29 Sep Lumos, how we hired their new senior leadership team
We love our clients and admire their work. In 2020 we started working with Lumos, the international children’s charity founded in 2005 by Harry Potter’s author J.K. Rowling, supporting them in the recruitment of several executive positions, starting with their CEO. Zoe Oldham and Karem Armstrong, led the recruitments and explain what it was like to work with the energetic and committed team at Lumos.
How does it feel to work with an organisation like Lumos?
Zoe Oldham: For me and the team here at Daryl Upsall International, working with Lumos has been a fantastic experience and an enormous privilege to feel we are making a difference to the lives of children to ensure they have a loving family. We had never worked with them before and when Yvonne Beauchamp, their People Director approached us to discuss the roles, we knew it would be the beginning of a really great relationship and opportunity to work really closely with Lumos to support them with four key senior recruitments.
How was the process of hiring their CEO?
The recruitment of a CEO is always an intense process but working with the Board and staff at Lumos was a fantastic couple of months. I personally feel we were really able to capture the essence of the profile they were seeking in terms of experience, profile, and cultural fit and I think Lumos would agree that we found them the perfect candidate in Peter McDermott.
What was the best part about recruiting the Director of Global Fundraising and Engagement?
Normalizing flexible working is something that Daryl Upsall International and the sector as a whole is striving to improve, and the appointment of Nicola Blackburn as the Director of Global Fundraising and Engagement is a fantastic example of a flexible senior leadership role in action. This makes me both personally and professionally proud to have been part of this placement working with an organisation that is committed to bringing in the best talent and adapting to modern ways of working.
You have also recruited the new Director of Development in the USA, Samantha Miller. Is there are lot of difference between recruiting in the USA and the UK?
The most notable difference between the US and UK in the non-profit sector is speed of processes. The US has much shorter notice periods and this means that overall, the recruitment cycle is shortened in comparison to the UK.
Karem Armstrong hired their new Director of Global Systems Change. Was it a particularly challenging recruitment?
Karem Amstrong: Yes, finding experienced candidates in systemic change in such a niche area such as the deinstitutionalization of children was not easy. The role encompassed many criteria, and we are very proud to have found a passionate and talented candidate Tricia Young, to take on his incredible opportunity. Tricia commented that, this was “pretty much my dream job, which combines global level influencing and child participation. I would never have imagined that I would find these two areas combined in a single role.”
Did you have the chance to meet J.K Rowling?
Sadly no, we did not get to meet J.K. Rowling on this occasion….. (Hint, hint J.K.). However, we do plan to attend the virtual fundraising gala that Lumos will be holding on October the 2nd where J.K. Rowling and many other celebrities will be attending so we may have a chance yet! For those of you that may be interested in collaborating, you can see the gala details here.