A message from the Dean of Hereford

I am delighted to announce that Chapter has appointed Marc Leppard, who has been acting interim, as Chief Operating Officer and Chapter Clerk of Hereford Cathedral from February 1^st. Marc succeeds Chris Milton in this post bringing the skills and passion that will be necessary to secure a sustainable financial and missional future for the cathedral in economic and ecclesiastical circumstances that one can only describe as challenging.

 

Marc Leppard - the new COO and Chapter Clerk

Marc comes to us from working with a UN Agency, UNOPS which provides humanitarian relief in crisis areas. He has a heart for those in need and a care for those he works with matched by a skillset in getting things done and keeping them legal. His previous career has included consultancy in compliance, senior leadership roles at BP and a number of Financial Services regulatory and management roles. As Cathedral Safeguarding Lead this blend of care for people and the ability to enable a healthy culture of compliance will be of great benefit. Marc currently serves the community as Chair of Audit and Risk for NMITE here in the city, together with a wildlife charity and some social housing associations. This last will stand him in good stead as effective CEO of the Cathedral Almshouse Charity.

Marc is a regular worshipping member of the cathedral congregation with his wife Tracey, and has served the Cathedral as a Lay Canon on Chapter for two years. He appears to relish the prospect of giving chapter a run for our money as poacher turned gamekeeper! His experience, skillset, and determination to do his best for staff and volunteers alike, combined with a humility to recognise that there are lots of cathedral quirks that he does not yet understand mean that I can think of no one better to help the cathedral navigate changing times and keep it aligned with its greater mission as part of the Church of Christ.

I hope you will welcome Marc warmly and am confident that Marc and I will work well together. I look forward to seeing what we can do together as Dean and COO to take this great Cathedral into the next phase of its life and ministry in service of the communities we are called to serve in the city, county, diocese and country.