The National Trust is seeking to recruit a new Chair of its Board of Trustees, with the ideal candidate someone who will bring different experiences and new ideas together with the skills and talent to Chair the Board and Council.
…The Chair is the most senior volunteer in an organisation that relies on many thousands of volunteers, who give millions of hours of their time for our cause every year.…
The National Trust writes:
The National Trust protects and cares for places so people and nature can thrive. We look after hundreds of houses and close to a million objects along with vast areas of coastline, countryside and green spaces, for everyone’s benefit. With our staff, members, volunteers and supporters, we’re the biggest conservation charity in Europe. Now we are seeking a new Chair. The Chair is the most senior volunteer in an organisation that relies on many thousands of volunteers, who give millions of hours of their time for our cause every year.…
We’re looking for an exceptional candidate. Someone who will bring different experiences and new ideas together with the skills and talent to Chair the Board and Council and support our Director-General, Hilary McGrady, and her Executive Team in the delivery of our strategy. Someone who wants to become part of our story….
Over the past 18 months, the National Trust has responded to the unprecedented challenges which arose due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While managing lockdowns and re-openings, we faced difficult decisions as we looked for a way to contend with our significantly reduced visitor income and the resulting financial loss. These decisions meant re-shaping our organisation to make us leaner, more flexible and more resilient so that we could readily adapt to the quickly changing environment. We are confident that we are emerging from the pandemic with the right resources in place to implement our strategy….
The Chair of the National Trust provides direction and leadership to the Board of Trustees and the Council, promotes the highest standards of governance, and supports the Executive Team to deliver the strategy.
You’ll be responsible for developing an effective and balanced Board, for promoting open debate and collegiate decision-making, and for ensuring that sufficient time is allowed for discussion of complex issues.
You’ll support and advise the Director-General, helping her to implement the strategies and policies set by the Board while respecting her Executive responsibility. Part of your role will be to optimise relationships between the Board, the Council, senior staff and volunteers, including through visits to regions and properties. You’ll chair the Board of Trustees, meetings of the Council and the AGM (which is broadcast live). As a bridge between the Board and the Council, you’ll make sure that the views of each body are properly represented to the other and that the views of the Trust’s network of Regional Advisory Boards and specialist Advisory Groups are properly communicated to the Board.
More widely, you’ll play an important role pursuing our agendas in the heritage and environmental sectors. You’ll maintain links with key public and private sector stakeholders, actively supporting fundraising, and represent the Trust behind the scenes, in public fora and in the media….
