Meet Chance Wilson our new Deputy Chief Executive who has joined us recently. The DCE is responsible for the overall smooth running of the Association, with specific responsibility for Cadets and Youth (including the School Cadet Expansion Officer), Human Resource Management (HRM), General Administration, Regionally Generated Income, Information Technology, Transformation, Governance and Assurance.
We put Chance in the hot seat to discover his experience and find out about what he is looking forward to in the role.
Chance Wilson – new Deputy Chief Executive
What military and business experience do you bring to the role?
Prior to being commissioned into the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, at school I was a member of the CCF and immediately following, joined Rowallan Company as a cadet. Having this experience, firstly in the cadets and then as a serving military officer has helped me develop important life skills, a sense of responsibility and fun, as well as instilling personal qualities and values. In the private sector – where I have spent the last 30 years – I have built businesses, led diverse and talented teams and worked with inspirational individuals often through periods of organisational change. Communication, openness, authenticity and collaboration has underpinned this success.
What excites you most about the role?
There are so many aspects to this role, spanning Reserve Forces, Cadets, Commercial Ventures and Corporate responsibilities – no one day is the same, and every day seems to fly into the next week all too quickly. Crucially, each of these areas have a vital purpose and the outputs can be transformational, whether that is a young person benefiting from the cadet experience and being a better person, or enabling our workforce to deliver higher quality, agile services. Linking this together is a service led, customer centric ethos that puts people at the heart of our activities.
What are the biggest tasks you will be addressing?
Rome was never built in a day. Neither are the most globally admired organisations. So whilst on the surface there may be tactical changes that can be implemented, now is the time to listen and learn – and ask lots of questions. By doing so I hope to thoroughly understand how well we provide the services we do, within a matrix of stakeholders, partners and Service Level Agreements (SLAs). So transformation will build on the great work for which the NW RFCA is renowned, innovating rather than re-invention, balanced against some of the constraints unique to the Association.
Additional interests and hobbies?
Outside of work my time is committed to volunteer activities that include Churchwarden, St Catherine’s Church, Birtles, leading community outreach projects and fundraising. Horses and a dog play a significant part of my life, grooming for my wife Jo, a grass-roots competitor in British Eventing and often, looking for my free-roaming Jack-Russel-cross-terrier, Beeswax.
