Churchill College has announced that, after 22 years at the helm of its wholly-owned subsidiary the Møller Institute, Gillian Secrett, its Chief Executive, will leave her position in early 2020 to join the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, as Portfolio Director, leading a leadership development portfolio that puts sustainability at its core. This role will bring together her experience and study of leadership and sustainability.
Professor Dame Athene Donald, Master of Churchill College and Chair of the Møller Institute Board explained, “Gillian has led the strategy, growth and creation from its early years to its current standing of international reach and reputation for delivering high impact leadership development and executive education programmes and as a residential meetings and conference venue of excellence. She has worked with great energy and passion to grow the Institute’s commercial success and contribution to Churchill College, establishing a values-based culture and leadership approach which puts people at the heart of the Institute’s work and success. Gillian has led two major expansion projects of both the business and the iconic building, supported by donations from the Mærsk McKinney Møller Foundation, to further impact and contribute to Churchill College. The Møller Board would like to thank Gillian for the tremendous contribution she has made and wish her the very best in her future endeavours.
“A smooth transition process is in place which will be led by two current members of the Møller Board, Tim How, former Chief Executive of Majestic Wine and College Fellow Professor Sir Mike Gregory, former Head of the Institute for Manufacturing, who will work closely with Gillian and the Møller team over the next two months, as we prepare for her departure at the end of February. They will continue to support the Institute over the following months as we recruit a successor.”
Gillian, who recently completed her Master of Studies degree in Sustainability Leadership at the University of Cambridge, Institute for Sustainability Leadership added, “It has been an amazing journey developing the Møller Institute to what it is today, to deliver the vision of our benefactor Mærsk McKinney Møller and to bring academia and business together for executive education, to extend access to the University of Cambridge. In line with this vision and my own values, we have worked with ‘Constant Care’, putting clients and staff at the heart of everything we do. I would like to thank most sincerely all those who have supported me along the way, including our clients and the exceptionally talented Møller team, as well as the associates/partners at the Møller Institute and Fellows and staff of Churchill College. The Institute is now well established as a leading provider of leadership development and executive education and as a residential venue of excellence. It is hard to imagine moving away from the wonderful people and place that constitute the Møller Institute, our clients and of course, the Churchill College community, all of which I have been committed to serve over these last 22 years. I plan to handover by the end of February and hope very much to continue my association with both the Møller Institute and Churchill College in my new role.”
In June, the Institute celebrated a strong year financially, contributing over £1 million to Churchill College. It is set to exceed this in the current year, having had an exceptional start to 2019/20, delivering a record number of programmes and servicing a record number of clients across the business.