Community

Carina Bauer appointed Chair of AITC trustees

Carina will take over from Martin Perry, who is retiring after 25 years service to the club.

By BHAFC • 27 March 2023

Carina Bauer, who will take over as Chair of Albion in the Community trustees

Carina Bauer, chief executive of IMEX Group, is to become chair of trustees of Albion in the Community from the start of the 2023/24 season.

Carina, who has been a trustee since 2022, is also the chief executive of IMEX Group, a leading international events business based in Brighton and Hove. Carina is a passionate and dedicated leader, and takes a particular interest in issues around sustainability, diversity, and inclusion.

Carina will be replacing Martin Perry, who is retiring after 25 years of service to both the charity and club. Martin has been chairman of the board of trustees since 2015 and during this time has seen the charity develop into one of the biggest and most acclaimed football charities in the UK, winning many awards and accolades from within the industry.

During this period Albion in the Community has evolved from just two people to 60 full-time and 120 part-time staff members, while supporting over 20,000 people each year.

Carina said, “I am honoured to be taking on the role of Chair of AITC and succeeding Martin Perry after a lifetime of service to the club and the charity. Martin leaves big shoes to fill, but also leaves the legacy of an extraordinary charity, run by an outstanding team.

By Paul Hazlewood
Martin Perry is retiring as Chair of Albion in the Community trustees.

“I am looking forward to working with Matt Dorn and his team to further develop AITC’s programmes and continue to extend the positive impact that these have on the lives of so many people in our community.”

AITC chief executive Matt Dorn said, “We are so grateful for the contribution that Martin has made to Albion in the Community.  We have benefited so much from his thoughtful guidance, advice and leadership over the years that has helped the charity grow and mature in the way it has.

We wish Martin all the best in his retirement and look forward to working closely with Carina as our new chair to continue to develop the charity and use the power of football to change lives in our community.”

Martin Perry said, “It has been an absolute honour and privilege to oversee the growth of AITC from just two people to the organisation it is today. In my time we have won Community Club of the Year five times at the Football Business Awards and in our six years in the Premier League we have generated over £180 million in social value – a huge contribution to the local and national economy. 

“I count myself so lucky to have been able to play a major role in building the infrastructure of the club. Overseeing the development of AITC ranks alongside my proudest achievements in the last 25 years. 

“I would like to add my own thanks to Matt Dorn and the amazing, dedicated staff of AITC who share these beliefs and are passionate about what they do. 

“I would also like to thank Tony Bloom, Paul Barber and the club’s board and the board of trustees of AITC. We simply would not be able to deliver our huge range of programmes without their amazing support. 

“I will be sad to leave but I know that I leave the charity in very good shape and that in Carina I hand over to someone who will nurture it and help take it on to even greater things. AITC has a great future under her.” 

Martin will remain honorary vice president of the club, an honour bestowed upon Martin when he stepped down from the club’s board in September 2020. 
 

Carina will take on this role from the start of the 2023/24 season.