Photo: British Marine Federation
The Royal Yachting Association has announced the appointment of Howard Pridding in the role of interim Director of External Affairs.
No stranger to recreational boating, Howard previously worked in a variety of roles at British Marine for over 27 years and served as Chief Executive for more than five of those. Having taken the decision to seek new opportunities, Howard is joining the RYA later this month [July 2018] and will head up the Cruising, Legal and Government Affairs division.
Experience and knowledge
Throughout his long career, Howard has built his knowledge and deep understanding of the boating industry and has played a leading role in representing the industry to politicians, government officials and the media. As such, he has a wide network of contacts within parliament, government departments and strategic partner organisations that will stand him in excellent stead to build on the RYA’s lobbying successes as the Brexit negotiations continue.
In his new role, Howard will work closely with the Chief Executive and senior management team to ensure that recreational boating interests are represented effectively and that Government, in all its forms, takes full account of the sector’s activities when balancing competing interests. The role has been appointed for an interim period of six months to enable a review of the existing structure and accountabilities of the Cruising, Legal and Government Affairs team.
The Director of External Affairs role also has an ambassadorial role as spokesperson for the recreational boating industry, the RYA’s 111,000 valued members, and the organisation.