Trustees
The Roles:
Futura Learning
The Client:
Futura Learning Partnership is an academy trust comprising 20 primary and 6 secondary schools across the South West of England. Their mission is to build the brightest future for all, enabling every individual to flourish. The trust educates pupils aged 2-19, offering a curriculum designed to ensure seamless progression across age groups. This facilitates smooth transitions between educational phases and prepares young people for a successful adult life.
Inclusion and equity are at the heart of the trust. Recognising the unique potential of every individual, Futura Learning Partnership strives to foster success in school and beyond. The trust places a strong emphasis on collaboration, bringing together colleagues from across their schools to share best practices and develop innovative approaches. This collaborative spirit enhances opportunities for pupils, staff, and the wider community in ways that would not be possible for individual schools.
Futura are committed to raising aspiration and never accepting second best. As such, they were seeking a Trustee to enhance their governance model, ensuring clarity of vision and strategic direction. We previously worked with Futura when the organisation was named Wellsway Multi Academy Trust. We helped them find 4 Trustees who could support their ambitious plans. The trust were impressed by the standard of the Trustees we recommended and Sandy’s commitment to finding the best possible candidates. Based on this positive experience, they approached us to assist in their search for a new Trustee. We thoroughly enjoyed working with Futura previously and were thrilled to collaborate again.
The main challenge for this search was finding individuals with the skills and experience to elevate the Board, who could also commit a substantial amount of time to a voluntary role. They were seeking a Trustee with a legal background, auditing and compliance experience, and an in-depth knowledge of organisational structure, contractual arrangements, policies and disputes. The Trustee also needed strong interpersonal skills and the ability to analyse and resolve complex strategic issues. Most importantly, they had to be passionate about creating positive outcomes for young people.
Sandy Hinks, Head of Moon’s Charity Practice led the search campaign. Our multifaceted approach involved targeted regional advertising, headhunting, and utilising Sandy's network. This yielded a pool of promising individuals, from which a shortlist was created through a rigorous screening process. Subsequent interviews revealed two exceptional individuals with distinct areas of expertise. Both candidates demonstrated the potential to significantly enhance the trust's governance, albeit in different ways. A comprehensive report was presented to Futura, detailing the unique value proposition of each candidate. Impressed by these two, the trust appointed both Zac Rowe and Harriet Unger as Trustees.
Zac Rowe is a senior legal counsel for a global aerospace engineering company. His legal expertise adds an extra dimension to Futura’s Board. Legal professionals are essential for effective Trustee Boards, but time constraints often hinder their participation. We’re delighted that our search campaign unearthed Mr Rowe, whose advice and guidance are indispensable to Futura.
Harriet Unger is a former law firm partner and is now a consultant specialising in corporate governance. Her extensive background in controls and compliance is a valuable asset to Futura. Ms Unger bolsters the Board's governance structure and enhances its capacity to address emerging challenges.
Sandy Hinks commented:
"Identifying highly skilled professionals willing to dedicate their time to a voluntary role presented a unique challenge. We embraced this opportunity and discovered some outstanding candidates. The two individuals we recommended were particularly impressive. We are thrilled that Futura chose to appoint both Zac and Harriet."
Tim Howes, Chief Operating Officer at Futura Learning Partnership, commented:
“Sandy was wonderful throughout the recruitment process. She provided a detailed report on two Trustee candidates with distinct skill sets, each enhancing our Board in unique ways. While we initially sought a single Trustee, the exceptional qualifications of Harriet and Zac led us to appoint them both."
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