I am delighted to be taking on the role of Chair at We Are Group. This is a company which captures much of what has enthused me throughout my career – a commitment to support people who for whatever reason have been excluded from the mainstream, and providing support not only to unlock their agency but provide hope and confidence in their future.
What particularly excites me is that We Are Group reflects my own professional journey.
I started out as a social worker and probation officer working within the public sector, and in the early 2000s moved across to the voluntary sector where I became immersed in the potential of social enterprise to change lives.
I spent the last 11 years of my executive career leading Catch22, a charity by governance but a social business by practice and culture. During this journey I became an enthusiastic believer in the power of commercial discipline as an enabler of social impact.
We Are Group is a private company operating to deliver social purpose, it has attracted investment from a range of sources, all of whom are committed fundamentally to the delivery of social impact and to prove the thesis that profit with a purpose is a powerful business model.
I am very much looking forward to working with the senior team under the leadership of Jonathan Prew who over the last few months, as I’ve got to know the business, have impressed me enormously with their commitment to providing high quality services to those we support. I am also indebted to Ralph Catto, the departing Chair, who has led the board with enormous skill and commitment over the last 6 years, and has done much to create a platform where the business can grow and reach out to many more thousands of people in need of our support.
What we know is that contemporary Great Britain is in the midst of a technological revolution where the discourse is informed by a belief that the way services interface with their customers or clients is going to be digital, and AI is the future enabler of efficient and effective services. But over 11 million people are digitally excluded and lack the personal confidence and skills to access these services. If ever there was a need for We Are Group, it is now.
With the support of our principal investors Impact Partners and Shaping Impact Group, I very much look forward to building on the work of the last few years and contributing to responding to the challenge set out above.
Chris Wright
Chris began his career as a social worker and probation officer in the public sector before transitioning to the voluntary sector in the early 2000s. There, he discovered the transformative potential of social enterprises in changing lives. For 11 years, Chris served as CEO of Catch22, a charity driven by a social buisness ethos. Currently, Chris is Chair at We Are Group, a private company dedicated to delivering social purpose and demonstrating the strength of profit-with-purpose as a sustainable business model.
