Peridot Partners: Conversations with Leaders

This #TrusteesWeek, we spoke with Getting on Board's CEO, Penny Wilson, about what is stopping the charity sector moving forward with trustee diversity.

According to Getting on Board's charity sector research, two-thirds of trustees are over 50, only 36%  are women, only 8% are people of colour (against 14% of the population), 75% have an income above the national median, and we are doing poorly on representation from other protected characteristics like disability.

So how can we ensure the charity sector improves these statistics? 

Penny and Grant Taylor discuss:

• Why does trustee diversity matter?
• Why charities need to acknowledge the scale of the problem;
• The unintentional behaviours that hinder trustee diversity;
• What practical barriers are put up around diverse trustee recruitment?
• What types of fear are holding charities back with diverse recruitment?
• Using trustee terms proactively;
• Tapping into more diverse board talent;
• Getting diversity right at the top.

A simply unmissable episode!

In this Conversations with Leaders podcast we talk to Rachel Lambert-Forsyth, Director of Membership and Professional Affairs at The Royal Society of Biology. 

Rachel was a guest speaker at our Future of Membership Organisations event in January 2020 where she talked about how you attract younger members – from developing personas to really mapping out their needs and career journey. 

Rachel will join the British Pharmacological Society as their new CEO in March 2020 and so we also discuss how she knew she was ready to make the step up to CEO. 

In this episode we talk about:

• When do you know you're ready to become a CEO;
• How do you prepare to start your first CEO role;
• Imposter syndrome and how she over came it;
• Being a young director;
• ACEVO's New & Emerging Leaders Programme;
• How to attract younger members to your membership organisation;
• Future challenges and opportunities for membership bodies. 

Links:
https://www.rsb.org.uk/
https://www.peridotpartners.co.uk/membership-recruitment/
https://www.acevo.org.uk/skills/workshops-and-training/

Guest:
Rachel Lambert-Forsyth, Director of Membership and Professional Affairs, The Royal Society of Biology. 
 
Host:
Emma Wrafter, Peridot Partners 

About Peridot Partners:
Peridot Partners is a values-led executive recruitment agency transforming leadership and inspiring change with organisations who have social purpose. 

We’re challenging the status quo on what makes good leadership. 

In this Conversations with Leaders podcast we are delighted to be collaborating with a global organisation, GS1 UK, as they embark on a major succession plan for their outgoing CEO.

GS1 UK standards transform the way we work and live. With over 40,000 members and 114 neutral and independent organisations operating worldwide, GS1 standards provide a global language of business used in 150 countries.

Our guests are Gary Lynch, the outgoing Chief Executive and current Vice-Chairman of the GS1 in Europe Board, and Chris Tyas, Chair of GS1 UK.

Gary announced in December 2019 that he is semi-retiring as CEO after more than 12 successful years formulating and executing GS1’s strategic plan. 

As Chair, Chris brings a wealth of experience in supply chain from the food and drink industry after 36 years with Nestlé. Formerly GS1 UK’s Vice-Chairman and Board Director, Chris plays a key role in the CEO succession process.

In this episode we talk about:

• What GS1 UK does as an organisation and their global impact;
• How to bring together a very high-profile board and what good board dynamics look like;
• Building a solid rapport between CEO and Chair and its bearing on governance;
• CEO succession planning – the process;
• What GS1 UK is looking for in the new CEO and the rewards and challenges of the role.

Links
Chief Executive Officer - GS1 UK
GS1 UK

Guests:
Gary Lynch
Chris Tyas

Host:
Emma Wrafter, Peridot Partners 

About Peridot Partners:
Peridot Partners is a values-led executive recruitment agency transforming leadership and inspiring change with organisations who have social purpose. 

We’re challenging the status quo on what makes good leadership. 

This is a special Trustees’ Week episode of our Conversations with Leaders podcast. Our guests are Mita Desai, the Young Trustees Movement Programme Manager at The Social Change Agency and Kira Lewis, a War Studies student at King’s College London and trustee of two charities.

In October, the Young Trustees Movement launched an ambitious pledge to double the number of trustees on charity boards aged 30 and under by 2024 in England and Wales.

Mita is an experienced trustee. Her first board role was as a Trustee at The British Youth Council where she also went on to become the Chairwoman of the Board.

At King’s College London, Kira is a member of the King’s Civic Leadership Academy – a year-long programme developing leadership skills through a placement on the Young Trustees Movement at The Social Change Agency. 

In this Trustees’ Week episode we talk about:

• How the Young Trustees Movement came about
• The value young trustees bring to boards 
• Barriers to boards recruiting young trustees 
• Imposter syndrome as a BAME female chairperson
• How charities can better support young trustees
• Creating a network and resources for progressive charities who value young trustees 

Links:
The Social Change Agency
The Young Trustees Movement
Peridot Partners Board Development Services

Guests:
Mita Desai
Kira Lewis
Grant Taylor, Managing Director, Peridot Partners

Host:
Emma Wrafter, Peridot Partners 

About Peridot Partners:
Peridot Partners is a values-led executive recruitment agency transforming leadership and inspiring change with organisations who have social purpose. 

We’re challenging the status quo on what makes good leadership. 

This is a special Trustees’ Week episode of our Conversations with Leaders podcast. 

Our guest is Mike Wojcik, Chair of the Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM) and in his day job, he’s the CEO of Queen Mary, University of London Students’ Union. 

In this Trustees’ Week episode we talk about:

• Being the Chair of a founder led charity
• Responsibilities of a trustee board 
• Working with young trustees
• Supporting and empowering young trustees 
• Managing your day job and governance responsibilities 

Links:
YGAM Website
Peridot Partners Board Development Services

Guests:
Mike Wojcik 
Bill Yuksel, Business Manager at Peridot Partners

Host:
Emma Wrafter at Peridot Partners 

About Peridot Partners:
Peridot Partners is a values-led executive recruitment agency transforming leadership and inspiring change with organisations who have social purpose. 

We’re challenging the status quo on what makes good leadership. 

This is a special Trustees’ Week episode of our Conversations with Leaders podcast. Our guest is Adrian Sladdin, the Chair of the Jane Goodall Institute UK.

JGI UK is part of a huge a global movement and in the UK their mission is to make a difference for all living things through conservation, research and education.

In this Trustees’ Week episode we talk about:

• Building a new board from scratch
• Working with a recruitment partner for skills-based recruitment
• How to ensure charity is going in the right direction 
• Being part of an international movement 
• Celebrity supporters 

Links:
Jane Goodall Institute UK
Roots and Shoots
Seventh Wave Training
Peridot Partners Board Development Services

Guest:
Adrian Sladdin

Host:
Emma Wrafter at Peridot Partners 

About Peridot Partners:
Peridot Partners is a values-led executive recruitment agency transforming leadership and inspiring change with organisations who have social purpose. 

We’re challenging the status quo on what makes good leadership. 

This is a special Trustees’ Week episode of our Conversations with Leaders podcast. Our guest is Iana Vidal, Chair of Trustees for the Girls Friendly Society. 

In her day job, she’s Head of Policy and Government Affairs at Innovate Finance. A passionate volunteer she also a School Governor for Durants School in Enfield and a volunteer for Anthony Nolan. 

She’s also an inspirational BAME female leader, creating positive change in the organisations she works with. 

A governance geek, she’s bought in new induction processes and board systems to a historic charity, making sure it remains relevant in the 21st Century. 
In this Trustees’ Week episode we talk about:

• Being a BAME female Chair in the Third Sector 
• What good governance looks like
• How to work with your CEO or Executive Director
• Managing a board of trustees
• Setting the strategic direction of the charity 
• Challenges in chairing 
• Investing in your board
• Diversity and inclusion in recruitment

Links:

Girls Friendly Society

NCVO website for good governance 

Peridot Partners Trustee Week 

Guest:
Iana Vidal

Host:
Emma Wrafter at Peridot Partners 

About Peridot Partners:
Peridot Partners is a values-led executive recruitment agency transforming leadership and inspiring change with organisations who have social purpose. We’re challenging the status quo on what makes good leadership. 

Conversations with Leaders: Uzma Arif-Fryer 

Uzma is the Deputy CEO of Greenwich University Students’ Union and Head of Membership Services. 

She’s a proud BAME woman who is passionate about supporting her staff and students to access opportunities for development and promotion. 

We learn what Students' Unions do and the incredible support they give to students across the UK as a powerful force. 

In this podcast we talk about her experience as an Asian woman and the barriers she’s faced in her career – from pay inequality to not being asked to key meetings and seeing white, male counterparts promoted over her. 

We hear how the CEO and senior leadership at Greenwich support BAME staff through development opportunities and open, collaborative conversations but how this isn’t the case at every SU. 

With our other guest Bill Yuksel (Peridot Business Manager), a former Sabbatical Officer and current Students’ Union Trustee, we discuss how the student movement should be supporting better diversity within the SU workforce. 

In the podcast we also talk about the barriers to creating an inclusive and diverse workforce and what needs to change to support progress. 

From recruitment through to supporting BAME staff in the workplace, while the student movement is seen as progressive, there appears still much to be done. 

You can read more about Uzma here:
https://su.careers/uzma-arif-fryerdeputy-chief-executive-head-of-membership-servicesgreenwich-students-union/ 

 NUS Rise Programme:
This programme has been developed to support more in-depth development for Black staff who are aspiring leaders. Applications are open now until 15th November 2019.
https://www.nusconnect.org.uk/learning-academy/rise-leadership-programme

NUS Black Staff Network:
A network for BAME staff working in NUS affiliated unions:
https://www.nusconnect.org.uk/learning-training/race-matters/black-staff-network

Guests:
Uzma Arif-Fryer
Bill Yuksel

Host:
Emma Wrafter

Judith Davey became CEO of The Advocacy Project in 2016. She came into an organisation that had experienced a lot of change - they had staff who were proud to work there but who didn't feel connected to the vision.

Previously Deputy CEO of ActionAid, Judith bought her skills and corporate background to really empower and support positive change.  And the organisation is truly innovative.  Over 50% of the Trustees have lived experience of the issues that the charity is supporting, and to ensure a diverse board they pay Trustees the national living wage.

It's also Unitary Board which is unusual in the charity sector and means that Judith is also a full trustee, sharing the responsibility for the success of the charity.

In this podcast, you'll hear the challenges she faced and how everyone in The Advocacy Project really live their values.

Join The Advocacy Board Trustee Board:
https://www.peridotpartners.co.uk/jobs/trustees-the-advocacy-project/

Read Judith's Civil Society article on values based leadership:
https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/governance/judith-davey-listen-learn-and-lead.html

Download the the Easy Read Trustee Guide in partnership with NCVO
https://www.advocacyproject.org.uk/news/what-working-on-the-easy-read-trustee-guide-taught-me/

The Advocacy Project approach to a Unitary Board
https://www.advocacyproject.org.uk/news/advocacy-project-votes-convert-unitary-board/

Our first leader is Julie Nerney who despite having led 14 different organisations still describes her CV as looking like 'insects have died on a piece of paper'.
 
A seasoned Chair, NHS non-executive director and transformation expert, Julie's favourite job was head of transport integration at the London organising committee of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In early 2019 she joined the Association of Colleges as their new Chair. 

In this first episode, which took place after an 'unlearning' leadership event, Julie talks about what it means to be a leader, why empathy is key and why leadership starts at board level. She's joined by Peridot managing director, Grant Taylor and the conversation is hosted by Emma Wrafter, strategic engagement lead at Peridot.

Hear Julie and Grant talk about why 'love' is important to leading an organisation for growth. 

You can read more about Peridot and how we develop and recruit exceptional leaders at our website: http://peridotpartners.co.uk/

Find out more about Julie at http://www.julienerney.co.uk/