The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) plans to change its leadership team as it transitions to becoming a royal college by mid-April 2026.
RPS chief executive Paul Bennett will oversee the transition and has announced that he will step down from his role once it is done. Bennett joined the RPS in his current position in July 2017.
RPS deputy CEO Karen Baxter will become interim CEO of the royal college and will take the leadership body forward, including implementing the new strategy with the new executive team.
In March this year, RPS members voted for changes to the RPS’ Royal Charter, and set the intention to register as a charity and to become a royal college – the Royal College of Pharmacy.
In addition, a wholly owned (limited) subsidiary will be created for publishing activities delivered by the RPS’ knowledge business Pharmaceutical Press (PhP).
The RPS is engaging with members and pharmacy professionals to inform the development of a new five-year strategy for the royal college, and establish the governance processes.
Key to this is ongoing liaison with the Privy Council, Charity Commission, and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR).
To ensure that a new leadership team is in place as the organisation transitions to become a royal college, RPS will be recruiting for several key leadership roles.
The new royal college executive team will include a new role of director of Finance and Technology, with specialist charity experience, while the publishing company leadership team will include financial expertise focused on commercial outcomes.
In the future, the organisation will no longer require the existing chief officer roles outside of that of a chief executive officer.
Bennett said, “These appointments will ensure the organisation has the right skills, capabilities and structure in place to ensure the Royal College of Pharmacy can flourish and deliver its future strategy."
RPS president Professor Claire Anderson said, “The new Royal College of Pharmacy will start in April 2026 invested with the hopes of all in pharmacy and an ambitious new strategy to put into action. We must all stand ready to support the royal college as it sets out to deliver the strong and collaborative professional leadership body that pharmacy deserves.”
