for Forest of Avon

Moon was appointed to lead the search for a new Chief Executive during a key stage in Forest of Avon’s development.

Community forests were established in the 1970s to give local communities an active role in forest management. England’s Community Forests have grown significantly in recent years -increasing environmental impact, expanding partnerships, and growing to 15 in number across the country. Forest of Avon has also taken on delivery of the Western Forest, a new, large-scale national forest; the first new national forest in over 30 years, requiring strong leadership.

The challenge

This was a broad and demanding CEO appointment, requiring a senior leader who could:

Lead a growing and increasingly complex organisation
Balance local programme delivery with a nationally significant initiative
Strengthen financial sustainability and diversify income
Navigate multiple stakeholders across local authorities, partners, and funders
Continue to evolve organisational structures, culture and ways of working

The Board was open to candidates from both within and adjacent to the sector, with a clear focus on leadership capability, systems thinking, and experience operating in partnership-led environments.

Search approach

Moon delivered a blended executive search approach, combining targeted headhunting with a well-positioned advertising campaign.

Proactive search focused on individuals with experience of organisational growth, transformation, and partnership-driven delivery
Talent mapping extended beyond traditional conservation profiles to engage a broader and diverse leadership pool
Advertising highlighted the scale and ambition of the opportunity, alongside the organisation’s strong reputation
The search was led by Sandy Hinks, working closely with the Chair and Board throughout

“We were delighted by the level of interest in the role. Even in a specialist area like this, the response shows how highly Forest of Avon is regarded and how compelling the opportunity is”

— Sandy Hinks, Head of Charity Practice

Through the process, particular emphasis was placed on this skillset:

Proven experience leading organisational growth and transformation
Strength in partnership working and stakeholder engagement
Financial resilience and income diversification
A values-led, inclusive approach to leadership

The board were able to select from a wider talent pool to find an exceptional leader due to their openness to transferable leadership capability and Moon’s role in shaping a broad and well-calibrated search.

By extending the search beyond the immediate sector, Moon supported the Board to access a high-quality candidate pool and secure a CEO aligned to both the current brief and future direction of the organisation.

The outcome

Following a competitive search process, Ped Asgarian was appointed and took the helm on 30 March 2026.

Ped is a values-led leader with experience across food systems, farming, and environmental justice. He has a strong track record of growing third-sector organisations, managing finances, and building partnerships, along with governnce experience from trustee roles in conservation and land use. He also brings extensive experience working across partnerships, campaigns and government at both local and national level.

While not from a traditional conservation background, Ped offers a systems perspective and leadership experience well aligned with the organisation’s evolving needs. Ped is also passionate about the importance of making the environmental sector a more diverse and inclusive space, an approach which is very important to Forest of Avon Trust.

“Throughout the search for our new CEO, Sandy kept in regular contact and ensured the selection panel felt fully supported and informed at every stage. The clear and consistent communication gave me, as Chair, and the rest of the Board real confidence that the process would run smoothly and efficiently. We are delighted with the successful outcome and Ped’s appointment.”

— Alister Rankine, Chair, Forest of Avon

Moon’s impact

This search demonstrates Moon’s approach to CEO and senior leadership appointments -combining targeted search with a broader market perspective.

By balancing sector insight with cross-sector reach, Moon supported the appointment of a leader able to operate effectively in a complex, partnership-driven environment and to guide the organisation through its next phase of growth

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