How to write a strong charity CEO CV

How to write a strong charity CEO CV

By Bill Yuksel|10 March 2026

Write a strong charity CEO CV. Practical advice on strategy, impact, governance and what trustees look for at chief executive level.

6. Tailor your charity CEO CV to the role

Trustees appoint in context. A CV aligned to strategy and mission helps them see fit quickly. Before submitting your CV, ask:

  • What strategic challenges is this charity facing?
  • What outcomes are most urgent for this role?
  • Is this a growth appointment or stabilisation?
  • Is income under pressure?
  • Is cultural change required?
  • Is there reputational sensitivity?
  • How could your experience make a difference in this context?

Think about which experiences will best show how you meet the organisation’s priorities. Highlight the experiences most relevant to the charity’s current challenges.

If the organisation needs financial recovery, lead with turnaround experience.

If growth is the priority, foreground income diversification and expansion.

If culture and people leadership matter most, show team engagement scores, retention improvements or leadership development initiatives.

Finally, reflect the charity’s mission and values in your language. If you show you’re competent and present your CV in the charity’s context, you make it much easier for the board to see you as the leader they need.

Read more:Be prepared: application and interview tips for aspiring CEOs

Category:Candidate advice

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Bill Yuksel

Written by

Bill Yuksel

Head of SME Charities

Bill Yuksel has a passion for creating environments where people can create systemic change and a real commitment to delivering inclusive, empowering and robust recruitment.

Since joining Peridot in 2016, Bill has led hundreds of chief executive, senior leadership and board appointments for charities, including appointing over 60+ chief executives across England, Wales and Scotland.

Bill also has experience leading transformation projects as a Trustee of two charities, where he secured better financial positions, led governance reform and recruited new CEOs and Trustees. Bill was also a member of the Transformation Board at the University of Suffolk Students' Union.

As a former two-year students' union Sabbatical Officer, Bill knows that many talented young people find it hard to find meaningful employment after their term of office and has offered pro-bono career workshops to empower young people and help them in their job hunts.

Bill is proud of his strong track record of recruiting women, people of colour, LGBTQ+, and disabled people into leadership positions.

Outside of work, Bill is a kinship foster carer to his young nephew. He is also a Trustee at Mindera UK Foundation, a charity providing education, funding, mentorship, and opportunities for underrepresented and underprivileged young people. He works as an Interim Co-Chair of the Small Charity Advisory Panel, supported by NCVO, and he is a Panel Member for Board Behaviours and Dynamics Working Group for the Charity Commission.