The Mission to Seafarers Names Rouch Secretary General

Maritime welfare charity The Mission to Seafarers announced Dr. Peter Rouch has been named as its next secretary general, succeeding Revd. Canon Andrew Wright, who will retire from the role in September this year, after almost 12 years of leading the organization.  

Rouch has been appointed to the role by the board of The Mission to Seafarers. He will join the Mission on July 1, enabling a period of handover between himself and Wright.

Tom Boardley, chairman of The Mission to Seafarers, said, "We are delighted that Peter is joining the Mission and look forward to welcoming him in July. Our current secretary general, Andrew Wright, has done so much to develop and transform the Mission during his tenure and we owe him a debt of gratitude for his leadership for more than a decade. We are confident that Peter will maintain this momentum and build on our vital role as a leading provider of maritime welfare support for seafarers around the globe."

Rouch said, “I am very grateful indeed to have been invited to become Secretary General of The Mission to Seafarers. It is a charity with considerable heritage, a strong track record of valuable impact, breadth and depth in representation, and very exciting possibilities to develop support for the world’s seafarers and their frequently struggling families in a dynamic and sometimes risky world.”

Wright said, “It has been the greatest of honors to serve as Secretary General of the Mission to Seafarers through a time of so much challenge and change. I was delighted to learn of Peter’s appointment as my successor. He brings huge experience and a strong reputation. I am certain the Mission’s leadership will be in the very best of hands in the exciting times that lie ahead.”

Rouch spent nearly a decade with Barclays Bank, ending up as an assistant director of finance and strategic planning. He trained for ordination in the Church of England followed by curacy in London, a research fellowship, a chaplaincy role at Oxford University, and time as vicar of two parishes in an area of Manchester. Rouch moved to Hampshire, U.K. as an archdeacon in the Diocese of Winchester, and nearly 10 years later as a consultant to Lambeth Palace. He now lives and works in Sheffield, U.K. where he has been CEO of Church Army UK & Ireland.