New chief executive for Cats Protection in Chelwood Gate: Mid Sussex​ animal charity welcomes appointment

John May, currently the secretary general of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, is set to join the organisation in early November.

John said: “I’m absolutely chuffed to bits to be joining Cats Protection and look forward to supporting volunteers and staff as we work together to continue the development of this wonderful charity.”

John originally trained as a teacher and has been the national education director of Business in the Community, founding chief executive of Career Ready and chief executive of Young Enterprise.

He is also a former non-executive director of UNICEF and helped found Teach First in the UK, and he was past vice chairman of the World Organization of the Scout Movement.

John said he has always shared his home with cats.

He and his partner live in rural Oxfordshire and have a black- and-white rescue cat called Blenheim.

John said: “I’ve benefited profoundly from the charity’s support to cat owners and can’t wait to join the whole Cats Protection network in championing the organisation’s homing and neutering activities, its advocacy for wider feline welfare, its vital education work and the impact that Cats Protection has in and on society.”

Kit Sturgess, the charity’s chair of trustees, welcomed the appointment, thanking interim CEO Dominic Sullivan who is set to return to his role as director of legal and estates.

Kit said: “John brings a fantastic range of skills and leadership experience to our charity which will greatly enhance our ability to deliver our 10-year strategy.”