New chair and chief executive of GLAA announced

The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) has appointed Michael Rich as its new chief executive and Margaret Beels as its new chair.

Mr Rich, currently an executive director at Chesterfield Borough Council in Derbyshire, will lead the national law enforcement and compliance agency charged with protecting vulnerable people from exploitation when he takes up his post in early January.

His duties include:

• GLAA delivery of its responsibilities for the national modern slavery agenda, providing leadership and direction to the workforce
• working co-operatively at a senior level with other enforcement agencies and a wider range of bodies, including the police and local authorities, to address offending behaviour by rogue businesses
• working with other enforcement bodies and the Director of Labour Market Enforcement to catalyse improvements in enforcement bodies’ coordinated handling of enforcement work

Mr Rich said: “I am hugely excited to be joining the GLAA, it’s an organisation that is doing phenomenal work to protect vulnerable people. I am looking forward to joining colleagues and playing my part in helping prevent and detect labour exploitation.”

His previous experience includes spending four years with the Homes and Communities Agency that funds government housing programmes.

Meanwhile, Ms Beels will take up her role as chair today (Wednesday 12 December). She has been in the position since 2011 and has been appointed for a further two years following a competitive recruitment process.  

Among her responsibilities include:

• providing strategic leadership for the operation of the GLAA
• ensuring the GLAA and its staff maintain the capability to deliver the organisation’s statutory responsibilities
• maintaining and developing effective partnerships at a strategic level with key bodies

Ms Beels has previously overseen the expansion of the GLAA into a body with powers to investigate a wide range of labour market offences including non-payment of the minimum wage and modern slavery.

Ms Beels said: “The GLAA’s mission to protect vulnerable and exploited workers is increasingly important. I am proud to have been asked to continue as Chair of the Board which has oversight of this vital work.”

The GLAA is a national law enforcement and compliance agency charged with protecting vulnerable people from exploitation. Its broad remit covers the entire labour market and it works closely with the police, law enforcement and other agencies and strategic partners to protect vulnerable and exploited workers.