Melanie Harmitt has been appointed the new CEO of Holstein UK Group, moving on from her current position as company secretary and chief finance officer (CFO).
As CEO, Harmitt will oversee the management of the Holstein UK Group which includes the charity, Holstein UK, and two subsidiary companies, the Cattle Information Service (CIS) and the National Bovine Data Centre (NBDC).
In addition to working with the management teams, she will support the board of trustees to establish and deliver the company’s five-year strategy.
Michael Smale, chairman of Holstein UK, welcomed Harmitt to her new role on behalf of the board.
“We are delighted that Melanie accepted the position of CEO,” he said.
“Melanie’s experience of how the business operates and the charity sector is of tremendous importance to delivering efficiency, advancement, and competitiveness to the Holstein Group.”
Before joining Holstein UK Group, Harmitt’s career spanned a range of sectors and disciplines, with extensive experience in the operational aspect of businesses in particular the charity sector.
She is a also CIPFA qualified chartered accountant with 30 years accounting experience and specialist skills in public sector, education and charity accounting.
In the past five years since joining the company in 2017, Harmitt worked, alongside her predecessor Sue Cope, to “future-proof” the group and take it forward, the company said.
“The appointment continues the stability that has been brought to the group over the past five years and we are very confident that Melanie will deliver the strategic objectives,” Smale added.
Cope passed away in May after a short battle with an illness.
Harmitt said she is “honoured to have been given the opportunity to continue Sue’s legacy and looks forward to delivering the objectives”.
“I am proud that the trustees recognise the work that myself and Sue Cope delivered to take the group forward,” Harmitt added.
“I am passionate about aligning resources to deliver the best possible services for members and customers and encouraging working across all departments to provide a joined-up approach to service delivery,” she said.
