November 14, 2023

48. Matthew Newcombe-Ellis Becoming a Chair (II): assessing the role, working with passion, structuring meetings and fundraising

48 minutes

After fifteen years as an investment banker, Matt joined the board of Prostate Cancer Research. Two years later, he was Chair - a job he now does full time. What made him make the leap? Tune in to Matt’s conversation with Nurole CEO Oliver Cummings to hear his answers to: What advice would you have for someone considering becoming a Chair? (1:36) How did you prepare for your Chair role? (3:36) Why did you want to become a charity Chair, given the risks? (6:29) How can you add the most value as a Chair? (8:36) What have you done to foster a culture where people feel comfortable innovating? (11:13) How have you thought about board composition / hiring? (12:01) What have you learnt about onboarding? (16:17) Does trustee engagement vary depending on how you recruited them? (18:08) What is your approach to fundraising? (21:45) How do you build a high-net-worth network? (26:10) What have been the biggest challenges of chairing a charity board? (27:14) Which areas did you need to improve the most when you started chairing? (28:59) To what extent do you choreograph meetings? (34:47) When do you encourage execs to come with recommendations versus points for discussion? (36:58) What due diligence do people need to do before accepting a charity Chair position? (38:59) How did you know you felt passionately enough about your charities? (42:26), and ⚡The Lightning Round ⚡(45:15)