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Case Studies
Case Study 1 - Financial Controller at British Gas Joins the Board of Christian Aid
Christian Aid is an international development charity that works with over 50 countries around the world to eradicate poverty. Its global mission is to eradicate the causes of poverty and strives to achieve equality, dignity and freedom for all, regardless of faith or nationality. It also provides urgent, practical and effective assistance where need is great, tackling the effects of poverty, as well as its root causes.
The organisation has a board of 20 Trustees who help set the strategic direction for Christian Aid. This includes reviewing plans, performance, any key issues that impact the organisation, as well as formally approving the budget, annual report and accounts.
The Challenges
Whilst having a board of experienced Trustees, Christian Aid lacked someone who was a qualified accountant. The tough economic climate, coupled with the organisation's desire to grow and expand internationally highlighted the need to appoint a financial expert to the board. It was hoped that the new Trustee would help strengthen the organisation's financial and risk management capabilities and also become a key member of its finance and audit subcommittee. To recruit this new Trustee, Christian Aid tried several channels which hadn't worked, including using its own network of individuals.
The Solution
Christian Aid approached Trustees Unlimited, a specialist Trustee recruitment company launched in November 2009 by Russam GMS, NCVO and Bates Wells and Braithwaite to help it find an experienced finance expert to join its board.
Following a series of briefing meetings with Christian Aid, Trustees Unlimited conducted a search and produced a shortlist of five candidates, three of which were interviewed by the organisation. Christian Aid selected Tom Hinton, the Financial Controller of Centrica. As well as being a Christian, at just 30 years old, Tom brings youth as well as tremendous experience to the board.
Martin Birch, Financial Director at Christian Aid said, "We were hugely impressed by Tom's senior level experience and background at Centrica. He is young and dynamic - a real breath of fresh air who we hope will bring new energy and passion to our board – we are thrilled he is joining us."
"With his skills and experience we are confident we will strengthen our financial position, and create a very solid platform for the future growth and international expansion of Christian Aid," he added.
Tom said, "I had been looking for a Trustee position for some while and this role through Trustees Unlimited was perfect for me. My family have been long standing supporters of Christian Aid - in fact some of my early memories are helping my mother with charity collections for Christian Aid. I am looking forward to working closely with the other Trustees, learning from them and helping the organisation with its auditing and risk management processes to help strengthen its financial position. It will be an invaluable experience and I hope I can add value to the organisation and board."
Anne Minto, Group Director of Human Resources at Centrica says, "We encourage our senior executives to serve as Directors in the "not for profit sector" and we are delighted that Tom has joined Christian Aid, which is such a well known and respected organisation that is doing tremendous work globally to eradicate poverty. We believe that Tom will gain an invaluable learning experience that will help him grow and develop in his career and in turn, bring his experience to the work of the Board of Trustees at Christian Aid."
Tom joined Christian Aid on 16 March and he has already received some training from Trustees Unlimited specifically tailored for new Trustees.
Case Study 2 - Community Options Solves Trustee Recruitment Challenge
About Community Options
Community Options is a London based registered charity providing residential and community support services to people with mental health needs. Its mission is to enable people with mental health needs to work towards recovery and lead valued lives in the community. Its range of services for people with mental health problems include accommodation services for people with mental health needs, as well as the provision of one to one support for people in their own homes.
www.community-options.org.uk
The Challenge
Like many small charities, Community Options' mission is to expand its services, and to raise the profile and awareness of its work amongst stakeholders and the media.
Its Board of Trustees play a vital role in helping to steer the management and direction of the organisation. As part of its strategy, Community Options wanted to recruit a Trustee with marketing expertise to input into its five year growth plan and help raise the organisation's profile. In the past, it had used various recruitment methods to attract suitable Trustees but none had proved particularly successful.
The solution
In November 2009, Chris Mansi, Chief Executive of Community Options, attended the launch of Trustees Unlimited, a new joint venture trustee recruitment company set up by Russam GMS, NCVO and Bates, Wells and Braithwaite. She was impressed by the unique services on offer and as a result she approached Trustees Unlimited to help her find a Trustee.
Following meetings with her and the Chair, Trustees Unlimited helped Community Options revise its job description and conducted a search of 12,000 senior executives, including the 1,000 registered with Trustees Unlimited. Trustees Unlimited created a long list of several suitable candidates who were interviewed and then produced a shortlist for Community Options.
Chris says, "The calibre and quality of the candidates shortlisted by Trustees Unlimited was excellent. We selected four people to interview and eventually appointed John Schuster, a marketing consultant and strategy expert with a 20 year track record of delivering marketing campaigns to financial services companies in addition to undertaking pro bono work for clients including The Royal Court of Justice."
"John impressed us immediately by his enthusiasm and we felt instant rapport with him. He has great marketing experience and showed a keen interest in mental health issues and in Community Option projects. We think he will make a fantastic addition to our Trustee Board and a great contribution to our organisation's growth and development," she added. John was appointed in March 2010.
John decided to become a Trustee last year inspired by his pro bono project for the Royal Court of Justice. He found out about Trustees Unlimited through a website search and was immediately attracted by the Community Options role. John found Trustee Unlimited's recruitment process very comprehensive and was impressed by the amount of useful information made available to him before the interview.
Commenting on his new role, John says, "I am very excited about my new role at Community Options and look forward to providing strategic advice that will help the organisation market its projects and raise greater awareness of mental health issues in the media and amongst stakeholders. I have been very impressed by the dedication and commitment of everyone I have met within the organisation and the skills and experience of the other trustees. I hope to learn a great deal from them and equally, make a valuable contribution."
Ian Joseph, of Trustees Unlimited, who led the search said, "It was inspiring to see so many high quality individuals enthused by this role. It reinforces our conviction that there are lots of people out there who come from various backgrounds, who for the right opportunity are willing to give of themselves to serve as trustees in organisations like Community Options. I'm delighted Trustees Unlimited was able to help with this appointment."
Case Study 3 - Thames Hospicecare
First time trustee makes big impact at Thames Hospicecare as new Chairman
- Martin Jervis found by Trustees Unlimited -
Thames Hospicecare is an independent charity that provides palliative care for adults with cancer and other life limiting illnesses. Its aim is to achieve the best possible quality of life for each person, their family, friends and carers through its range of In-Patient, Community and Out Patient Services, which it provides free of charge. The organisation is governed by a board of Trustees and run on a day-to-day basis by the Chief Executive, Jacqueline Clarke and the Senior Management Team.
It has recently welcomed its new Chairman Martin Jervis, Vice President of Blackbaud Europe, who is a first time trustee, placed in the role by specialist trustee recruitment company, Trustees Unlimited.
Jacqueline Clarke said, "We had a long tradition of recruiting Chairs from within our network, however, we have started to place more emphasis on succession planning and wanted to advertise for a new Chair to attract people with different experience and skills.
"Trustees Unlimited seemed well placed to help us recruit the right person and they found Martin who was a great fit for us. He lives locally and is empathetic about our work. He has a dynamic style and is very focused and forward looking, which is exactly what we needed."
Martin brings to Thames Hospicecare 32 years' corporate experience in international business and technology. Martin wanted to become a trustee in order to give something back and, it was important to him to work in a healthcare organisation, as his father, who was a source of inspiration for Martin, had spent his career working in healthcare and social services. Thames Hospicecare appealed to Martin on a number of levels - the role matched his interests and experience, it was a local charity and he respected the organisation's work helping people with cancer.
Martin said, "As a first time trustee, I didn't think it was appropriate for me to become a Chairman immediately. However, when I was interviewed by the board and learnt more about the organisation I was persuaded to become Chairman Elect. Four months later I formally accepted the position. Since then, I have been getting to grips with the organisation, listening and learning from board members and others in the organisation and doing my best to add value and build on the work being done."
Trustees Unlimited played a vital role in helping Martin prepare for the interview. He says, "I was given a very detailed brief about the role and Trustees Unlimited also pointed me to other useful resources and information about becoming a trustee so I was clear about what to expect and understood the responsibilities of a trustee."
Finding his feet
A thorough induction from Thames Hospicecare helped Martin find his feet quickly. Although he was new in a governance role, his company Blackbaud Europe supplies IT services to many organisations in the charity sector. This meant that he had insight into the challenges facing the sector, the changes taking place in healthcare commissioning and an understanding of the impact of the Big Society.
However, he insists that the support given by fellow trustees and his Chief Executive helped him settle in. He says, "Thames Hospicecare has a team of highly talented board members. There is a clear focus on where the organisation is going, rather than where it has been and this very refreshing."
One of Martin's primary roles as Chairman is to ensure the organisation remains aligned to a clear mission, with a forward looking and tangible plan. Martin is introducing professional development courses and workshop training sessions and twice a year bringing in inspirational speakers to discuss the issues of the day. His focus is on facilitation and in creating consensus and ownership amongst trustees.
However, Martin recognises there are challenges ahead. He comments, "There are huge changes taking place in our sector in terms of commissioning and funding. The success of our organisation depends on our being flexible and adapting to change quickly will enable us able to grow and build on our success."
Jacqueline added, "Martin's business background means that he has a different vocabulary, mindset and style of working and he is also very well connected in the sector. He has finger on the pulse of the latest political developments and how they might impact us. We have a lot of change going on and with Martin on the board, we feel confident about our future."
| In celebration of Trustees Week we have recorded the experience of two of the trustees we have appointed. Please click here for video one, and here for video two. |
Case Study 1 - Financial Controller at British Gas Joins the Board of Christian Aid
Christian Aid is an international development charity that works with over 50 countries around the world to eradicate poverty. Its global mission is to eradicate the causes of poverty and strives to achieve equality, dignity and freedom for all, regardless of faith or nationality. It also provides urgent, practical and effective assistance where need is great, tackling the effects of poverty, as well as its root causes.The organisation has a board of 20 Trustees who help set the strategic direction for Christian Aid. This includes reviewing plans, performance, any key issues that impact the organisation, as well as formally approving the budget, annual report and accounts.
The Challenges
Whilst having a board of experienced Trustees, Christian Aid lacked someone who was a qualified accountant. The tough economic climate, coupled with the organisation's desire to grow and expand internationally highlighted the need to appoint a financial expert to the board. It was hoped that the new Trustee would help strengthen the organisation's financial and risk management capabilities and also become a key member of its finance and audit subcommittee. To recruit this new Trustee, Christian Aid tried several channels which hadn't worked, including using its own network of individuals.
The Solution
Christian Aid approached Trustees Unlimited, a specialist Trustee recruitment company launched in November 2009 by Russam GMS, NCVO and Bates Wells and Braithwaite to help it find an experienced finance expert to join its board.
Following a series of briefing meetings with Christian Aid, Trustees Unlimited conducted a search and produced a shortlist of five candidates, three of which were interviewed by the organisation. Christian Aid selected Tom Hinton, the Financial Controller of Centrica. As well as being a Christian, at just 30 years old, Tom brings youth as well as tremendous experience to the board.
Martin Birch, Financial Director at Christian Aid said, "We were hugely impressed by Tom's senior level experience and background at Centrica. He is young and dynamic - a real breath of fresh air who we hope will bring new energy and passion to our board – we are thrilled he is joining us."
"With his skills and experience we are confident we will strengthen our financial position, and create a very solid platform for the future growth and international expansion of Christian Aid," he added.
Tom said, "I had been looking for a Trustee position for some while and this role through Trustees Unlimited was perfect for me. My family have been long standing supporters of Christian Aid - in fact some of my early memories are helping my mother with charity collections for Christian Aid. I am looking forward to working closely with the other Trustees, learning from them and helping the organisation with its auditing and risk management processes to help strengthen its financial position. It will be an invaluable experience and I hope I can add value to the organisation and board."
Anne Minto, Group Director of Human Resources at Centrica says, "We encourage our senior executives to serve as Directors in the "not for profit sector" and we are delighted that Tom has joined Christian Aid, which is such a well known and respected organisation that is doing tremendous work globally to eradicate poverty. We believe that Tom will gain an invaluable learning experience that will help him grow and develop in his career and in turn, bring his experience to the work of the Board of Trustees at Christian Aid."
Tom joined Christian Aid on 16 March and he has already received some training from Trustees Unlimited specifically tailored for new Trustees.
Case Study 2 - Community Options Solves Trustee Recruitment Challenge
About Community Options
Community Options is a London based registered charity providing residential and community support services to people with mental health needs. Its mission is to enable people with mental health needs to work towards recovery and lead valued lives in the community. Its range of services for people with mental health problems include accommodation services for people with mental health needs, as well as the provision of one to one support for people in their own homes.
www.community-options.org.uk
The Challenge
Like many small charities, Community Options' mission is to expand its services, and to raise the profile and awareness of its work amongst stakeholders and the media.
Its Board of Trustees play a vital role in helping to steer the management and direction of the organisation. As part of its strategy, Community Options wanted to recruit a Trustee with marketing expertise to input into its five year growth plan and help raise the organisation's profile. In the past, it had used various recruitment methods to attract suitable Trustees but none had proved particularly successful.
The solutionIn November 2009, Chris Mansi, Chief Executive of Community Options, attended the launch of Trustees Unlimited, a new joint venture trustee recruitment company set up by Russam GMS, NCVO and Bates, Wells and Braithwaite. She was impressed by the unique services on offer and as a result she approached Trustees Unlimited to help her find a Trustee.
Following meetings with her and the Chair, Trustees Unlimited helped Community Options revise its job description and conducted a search of 12,000 senior executives, including the 1,000 registered with Trustees Unlimited. Trustees Unlimited created a long list of several suitable candidates who were interviewed and then produced a shortlist for Community Options.
Chris says, "The calibre and quality of the candidates shortlisted by Trustees Unlimited was excellent. We selected four people to interview and eventually appointed John Schuster, a marketing consultant and strategy expert with a 20 year track record of delivering marketing campaigns to financial services companies in addition to undertaking pro bono work for clients including The Royal Court of Justice."
"John impressed us immediately by his enthusiasm and we felt instant rapport with him. He has great marketing experience and showed a keen interest in mental health issues and in Community Option projects. We think he will make a fantastic addition to our Trustee Board and a great contribution to our organisation's growth and development," she added. John was appointed in March 2010.
John decided to become a Trustee last year inspired by his pro bono project for the Royal Court of Justice. He found out about Trustees Unlimited through a website search and was immediately attracted by the Community Options role. John found Trustee Unlimited's recruitment process very comprehensive and was impressed by the amount of useful information made available to him before the interview.
Commenting on his new role, John says, "I am very excited about my new role at Community Options and look forward to providing strategic advice that will help the organisation market its projects and raise greater awareness of mental health issues in the media and amongst stakeholders. I have been very impressed by the dedication and commitment of everyone I have met within the organisation and the skills and experience of the other trustees. I hope to learn a great deal from them and equally, make a valuable contribution."
Ian Joseph, of Trustees Unlimited, who led the search said, "It was inspiring to see so many high quality individuals enthused by this role. It reinforces our conviction that there are lots of people out there who come from various backgrounds, who for the right opportunity are willing to give of themselves to serve as trustees in organisations like Community Options. I'm delighted Trustees Unlimited was able to help with this appointment."
Case Study 3 - Thames Hospicecare
First time trustee makes big impact at Thames Hospicecare as new Chairman
- Martin Jervis found by Trustees Unlimited -
Thames Hospicecare is an independent charity that provides palliative care for adults with cancer and other life limiting illnesses. Its aim is to achieve the best possible quality of life for each person, their family, friends and carers through its range of In-Patient, Community and Out Patient Services, which it provides free of charge. The organisation is governed by a board of Trustees and run on a day-to-day basis by the Chief Executive, Jacqueline Clarke and the Senior Management Team.
It has recently welcomed its new Chairman Martin Jervis, Vice President of Blackbaud Europe, who is a first time trustee, placed in the role by specialist trustee recruitment company, Trustees Unlimited.
Jacqueline Clarke said, "We had a long tradition of recruiting Chairs from within our network, however, we have started to place more emphasis on succession planning and wanted to advertise for a new Chair to attract people with different experience and skills.
"Trustees Unlimited seemed well placed to help us recruit the right person and they found Martin who was a great fit for us. He lives locally and is empathetic about our work. He has a dynamic style and is very focused and forward looking, which is exactly what we needed."
Martin brings to Thames Hospicecare 32 years' corporate experience in international business and technology. Martin wanted to become a trustee in order to give something back and, it was important to him to work in a healthcare organisation, as his father, who was a source of inspiration for Martin, had spent his career working in healthcare and social services. Thames Hospicecare appealed to Martin on a number of levels - the role matched his interests and experience, it was a local charity and he respected the organisation's work helping people with cancer.
Martin said, "As a first time trustee, I didn't think it was appropriate for me to become a Chairman immediately. However, when I was interviewed by the board and learnt more about the organisation I was persuaded to become Chairman Elect. Four months later I formally accepted the position. Since then, I have been getting to grips with the organisation, listening and learning from board members and others in the organisation and doing my best to add value and build on the work being done."
Trustees Unlimited played a vital role in helping Martin prepare for the interview. He says, "I was given a very detailed brief about the role and Trustees Unlimited also pointed me to other useful resources and information about becoming a trustee so I was clear about what to expect and understood the responsibilities of a trustee."
Finding his feet
A thorough induction from Thames Hospicecare helped Martin find his feet quickly. Although he was new in a governance role, his company Blackbaud Europe supplies IT services to many organisations in the charity sector. This meant that he had insight into the challenges facing the sector, the changes taking place in healthcare commissioning and an understanding of the impact of the Big Society.
However, he insists that the support given by fellow trustees and his Chief Executive helped him settle in. He says, "Thames Hospicecare has a team of highly talented board members. There is a clear focus on where the organisation is going, rather than where it has been and this very refreshing."One of Martin's primary roles as Chairman is to ensure the organisation remains aligned to a clear mission, with a forward looking and tangible plan. Martin is introducing professional development courses and workshop training sessions and twice a year bringing in inspirational speakers to discuss the issues of the day. His focus is on facilitation and in creating consensus and ownership amongst trustees.
However, Martin recognises there are challenges ahead. He comments, "There are huge changes taking place in our sector in terms of commissioning and funding. The success of our organisation depends on our being flexible and adapting to change quickly will enable us able to grow and build on our success."
Jacqueline added, "Martin's business background means that he has a different vocabulary, mindset and style of working and he is also very well connected in the sector. He has finger on the pulse of the latest political developments and how they might impact us. We have a lot of change going on and with Martin on the board, we feel confident about our future."
