Janette Benaddi MICR CSci
Keywords
Organisation, Recession, Restructuring
As a members’ organisation it is important that all members are kept up to date with current and future plans, in addition to receiving regular updates on how we are progressing.
Like most organisations, the Institute has experienced a difficult operating environment this year, caused by the global recession. However, the Board of Directors and Senior Management Team (SMT) took early, proactive steps at the beginning of the year to manage us through the recession. These included a thorough overhaul of our operating costs to limit expenditure, we are starting to see the benefits of these actions. Of course, minimising costs is not the only area of the organisation on which we have been focussed, as we need to ensure we are fit for the future. To continue with our efforts, the Board recently commissioned an independent review of our organisation to ensure we are addressing the needs of our members in the best possible way. The overriding aim was to ensure we are operating in the most effective way to meet the needs of our members and, as the global economic recovery begins, put ourselves in the best position to develop the role and influence of ICR for the future.
The review recommended structural changes at both staff and Board levels, and these recommendations have been accepted by the board for implementation. This has resulted principally in a change in the structure of the SMT within the office and some likely Board re-organization. The SMT comprises: Sue Fitzpatrick (Education Manager), Michelle Noble (Head of Membership Services), Martin Robinson (Principal Training Consultant), and Lisa Wyatt (Head of Finance and Administration). This group is supported by nine other integral team members, who many of you already know well. An up-to-date list of key contacts is available on our website.
The changes will ensure that the Institute offers relevance and value to its membership whilst enabling avenues of stronger focus and growth in the future. One exciting area is a focus on our members by forming a stronger dedicated Membership Services Department, which will be headed by Michelle Noble, who many of you know very well. Michelle will be working hard over the coming months to develop our services for you and to ensure that you are getting value for money. In the New Year it’s likely you will receive more direct questions about our services, and we will be more proactive in asking you for feedback.
Members of the Board have recently spent a lot of time at the ICR office and have been much more hands-on. This has been extremely helpful in implementing the recent changes and we are very grateful to them for giving up their time freely to see the changes through successfully.
As many of you know, this month we say goodbye to John Hooper, ICR’s CEO. John’s contribution to the development and growth of ICR over the past five years has been immense and I would like to note here the Board’s sincere thanks for John’s unstinting dedication to the success of ICR in his time with us.
We would like to thank you, our members, for your continuing support. We have received many communications from you supporting ICR over recent months, as we have gone through the change management process. The staff are extremely encouraged by this.
The Board believes that the re-structuring process will make ICR a much more efficient and productive organisation and that we will be in a much stronger position.
One thing I have come to understand better since I took over the role of Chair, in April this year, is that there is an extremely high level of loyalty and dedication to our Institute not just from our internal staff at Institute House but also amongst you, our members. This has impressed me greatly and is extremely encouraging. ICR is a fantastic organisation, with extremely professional and motivated members; my fellow Directors and I and feel very privileged and very proud to be part of this.
Janette Benaddi MICR CSci (janette@medvance.co.uk) is Chief Executive Officer of Medvance Ltd and Chair of The Institute of Clinical Research.
