CPRE, the countryside charity appoints new CEO

Trustees of CPRE, the countryside charity are delighted to announce that we have appointed Roger Mortlock as the new CEO.

Roger joins CPRE from the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust (GWT) where he has been CEO for the past nine years. He has led the GWT through a period of significant change, increasing the ambition of their programmes and doubling income. On the national stage, Roger is an experienced campaigner. At GWT he developed and launched the UK’s first green infrastructure benchmark and led on several national agricultural policy projects for the Wildlife Trusts.

Prior to the GWT, Roger was Deputy Director of the Soil Association and, before that, Director of Communications with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Commenting on the appointment, Simon Murray, chair of CPRE, the countryside charity said:

‘Along with enormous energy and enthusiasm, Roger will bring a special blend of skills and experience to the CPRE movement at this important time, both for the organisation and for the countryside. The Trustees and I are really excited about this appointment and we can’t wait for Roger to get started.’

Roger Mortlock, incoming CEO of CPRE, the countryside charity, said:

‘CPRE champions many of the issues I’m most passionate about so I’m thrilled to be joining the team. The countryside is facing some unprecedented challenges so a strong voice from CPRE nationally and locally is more important than ever. It’s already an organisation punching above its weight and I’m looking forward to building momentum across the whole movement in the run up to CPRE’s centenary in 2026.’

Roger will officially start with CPRE on Tuesday 2 May 2023 and succeeds Crispin Truman OBE, who was CEO from 2017 to 2022 and is now director of the Rayne Foundation.