Trustees appoint a Chief Executive who is responsible for carrying out policy on their behalf. YHA employs a Chief Executive, and 7 directors responsible for all aspects of YHA’s work.
The current Chairman is Chris Darmon and the Chief Executive is Caroline White.
YHA employs up to 1350 staff in total, including approximately 600 who are seasonally employed, 500 employed all year round at Youth Hostels and 150 in the National Office at Matlock in Derbyshire.
Chris Darmon - Chairman
Chris Darmon was elected as Chairman of YHA at the Annual General Meeting in 2007. He has had a lifelong involvement with YHA, starting off as a seasonal assistant and becoming involved with regional committees in the 1970s. He has held the post of vice chairman for the past 10 years.
Chris first stayed with YHA as a twelve year old on a YHA Eagle Adventure holiday – an early forerunner of today’s summer camps programme - and still uses YHA accommodation regularly. He believes that the organisation should be the natural provider of outdoor education for all young people and wants to see YHA expand through working with others in the public, private and voluntary sectors.
Outside YHA, Chris is founder and chairman of Geosupplies Ltd, a leading supplier of geological equipment primarily to the professional and business market. He has a degree in Geology, is a part time lecturer at Sheffield University and in his spare time organises and leads geological holidays in the UK, Iceland and Poland.
Caroline White - Chief Executive
Caroline White joined YHA on 1 April 2008 as Interim CEO following Roger Clarke's resignation and was subsequently appointed as Chief Executive.
From a working background in the voluntary sector, over the last 20 years Caroline has led small and large voluntary organisations including the English Churches Housing Group and the Alzheimer’s Society as well as operating her own consultancy. She is married, with a son and a daughter, and lives in London.