The Charity CEO Podcast

“Part of Ashgate’s ambition is to change the conversation about death and dying… to enable conversations to happen in daylight, in general conversation, about death and dying. We’re all going to die, its not something that any of us can avoid… ”Barbara-Anne Walker is the Chief Executive of Ashgate Hospice. Ashgate Hospice is a specialist hospice, providing palliative and end of life care for the community of North Derbyshire. Their vision is for people with a life-limiting illness to be able to live well, and have a good death. And for their families to be supported and comforted through the process. Less than 30% of hospice funding comes from the NHS and yet the hospices provide a vital service within the UK healthcare system. Barbara-Anne and her team at Ashgate Hospice have been prolific in engaging the community, campaigning and raising awareness for hospice funding, both locally as well as on the national stage. Barbara-Anne is emphatic about the need to change the conversation about death and dying.We talk about the organisation’s iconic Sparkle Walk event. We also talk about Ashgate Hospice’s own podcast, The Life and Death Podcast, which explores frank and honest conversations about death and what ‘dying well’ really means. Barbara-Anne shares her thoughts on the importance of visible leadership and her role, as a leader, in creating a learning culture. She also shares some practical learnings gained from working through the pandemic.Recorded May 2022. Guest Biography Barbara-Anne Walker is the CEO of Ashgate Hospice. Barbara-Anne has worked in the voluntary sector for over 30 years and has had an interest in palliative and end of life care since early in her career when she worked with people affected by HIV. Barbara-Anne led the national social care programme for Macmillan Cancer Support and previously worked as Operations Director with the British Red Cross. She was a Non-Executive Director of Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust for eight years. In 2021 she was shortlisted for the Charity Times ‘Leader Of The Year’ award. Barbara-Anne is Scottish and Derbyshire has been her home for over 20 years.Linkshttps://ashgatehospice.org.uk/

“It’s terrifying not being able to breathe… and that’s informed a lot of our strategic thinking and our positioning, because nobody should have to struggle to breathe and we can do so much better for people with lung conditions.”Sarah Woolnough is the CEO of the newly rebranded charity Asthma + Lung UK.Poor lung health is the 3rd biggest killer in the UK and yet only 2% of publicly funded medical research goes towards this cause. Asthma + Lung UK is here to change that. And be the driving force behind the transformation of the nation’s lung health.Sarah talks about her learnings from leading the collaborative journey of the re-brand process. She also shares her personal experiences, being a first-time CEO, joining the organisation during lockdown and being a busy mum of 4 young children. Recorded May 2022. Guest Biography Sarah Woolnough is the CEO of Asthma + Lung UK, the charity leading the fight to improve care and support for everyone with a lung condition. Sarah has a background in policy and communications, having spent many years as Executive Director of Policy, Information and Communications at Cancer Research UK, has worked in the civil service, Parliament and at the membership organisation, Sport and Recreation Alliance. Sarah also has extensive non-executive experience. She is Co-Chair of the NHS England National Respiratory Board, which directs NHS England’s efforts to improve outcomes for those with lung disease. She sits on the Board of the Accelerating Access Collaborative, a key government initiative aimed at encouraging swifter adoption of new technologies and treatments to tackle ill health. She is Trustee of mental health research charity MQ, a member of the Richmond Group of health charities and a previous trustee of ASH, the Association of Medical Research Charities, the National Cancer Research Institute and Bliss, the special care baby charity.Sarah is passionate about improving outcomes for all those with a lung condition and reversing the historic lack of investment in lung research. Sarah has led several successful public health campaigns and is a vocal campaigner for clean air.Sarah was nominated as Charity Leader of the Year in the Charity Times Awards shortlist for 2022. Linkshttps://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/ 

“Believe in yourself. Believe that you do have the power to make the change…(Malala) believes in an individual’s ability and power to make the change that they so desire…she tells young women everywhere… believe in your story and believe in your own capacity to catalyse thatchange and make that impact.”The world knows the story of Malala Yousafzai, a young Pakistani education activist, who was shot by the Taliban when she was just 15 years old. Shot, for speaking out on behalf of girls and their right to an education. Malala Fund is working towards a world where every girl can learn and lead.Suzanne Ehlers, CEO of the Malala Fund tells us about the work the organisation does to break down barriers that hold girls back, creating change pathways and amplifying girls’ voices. We also talk about our responsibilities as leaders to bring about true equity, diversity and inclusion, and how we can look to re-distribute and re-orient power in our own organisations.Suzanne also shares her personal leadership journey and why the cause of fighting for equal rights for women and girls is her “true North”. 10 years after Malala’s shooting, the Taliban have once again decreed that girls cannot go to school in Afghanistan. And so, the fight continues. Recorded May 2022. Guest Biography Suzanne Ehlers has served as CEO of Malala Fund since February 2020. In this role, she provides leadership to a global network of experts and advocates who are breaking down barriers that prevent girls from going to school. Suzanne works closely with co-founders Malala and Ziauddin Yousafzai, to advance progress toward girls’ education around the world. Prior to her appointment at Malala Fund, Suzanne served as President & CEO of PAI, a global advocacy leader in the effort to protect and promote the reproductive rights of women and girls. Earlier in her career, Suzanne was a grant-maker at Wallace Global Fund. Suzanne also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Central African Republic (CAR) following her graduation from Cornell University with a degree in Government. Suzanne speaks French, Spanish and Sango (language of the CAR). She is an avid walker and baker. She grew up in south Texas and now resides in Washington DC, with her husband, two daughters and two dogs.Linkshttps://malala.org/ 

“A big piece of what we are trying to do is work with the partners to get the food to where it’s working hardest… food is (just one) part of breaking the cycle of food insecurity.”Charlotte Hill is the new Chief Executive of The Felix Project, a charity dedicated to redistributing food and fighting food poverty in London. The Felix Project believes in a vision of London where no-one goes hungry and good food is never wasted.With an ambition to deliver 100 million meals a year to Londoners by 2024, The Felix Project collects surplus food from suppliers and delivers them to over 1,000 front line organisations, such as food banks, charities and schools. All with the purpose of reducing food waste and to help the most vulnerable in London, by providing access to fresh food and healthy meals.Charlotte is a second time guest on this podcast and shares how her passions for engaging with young people and volunteers, sustainability and driving place-based change, have now all come together in the fight against food poverty. She shares a clear aspiration for stopping the cycle of food waste and food insecurity in London, enabling the city to be more sustainable and a genuine world leader in this space.Recorded January 2022. Guest Biography Charlotte Hill became CEO of The Felix Project in January 2022. Prior to that Charlotte was the Chief Executive of Step Up To Serve, the organisation that coordinated the #iwill campaign, from 2014 to 2020. From 2010 to April 2014 she was the Chief Executive of UK Youth.Charlotte started her career working in Parliament for Rt. Hon. Harriet Harman QC MP in a number of roles. After five years with Harriet Harman, Charlotte moved to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) as their Parliamentary Advisor.After the NSPCC, Charlotte moved to Australia and worked for a Government Relations & Communications Consultancy and for a children’s charity in Sydney. She also later worked in Cambodia, teaching English in an orphanage.Charlotte is a Trustee of the EFL Trust, an RSA Fellow and a Board member of Westminster House Youth Club in her local area. She has a degree in Political Science & Philosophy from Birmingham University.In 2012 Charlotte received the award of ‘Rising CEO Star’ at The Charity Times Awards. In 2016 she became Alumna of the Year at the University of Birmingham. In 2019 she was awarded an OBE for services to young people.Linkshttps://thefelixproject.org/ This episode was sponsored by EdenTree Investment Management.https://www.edentreeim.com/insights/edentree-sponsor-the-charity-ceo-podcast-season-3 

“Technology has an incredible role to play in helping us deal with the challenges of children not being able to access education … but its (impact) is only in how we harness that technology and ensure that it’s grounded in local contexts and local needs.”Shirah Mansaray is the Founder and CEO of the charity, I Am Somebody’s Child Soldier. Having recently joined the Board of Amnesty International UK, Shirah talks about how from a young age she has felt compelled to address human rights issues and give children a voice. I Am Somebody’s Child Soldier is dedicated to empowering and supporting former child soldiers and victims of war in Uganda, through education, rehabilitation and mental health initiatives. Shirah also shares her experiences on often being the only black female leader in a boardroom; and provides practical advice on what organisations can do to genuinely embed change and champion true Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Recorded December 2021.Guest Biography Shirah Mansaray is the CEO and founding trustee of the international charity, I Am Somebody’s Child Soldier, which provides mental health support to former child victims of war in Uganda. Shirah has over 15 years’ experience working in the humanitarian field, with organisations ranging from the United Nations and the Human Rights and Economic Affairs Department at the Council of Europe, Strasbourg. Shirah is a Non-Executive Director and Trustee of Amnesty International UK.Shirah is passionate about advocating for mental health as a fundamental human right for populations in the Global South and worldwide. Shirah is currently a PhD scholar at University College London (UCL) conducting academic and industry research on healthcare policies and architectures that promote mental health through design responsibility and sustainable environmental design. She has a Master’s degree in Development, Technology and Innovation Policy from UCL, where her thesis interrogated the efficacy of the World Food Program’s Blockchain based digital identification system and the data privacy rights of refugees.Shirah is a trained lawyer and is currently seconded to Bates Wells LLP where she advises charities, non-profits and civil society organisations in the UK and internationally on governance matters, commercial agreements, charity law and human rights law.Links https://www.iamsomebodyschildsoldier.org/  This episode was sponsored by EdenTree Investment Management.https://www.edentreeim.com/insights/edentree-sponsor-the-charity-ceo-podcast-season-3 

“If there’s one over-riding feature that has really driven success in the last 10 years, it really is that complete and utter belief in the Mission... (and) linking up with people who share that commitment, to the power of education to transform lives.”Today’s is a very special episode: I am speaking with Tim Howarth, my predecessor at United World Schools and its Founding CEO.Tim tells the story of taking United World Schools (UWS) from his family’s kitchen table to the global organisation it is today, with over 1,200 staff operating across 4 continents and reaching nearly 50,000 children in poor and marginalised communities. UWS builds and runs schools in remote areas of the Global South, providing primary education to children who otherwise would not have a school to go to.With a Vision of a world where all children have the chance to go to school, the organisation aims to give every child access to free, quality and inclusive education, transforming life opportunities for children living in remote and marginalised parts of the world. UWS currently operates programmes in Cambodia, Madagascar, Myanmar and Nepal. Tim shares key leadership lessons from the perspective of building an organisation from the ground up, as well as tips and best practices for charity leaders seeking to establish meaningful partnerships with local governments. Tim also talks about how being bold, and having complete belief and faith in the Mission, has been key to the success of United World Schools over the past decade.Recorded December 2021.Guest Biography Tim Howarth is the Founding Chief Executive of United World Schools (UWS). After ten years with the organisation, Tim recently transitioned the UWS CEO role to our podcast host herself, Dhivya O'Connor.Under Tim's leadership, UWS reached almost 50,000 previously out-of-school children, establishing over 260 UWS Community Schools and learning sites in remote regions of South East Asia, and most recently in Madagascar. The organisation has been recognised with several awards and prizes: WISE Award in 2019, HundrED Prize for Educational Innovation in 2019 & 2020, and the UNESCO Prize for Ethnic Minority Literacy Programmes in 2020.Tim is a trained teacher. Prior to his time at UWS, Tim worked in a number of leadership and consultancy roles, developing teaching and leadership capacity in UK and Australian schools. Tim is also an RSA Fellow and in 2019 was listed on the UK Social Entrepreneur Index. Links https://www.unitedworldschools.org/  This episode is sponsored by EdenTree Investment Management https://www.edentreeim.com/ 

“This is about structural issues in society and structural issues in the sector… Diversity and inclusion is a problem right across the sector… (and) the sector is about social justice and so there is an urgency for us as a sector to get this right. Culture change is not a linear process… real culture change takes a long time… trust and healing is the very beginning of that sort of conversation.”Sarah Vibert is the Interim CEO of NCVO, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations.NCVO is a membership body that champions charities and volunteers. Its focus is supporting its member organisations and enabling their efforts to make the world a better place. In the current context, NCVO is playing a key role in re-imagining the voluntary sector, collaborating with other infrastructure bodies and influencing government. NCVO is a founding member of The Civil Society Group, an informal group which aims at improving collaboration within the sector and streamlining engagement with government.In February 2021, a leaked EDI Report revealed systemic issues around bullying, harassment and racism at NCVO. Having just stepped up to the CEO role the month before, Sarah talks about the journey she has taken her team and the organisation on, and the difficult process of rebuilding trust. Sarah shares valuable lessons learned through leading this culture change.Recorded September 2021.Guest Biography Sarah Vibert is the Interim Chief Executive of NCVO. Sarah stepped up to the role in January 2021, having previously been NCVO’s Director of Membership and Engagement.Prior to joining NCVO, Sarah was Chief Executive of the umbrella charity, The Neurological Alliance. She has also served in senior management roles at Epilepsy Society and In Kind Direct, having started her career in local government management, including working for The Mayor of London.Sarah is a Trustee of The Brain and Spine Foundation and volunteers for her son’s school PTA.Links https://www.ncvo.org.uk/ This episode is sponsored by EdenTree Investment Management https://www.edentreeim.com/

“The real disruption in our work has come about as a result of our impact model which is (about) turning conventional approaches to conservation upside down and grounding management of the sea in secure local tenure… management by communities for communities”Alasdair Harris is Founder and Executive Director of the marine conservation organisation, Blue Ventures. With a mission focused on rebuilding tropical fisheries with coastal communities, Alasdair talks about how developing an impact model that was truly by communities, for communities, has been transformative in sustaining locally led conservation. We discuss approaches for achieving impact at scale, including Blue Ventures’ partnership with United World Schools. The collaboration is aimed at developing an education programme in order to provide holistic support to fishing communities in the poorest regions of Madagascar. Alasdair shares insights learned on his leadership journey, going from biologist to social entrepreneur to human rights advocate! We also talk about his hopes and aspirations for the global climate conference, COP26. Recorded October 2021.Guest Biography Alasdair Harris is the Founder and Executive Director of Blue Ventures. Blue Ventures works at the interface of marine protection and poverty alleviation, developing locally led approaches to marine conservation that benefit people and nature alike.  Alasdair holds a PhD in marine ecology and an honorary doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. He is an Ashoka fellow, Skoll Awardee, and TED fellow.Links https://blueventures.org/ https://www.unitedworldschools.org/News/launching-in-madagascar This episode is sponsored by EdenTree Investment Management https://www.edentreeim.com/ 

“Leaders who can convene and collaborate are going to be best placed to navigate the challenges of the post-pandemic world… No one (single) person, no one organisation, in fact no one country can beat cancer... we go faster when we collaborate and partner.”Michelle Mitchell epitomises her organisation’s strap-line: Together we will beat cancer. Driven by an absolute determination to accelerate progress in cancer research, Michelle shares leadership insights and lessons learned from being CEO of this £600m organisation. Being the world’s largest independent funder of cancer research, has not meant that Cancer Research UK has been immune to the effects of the pandemic. CRUK is predicting a £250m drop in income over the next 3 years, which will seriously impact their ambitions to enable 3 in 4 people to survive cancer by 2034. We also talk about the impact the disruption of the past 18 months has had on the cancer community; and the importance of partnership, and the One Cancer Voice collaboration, in ensuring the continued delivery of world-class cancer services. Recorded September 2021.Guest Biography Michelle Mitchell OBE is Cancer Research UK’s first female CEO. CRUK is the world's largest independent funder of cancer research. Michelle believes that by working together, and building the strongest possible team, we will beat cancer together. She is a member of the National Cancer Board, and has extensive non-executive experience, serving on the Boards of NHS England and The King’s Fund, a leading health policy think-tank. Before joining Cancer Research UK, Michelle was CEO of the MS Society for five years. Prior to that, she was Director General at Age UK, the UK’s largest older people’s charity. Michelle has a BA in Economics, an MA in Politics and Public Administration and an International Executive Diploma from INSEAD. Michelle was awarded an OBE in 2015 for services to the charity sector.Linkshttps://www.cancerresearchuk.org/ This episode is sponsored by EdenTree Investment Management https://www.edentreeim.com/ 

“Be curious and communicate… Find the tension between reflection and action. (As a leader) you can equip yourself and you can develop in particular ways by deliberate action.”Darren Cormack is Chief Executive of the Mines Advisory Group, also known as MAG International. Since its establishment in 1989, MAG has helped over 20 million people in more than 70 countries, rebuild their lives and livelihoods after war. This global humanitarian and advocacy organisation works to find and remove lethal landmines and unexploded bombs in place affected by conflict. With over 5,000 staff across 26 countries, Darren shares his experiences stepping up to take the top job at the height of the pandemic in May 2020. He provides insights on lessons learned and practical examples of how he is steering MAG and its people, to thrive in a changing environment. Darren also talks about the importance and relevance of MAG’s work in a changing global context, and how even today, at least 15 people are killed or injured by landmines every single day. Recorded August 2021.Guest Biography Darren Cormack is the CEO of the Mines Advisory Group (MAG), a global humanitarian, development and campaigning charity. Darren joined MAG in 2008 and prior to taking over as CEO, Darren was the Director of Strategy and Government Relations, responsible for the design, articulation and delivery of MAG’s organisational funding strategy. Darren holds a first class Masters degree in International Management from the University of Lancaster Management School and is an experienced Non-Executive Director. Before he joined MAG, Darren worked in the private and non-profit sectors in the UK and internationally, managing a range of environment, conservation, humanitarian and development projects. He has lived and worked in Cambodia, South Sudan, Sudan, the Philippines and Indonesia.Linkshttps://www.maginternational.org/ This episode was sponsored by EdenTree Investment Management.https://www.edentreeim.com/insights/edentree-sponsor-the-charity-ceo-podcast-season-3