The Royal Air Forces Association announced the appointment of Air Marshal Sir Graham Stacey KBE CB as its new President, replacing Air Marshal Sir Baz North KCB OBE MA FRAeS.
Sir Graham will join the charity’s board of trustees and play a key role in ensuring the Association continues its vital work to support members of the RAF community when they need it most.
Sir Graham joins the Association following a distinguished career spanning almost four decades, culminating in his appointment as Chief of Staff, NATO Allied Command Transformation.
Throughout his service Sir Graham held several senior national and international leadership appointments, including Deputy Commander of NATO Joint Force Command Brunssum, Senior British Military Adviser to United States Central Command, and Commander British Forces Cyprus and Administrator of the Sovereign Base Areas. His operational service included Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Gulf, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Since leaving the RAF, Sir Graham has continued to contribute to public service through strategic advisory and non-executive roles focused on international security, leadership and governance. He has also previously served as Area President of the European and Overseas Area and has maintained a close affinity with the Association and the wider RAF community.
Sir Graham said:
“Throughout my career, I have always been a people-person and that is one of the things that has always drawn me to the Association. At its heart, everything the Association does is about supporting people and that aligns closely with the values that guided me throughout my service career and in my roles afterwards.
“I have long been impressed by the difference the Association makes to people’s lives and the practical support it provides to members of the RAF community. The opportunity to help champion that work as President was therefore a very compelling one.
“The increasing operational tempo faced by today’s RAF community mean these are undoubtedly challenging times for service personnel, veterans and their families, making this a really interesting time to step into the role.
“I am keen to continue the excellent work that Sir Baz has done. The Association has made significant progress in recent years and I want to help continue that momentum. Central to this is how we maintain strong governance, because good governance builds trust and confidence, strengthens our reputation and ensures we remain an organisation that our members, beneficiaries, volunteers and supporters can be proud of. Alongside this, we must continue to seize the significant opportunity presented by the wider RAF community of 800,000, finding new ways to engage, support and connect with those who could benefit from being part of our Association.”
