ROYAL ALFRED SEAFARERS’ SOCIETY APPOINTS NEW CEO

Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society appoints new CEO with 22 years Royal Navy service. The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society, a charity providing nursing, respite and specialist dementia care to retired seafarers and their loved ones has appointed Dr Pete J. Inkpen as its new Chief Executive. He assumes his position on the 31st July 2026, succeeding Capt. David Dominy, who steps down after two years leading the organisation.

Dr Inkpen brings an exceptional breadth of experience to the role. Prior to a career spanning senior leadership positions across the NHS, charitable organisations and international health and care systems, he served for 22 years in the Royal Navy. His operational service included both Gulf Wars, a NATO appointment in Naples with subsequent deployment to Bosnia, and service aboard HMS Illustrious during operations in Sierra Leone. Shore-based roles included the logistics training school at HMS Raleigh, Flag Officer Sea Training in Devonport and Maritime Logistics at Fleet Headquarters in Portsmouth.

Since leaving the Royal Navy, Dr Inkpen has held Chief Executive, Chief Operating Officer, Director of Operations and transformation leadership positions across a wide range of healthcare settings, including acute hospitals, mental health services, community healthcare, hospices and veteran support organisations, both in the UK and internationally.

He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration, with a focus on the alignment of leadership and organisational culture to improve performance. He is also a Chartered Member of the Institute of Personnel and Development and a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.

Dr Pete Inkpen said:

“Having spent more than two decades at sea and a further two decades working across health and care, joining The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society feels like a natural coming together of everything I care about most. This is an organisation with an extraordinary heritage and a clear purpose to provide outstanding care to those who have given so much. My focus will be on working alongside colleagues, partners and the wider community to make sure our services continue to meet the needs of the people we serve. I am delighted to be joining Royal Alfred at such an exciting time and look forward to supporting the seafaring community both now and in the future.”

Capt. David Dominy, outgoing Chief Executive of The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society, said:

“It has been a privilege to lead this remarkable organisation, and I am proud of what the team has achieved over the past two years. Pete brings a combination of first-hand maritime experience and deep healthcare leadership expertise, and I have every confidence that he will be an outstanding Chief Executive. I look forward to seeing the Society go from strength to strength under his leadership.”

Image: Dr Pete J. Inkpen, credit The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society