Hicks prepares to stand down as Book Trade Charity c.e.o.

David Hicks, chief executive of the Book Trade Charity, is to stand down in 2021 after 27 years in the role.

Hicks will remain in post until the end of March 2021 and the charity is this week launching a recruitment process for his successor.

He told The Bookseller his move had been long-planned because of his age, and the board had started looking for the next c.e.o. now to ensure an efficient handover.

Hicks said: “I'm staying on to make sure that our project at Whetstone is completed and obviously there's a lot of other things to do in the meantime.

“It's not a rushed decision or anything, this has been planned for 18 months or so.”

The announcement follows a hugely successful year for the charity, which benefited from £130,000 in donations to its hardship fund thanks to a fundraising drive from publishers alongside a surprise £250,000 donation by Amazon.

A £3m refurbishment of its subsidised housing project at Whetsone in Barnet is also under way, offering flats and bedsits to young people during their first or second jobs in the industry.