CARE is a Westminster-based charity whose mission is to bring a uniquely Christian insight to the policies and laws that govern life in the UK. Carnelian Search was appointed by the trustees to lead the search for a new Chief Executive after the previous CEO, Nola Leach, announced her plans to retire. The search was unique in a few ways: the outgoing CEO had been in place for 17 years, CARE’s founder remains involved in the charity in important and valuable ways, and the challenge of being a relevant voice for Christian values in the public square is increasingly demanding
The suite of qualities we were seeking from candidates was particularly unusual: readiness to lead an organisation with a significant budget and staff team, experience of public policy work and the wisdom and skill to grow the profile and impact of an organisation speaking on some divisive issues.
We worked hard to sharpen the brief for a complex role over a series of discussions with the Board and a small number of senior staff. This partnership was strengthened by our own Christian values.
The research for the role was conducted over a period of 10 weeks, required a deep knowledge of the sector, and drew recommendations and ideas from a wide network of leaders in sympathy with CARE’s work.
After careful interviews with these candidates, we put forward a longlist of seven names, of whom four were invited to formal discussions with the trustees. As a result, Ross Hendry has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of CARE (Christian Action Research and Education). Ross was previously CEO Spurgeons, a national children’s charity. He starts in the autumn of 2021.
John O Brien, Chair of Trustees at CARE, said:
“We appointed Carnelian to help us find a new Chief Executive to replace our existing CEO who was retiring after many years in post.
Their work was very targeted, and we quickly found ourselves with a high-quality short-list from which we found a candidate who we felt was a perfect fit for the role. The search was handled impeccably, and we were kept informed of progress every step of the way. It was delivered on time and on budget.
The team had a striking combination of both transparency and diplomacy, and I was impressed by their manifest honesty. I would certainly use them again.”
Ross Hendry, said: “‘What I love about CARE is that it believes in the whole Bible. It believes in the good news of Jesus and in the calling we have from God to make a difference in every area of society. For CARE, that means working with policy makers, bringing a clear, biblically informed perspective on laws and policies. As a society, we’re swimming in deep waters, and there’s such a need for the church to confidently engage with politics and policies. My prayers and hopes are that we will be able to give our brothers and sisters in the wider church the courage to take a stand and to speak out.
We’re going to do all we can to influence laws for good, to train new leaders through the highly-regarded Leadership Programme, and equip the church on some of the most pressing matters of the day.
CARE has an immensely talented team of people who are passionate about making a difference, and I cannot wait to get started.”