As the leader of an organisation that employs 300+ people (and a further 1,500 volunteers) the next CEO needed to inspire, ensuring one common culture and a series of values that everyone feels part of. With the Duchess of Cambridge as Patron, the next CEO would need to hold credibility in chairing large, high profile events and be an exceptional public speaker.
Above all, EACH needed a business leader who could create and maintain a sustainable business model, capable of adapting to the ever-changing political and economic landscape. They needed to enable EACH to thrive and not merely survive.
Having prepared an outline proposal, Lynn Walters and David Culley met with the appointments committee to discuss the proposal further and fully understand the brief. Timescales were agreed and a full job description was created for their review.
With a dedicated microsite, extensive advertising, networking and targeted search within the UK Hospice sectors, Pure Executive were able to identify a strong pool of candidates. The role was promoted on the Hospice UK and NHS websites to ensure we reached as large an audience as possible and the final shortlist comprised a range of Charity, Commercial and healthcare professionals.
Recruitment doesn’t always go to plan and this search was no exception. The initial short-list delivered a strong pool of candidates. Three were selected for the final stage interview but due to unprecedented circumstances, two of the three had to pull out at the eleventh hour. So we went back to the drawing board and started the search again.
The second shortlist included a broad range of new strong candidates and they completed a 2 staged interview process that EACH and Pure co-designed. Following a detailed wash-up meeting via Zoom due to the pandemic, EACH successfully appointed their next CEO.
At Pure, we strive to help businesses and their people to thrive and flourish. When asked about the service EACH received from Pure Executive, John Pickering said:
“To feel valued as an important client evidenced by responsiveness and the personal attention of the key individuals working on our project. We felt well looked after and communication was always excellent.”
“Pure Executive set us up with a team of two - David Culley and Lynn Walters and because it was a small team they were always very well briefed on where we were in the process. I have never worked with an agency in the charity sector before but for me, their patience with a pretty disparate board of trustees and their excellent communication skills could not be faulted.”
“It felt to me that although they were coming in from outside they felt very much part of our team and would sit around the table with us to set up the process - that is very comforting when a big decision is required.”
Reflecting on his experience, Phil Gormley, the successfully appointed new CEO said:
“I found the experience of working with David Culley and his team during my application for CEO extremely helpful and professional. It was clear that David entirely understood the brief from his clients and had researched the challenges the new incumbent would encounter. He helped me work through my own motivations and skill sets so that I could make informed decisions as the recruitment process progressed. The issue of “fit” is critical in executive appointments and as a candidate, I was confident that my offer was relevant to the organisation. Throughout the process, David provided constant feedback after each element ensuring that I was engaged and motivated to continue. I will certainly be using David to help support me in future. I would recommend Pure Executive to other organisations looking to identify and recruit senior talent.”
To find out how we can help with your Executive recruitment and succession planning contact Lynn Walters at Pure Executive.
