3 housing schemes for people experiencing mental distress. My career has shaped my approach, which has three key aspects: continuous learning, the power of collaboration, and a person-centred approach. Valuing lived experience and including diverse voices in any conversation help builds resilience. Resilience is always important, but especially in these times which are so challenging communities and charities.

In my new job, I want to get to talk to as many people as possible – staff, volunteers, service users and partners. I want to understand people’s perspectives and to talk about how together we can build on Rochdale and District Mind’s incredible success and make an even bigger difference for local people dealing with mental health issues. I can’t wait until September!”

Mike Ruiter will stay on as interim CEO until that time and handover to Philip. The Board would like to thank Mike for his part in shaping the business plan and his leadership in the past few months.

Posted on: 17th June 2024