Sam Younger was appointed as chief executive of the Charity Commission from 1 September 2010. His previous roles include founding chair of the Electoral Commission, director general of the British Red Cross, and managing director of the BBC World Service. He is an independent member of the Greater London Authority Standards Committee and a director of Electoral Reform International Services. Previous non-executive roles include Chair of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education and Chair of Council at the University of Sussex. Sam was appointed Commander of the British Empire in 2009. He is a Companion of the Chartered Management Institute and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and holds a number of honorary and advisory roles in academia.

Previous career history:

Interim chief executive of Bell Educational Trust (2010)
Interim chief executive of Shelter (2009)
Chair of the Electoral Commission (2001-2008)
Director general, British Red Cross (1999-2001)
Managing director, BBC World Service (1994-1998)
Various roles at the BBC World Service (1978-1994)
Assistant editor, Middle East International magazine (1972-78)

In support of the Trust he says

"What is unique about the Trust is the opportunity it offers,to those just embarked on or about to embark on significant leadership roles,to share experiences with their peers in an atmosphere that encourages a degree of personal honesty I have seldom encountered elsewhere"

Sam has been a Patron of the Windsor Leadership Trust since 1999.