Chairs in Conversation: Emma Scott

How can you make the chair role less onerous and more rewarding?

It’s important to appreciate that the role comes with its swings and roundabouts, and there are different times of the year when more things are required of you than other times. Personally, I find it helpful to map the year out, so I know when I’m going to be more needed.

Having a lot of structure with the CEO also helps with this, so we have a fortnightly routine where we put in some time together, and if she needs more time then we schedule that in.

With things like paperwork, ambassadorial work and so forth, it’s about having the right structures in place and making sure there is a rigour around it.

I’m also very protective of my time. I will only take on one pro bono at a time because I still have a full-time job and I want to give my full attention to the charity of my choice. I would strongly recommend pro-bono work to everyone, but you need to understand the amount of time involved in the role.

I also think if charities are particularly looking to diversify their boards, they may have to be more flexible about what they need. I think the role of Vice Chair can be helpful. At times I was Vice Chair at Ovarian Cancer Action, and I did this for a set period to provide a governance framework. If chairs are not keen about bringing in Vice Chair roles, then they should delegate to trustees.