The animal therapy charity WindReach has appointed James Dockeray to its board of directors.

Mr Dockeray, a partner at EY Bermuda, said that he looked forward to joining the board as the charity celebrated its 50th anniversary.

He added: “The charity has demonstrated remarkable leadership over the decades, and is very well regarded for its financial stewardship and commitment to sustainable programming for people with complex support needs.

“This is a great opportunity for me to give back to the community of Bermuda in a field that is vitally important to so many families.

“Like many, I have long admired the mission of WindReach and now look forward to working with the board and staff in the coming years.”

In 1999, Mr Dockeray joined EY, an accounting firm, where he spent a decade working.

He moved to Colorado in 2009 while working for Madison Capital Management, and returned to Bermuda a year later to work for Deloitte before rejoining EY late last year.

Ross Webber, deputy chair and head of the WindReach Nominations Committee, said that he had known Mr Dockeray personally for the past 20 years and believed he was a “perfect fit for the WindReach board”, thanks to his “authenticity coupled with meticulous attention to detail and a tenacious work ethic”.

Mr Webber added that his appointment to the board would ensure that it was “contemporary, professional, experienced, and appropriate”.

He said: “It is imperative we have a board that reflects our community and has the experience and expertise to ensure our amazing staff and volunteers have the strategic direction, support and governance to succeed in their mission-critical work.

“As an organisation, we are committed to embracing diversity and inclusion in all forms. We demonstrate this with specific and deliberate action, and not just rhetoric.

“We continue to refresh our board and we are always interested in people who are willing to contribute.”