Hello Everyone,

Before people start heading away for the Christmas break, I wanted to take the time to formally introduce myself, as I am conscious that many of us have not had the pleasure of meeting before. I am no stranger to VATSIM UK, having joined the Division in early 2016 and, for the last four and a half years, I have served as the Marketing Manager under Loui Ringer's leadership. During this time, I have risen to the somewhat dizzying heights of VATSIM Network Supervisor, BA Virtual Ex-Senior Captain and, more recently, Marketing Department Caretaker! When Chris announced his resignation last month, I submitted my application, full of enthusiasm and a pinch of hope. Last Friday, I was delighted to be announced as the new VATSIM UK Division Director.

I would like to thank all of you who messaged me, as well as those of you who added tasteful reactions on Discord - the emoji of me and my bleach blond hair is amusing and disturbing in equal parts! I understand that my appointment is unusual in some regards; I am certainly the youngest Division Director to be appointed, and I have yet to sit on the Division Staff Group. As a result, I expect a certain degree of scepticism from the membership following my appointment - I know I have a lot to prove, but your kind words have been extremely encouraging, and I have been made to feel incredibly welcome.

Moving forward, Chris has kindly agreed to stay in place while we begin the process of transitioning. I will be working closely with Chris and the rest of the DSG to appoint a new ATC Training Director before Christmas. This will be followed by the appointment of a Membership Services Director, and the opening of applications for the role of Marketing Director, in the new year. Like everyone, I have felt the uncertainty surrounding the Division's leadership over the past month and, while my appointment has hopefully helped alleviate some of this uncertainty, I look forward to completing the staff team and returning to our work of improving the Division. Change is always difficult in the moment, yet I remain excited for the injection of fresh ideas and renewed eagerness into our staff team, and I am confident that we, as a Division, will benefit from this process in the long run.

If you have any thoughts on the future of the Division, immediate queries and concerns, or if you would simply like a chat, please come and meet me on Discord for early doors at the VATSIM UK Christmas Quiz this Friday. My Discord DMs remain open as ever (in a professional capacity) if you ever need to reach me. For those of you not able to attend the quiz, please enjoy yourself and take care over the festive period. I wish you all happy flightings, and a merry Christmas - I look forward to sharing more in the new year.

Best Wishes,

Ben