Steve Le Page has been appointed as chairman of the Board of the St John Ambulance & Rescue Service.

Mr Le Page will lead on the implementation of the strategic direction of the company which is set in conjunction with the Bailiwick of Guernsey’s Commandery of St John, the governing body for all St John activity.

St John Ambulance & Rescue Service operates, with the authority of the States of Guernsey, the Island’s emergency ambulance service – 24 hours a day, providing accident and emergency cover and paramedic response.

Mr Le Page takes over from Dave Clark who served in this position for four years and who retired at the end of 2014 after having sat on the Board of St John Ambulance and Rescue for a number of years.  Mr Clark will remain involved with St John as a Trustee Director of the Commandery.

Mr Le Page joined the St John Ambulance & Rescue Board in January 2014, having retired as a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2013.  Achartered accountant, he brings substantial financial and commercial expertise to the Board. He led the negotiations last year with the States of Guernsey, to continue to provide the emergency road ambulance and patient transfer service to the Guernsey community.  His skillset has already proved of great value as the company adapts to the demands and financial constraints of the new contract.

Nik van Leuven, chairman of the Bailiwick of Guernsey’s Commandery of St John is confident that Mr Le Page will continue to successfully lead the delivery of the organisation’s strategy as it adapts and develops to reflect the Bailiwick community it serves.

“Steve demonstrates an extensive skillset gained from his significant commercial experience within the local finance sector. This will be essential in shaping the future direction of the service, ultimately focusing on ensuring it provides value for money whilst maintaining the excellent standards of service delivery which our community has come to expect from St John Ambulance & Rescue Service,’ said Mr Van Leuven.

The chairman is responsible for working closely with the States of Guernsey steering committee which has been put in place to oversee the delivery of the revised contractual agreement, which runs until 2018.

He believes the strength of the service and the heart of the organisation lie with its employees and the support provided by the St John Ambulance volunteer base.  Mr Le Page has outlined that his priorities as chairman are to maintain the reputation of the organisation and its people, and its service levels.

“I believe that change is inevitable, and organisations should appropriately equip themselves for it – whether the change is internal, external or within or outside of your control.  Whilst we cannot plan precisely for change, we can prepare for it as much as possible.  It is therefore my focus to build a flexible structure for the service which will ensure it is fit for purpose for the future,” said Mr Le Page.

St John Ambulance & Rescue Service is proud to have delivered the emergency ambulance service in an efficient and effective manner to the Guernsey community for more than 75 years.