Ross Moorlock appointed CEO of Brake

Brake has announced that Ross Moorlock will become the new chief executive officer (CEO) of the road safety charity.

Moorlock has been interim CEO since April 2023, when founder and former chief executive Mary Williams retired and stepped down from the role after 29 years.

Prior to becoming interim CEO, he was chief operating officer at Brake, having joined the charity back in 2017. 

He said “It’s a real privilege to have been chosen for this role and to lead Brake in what is an exciting new chapter for the charity.

“I am fortunate to work with a fantastically talented and motivated operational team and board at Brake, and I’m excited about continuing our work together as we grow the scale and impact of our organisation even further.

“The charity enters 2024 more determined than ever to stop crashes on our roads, reduce harm and support those affected through our National Road Victim Service.”  

Deborah Sleightholme, chair of Brake’s trustees, added: “Ross has shown real leadership, passion and commitment, to the charity, its people, and those who it supports, since accepting the interim position nine months ago, and long before that too in his role as chief operating officer.

“The charity has flourished under his watch, and we have exciting plans for 2024 onwards, as we focus on achieving our aims of stopping crashes, reducing harm and supporting those who need it.

“The board is confident Ross is the right person to deliver, and we are looking forward to supporting him in his new role." 

Since taking the reins as interim CEO, Moorlock has overseen a period of significant expansion at Brake.

In 2023, the charity grew from 37 employees in January, to 62 in December, with growth across all teams including campaigns, fundraising and operations, but most significantly within the National Road Victim Service.

He has also overseen the delivery of some of Brake’s biggest annual events and campaigns.

In June 2023, Brake’s Kids Walk campaign saw 110,000 children from 720 schools take to the streets to shout out for safe spaces to walk, and Road Safety Week in November reached 18 million people through participation in schools, communities and organisations in one of the biggest campaigns yet.

Going forward, Moorlock said: “Partnership and collaboration will play an important part in our success.

“I look forward to working with the incredible people and organisations who share Brake’s vision for tackling the significant road safety challenges we face as a society.

“We must now all work together to achieve our shared goal of ending the daily deaths and serious injuries on our roads. We know there is much work to be done and change to be made and we have to make 2024 a year of action and progress.”