Why becoming a charity chair could be the most rewarding move in your career

Why becoming a charity chair could be the most rewarding move in your career

By Marie McQuade|30 July 2025

Discover what it’s really like becoming a charity chair. Three new Chairs share the personal and professional impact and why they recommend the role.

Why boards must look beyond their networks to find the right charity Chair

Boards need to look beyond their usual networks if they want to find the right charity Chair.

The best charity Chairs don’t always come from your existing networks. Relying on word-of-mouth limits the diversity of background, perspective and lived experience.

A broader search attracts candidates with the skills, insight, and commitment to challenge constructively and lead with purpose. It also opens up opportunities to those who may never have imagined themselves in the role, but could make a powerful impact.

Open, inclusive, and well-run recruitment processes lead to stronger boards and better outcomes. If you’re serious about strong governance and long-term strategy, casting your net wider is essential.

Four tips for recruiting a charity Chair

  1. Start with a clear view of what your board needs. A skills matrix can help clarify this.
  2. Design your recruitment around those needs—not just who you already know.
  3. Run an open, external search to find people with the right mix of drive, skills and purpose.
  4. Choose a Chair who will lead strategically and empower trustees, staff and volunteers alike.

At Peridot, we run open and rigorous Chair and Trustee recruitment processes for charities across the UK.

Ready to explore charity Chair roles?

Marie McQuade

Written by

Marie McQuade

Director | Charities

She recruits specialist trustees from all backgrounds and specialises in recruiting boards that exceed. Every client she has ever worked with has recommended Marie to others, recruited more candidates than anticipated from her, and come back to work with her again.

She has three decades of experience as a leader working across health, housing and social justice in the UK and globally.

After volunteering as a graduate for an INGO in India, she embarked upon a career in the charity sector and grew her passion for creating positive change. Marie brings this passion to Peridot, where she prioritises recruiting exceptional leadership because she believes good governance transforms organisations and the lives of their beneficiaries.

Marie also runs board audits, inductions and training and works with organisations from across the UK and Europe. She has a post-graduate qualification in Organisational Development.

She has been a board and committee member, a mentor for a care-experienced young person, a street worker for homeless people and a counsellor for women and girls.

Outside of her professional life, Marie is completing a Creative PhD at Queens University, practising Zen, and parenting three teenage girls (and a cocker spaniel!). She enjoys spending time outdoors, walking, running, and swimming, as well as travelling, reading, watching films, visiting art galleries, and eating fine food.