HRH THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH HANDS OVER PATRONAGE OF THE CHARTERED MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE TO HRH THE COUNTESS OF WESSEX

• His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh has handed over the Patronage of the Chartered Management Institute to Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex
• The Chartered Management Institute is the chartered professional body for management and leadership, counting more than 175,000 managers and leaders in its membership community
• The Duke of Edinburgh has been an Honorary Fellow of the Institute since 1969, before becoming Patron in 1992

His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh today hands over the Patronage of The Chartered Management Institute, the chartered professional body for management and leadership, to Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex.

The Duke of Edinburgh has been associated with The Chartered Management Institute for 50 years, having become an Honorary Fellow in 1969, and subsequently Royal Patron in 1992. During The Duke of Edinburgh's tenure as Patron, the CMI has led the debate on the future of management and leadership, the gender pay gap, employee wellbeing and engagement, as well as talent management and diversity.

This evening, Wednesday 15 May, The Countess of Wessex will attend The Chartered Management Institute’s annual President’s Dinner at Kensington Palace. This event honours outstanding achievements by UK managers and will be Her Royal Highness's first event as Patron.

On The Countess's appointment, Bruce Carnegie-Brown, President of The Chartered Management Institute, said:

I would like to take this opportunity to thank The Duke of Edinburgh for his fifty years' service to The Chartered Management Institute, both as an Honorary Fellow and as Royal Patron. During that time, with The Duke’s support, we have seen incredible progress towards increasing the number and standard of professionally qualified managers and leaders. I warmly welcome The Countess of Wessex as The Duke’s successor and look forward to continuing to champion important causes for managers and leaders within UK industry, under the Royal Patronage of Her Royal Highness.

Ann Francke, Chief Executive of The Chartered Management Institute, added:

The Countess is a tireless supporter of UK business and workplace diversity, and I am honoured that she will become the CMI's new Royal Patron. With The Countess’s support we will continue our efforts to inspire managers to become better managers, particularly when it comes to the advancement of inclusive leadership.

The Countess of Wessex is an active supporter of UK industry, and in particular works to promote the role of women in the workplace. In addition to her work with the CMI, Her Royal Highness also works closely with Women’s Network Forum, which aims to promote gender equality across UK businesses, and is Chair of The Duke of Edinburgh's Women in Business Group.