Sailors’ Society appoints Sara Baade new CEO

(Posted on 10/07/20)

Global maritime charity Sailors’ Society has announced the appointment of Sara Baade as its new Chief Executive Officer, starting in September 2020.

Sara has a strong background in management and strategic policy and brings extensive experience in leading an international welfare charity from her current role as CEO of The Army Families Federation.

Her career also includes working as a senior civil servant for the Department of Business Innovation and Skills, a directorship at the charity UK Skills and substantial experience in investment banking.

Sailors’ Society’s Chair of Trustees, Peter Swift, said: “We are delighted to have secured such a strong candidate to take over and build on Sailors’ Society work providing a lifeline for seafarers and their families around the world.

“Our new CEO joins us as at a time of great innovation, as we offer new virtual services to complement our traditional roles, including our industry-leading Wellness at Sea programme and our family outreach.

“Sara is admirably equipped for the challenging role of developing and building the Society while securing our sustainability in the current and future environment. We look forward to welcoming her onboard as we chart our future course.”

Sara said: “Sailors’ Society is a charity that not only delivers a real positive difference to seafarers, but also to the wider seafaring community and I couldn’t be more honoured and excited to join and lead the charity going forwards.”

Sailors’ Society has been bringing people together for more than 200 years, transforming the lives of seafarers and their families at home, in port and at sea through the delivery of chaplaincy, education and the relief of poverty and distress.

The charity works internationally to provide practical, emotional and spiritual welfare support to the world’s 1.6m seafarers, regardless of background or faith. Sailors’ Society chaplains and ship visitors have a presence in more than 90 global ports, with wider projects and services covering 30 countries.