Unicef UK chief quits after bullying claims against chairman

The executive director of Unicef UK has resigned amid allegations of bullying by the charity’s chair.

Unicef UK confirmed it had accepted Sacha Deshmukh’s resignation on Tuesday “with regret”, less than six months after he started the role, and that it had launched an internal review into the complaints against the chair, Douglas Alexander.

The board of trustees said the allegations had come as a surprise and were the first formal complaints they had received on the issue. The publication Third Sector reports the allegations against Alexander include that he “repeatedly displayed aggressive language and behaviour, including shouting at staff”.

It also reports that Deshmukh raised concerns with the board in August that “about 10 staff had experienced similar patterns of aggressive and bullying behaviour” and that sources say the charity had limited the number of staff in contact with Alexander to avoid further complaints.

The board’s lack of action over the issue made Deshmukh’s position “untenable”, Third Sector reports.

Alexander was the Labour MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South from 1997 to 2015 and held various ministerial positions under prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, as well as serving in Ed Miliband’s shadow cabinet. He lost his seat in the 2015 general election.

Unicef UK denies Deshmukh’s resignation is related to the bullying allegations against Alexander and said it did not recognise claims it had failed to investigate the complaints properly.

A Unicef UK spokesperson said: “These allegations come as a surprise to the board, as no formal complaint has ever been received regarding any of these issues.

“However, as you would expect, we take this very seriously and a full internal review has been launched today – carried out by two trustees and one external adviser – and they will report back to the board as quickly as possible.

“It would be wrong to discuss this further while the investigation is ongoing. Douglas Alexander continues to have the support of the board, who will continue their crucial work for children during this period while the review takes place.”

Deshmukh started his role at Unicef in April, after stepping down as the chief executive of Smart Energy GB, the government-backed campaign to roll out energy smart metres across the country. He has also served as chair of charity War Child UK for six years.

The Unicef UK board of trustees said Deshmukh will remain in post until the new interim leadership is announced and the search for a new executive director will start immediately.

“In the meantime, the board has every confidence in the strengths of the existing executive team and the dedicated staff as a whole, to take forward the charity at this vital time with its work focused on improving the lives of the world’s children,” the board said in a statement.