Case study: Chief Operating Officer recruitment | Peterborough Cathedral

Peterborough Cathedral is a significant heritage institution and a vital centre of faith, community life and culture. The Chief Operating Officer (COO) role was pivotal, requiring aversatile leader who could seamlessly manage strategic direction and operational demands. At a crucial moment for the organisation, the Cathedral sought leadership to ensure its long term financial viability and to have a positive impact on its passionate congregation and wider community. The goal was to find a leader who could balance commercial needs with a deep respect for its religious and cultural mission.

Context.

The recruitment was initiated during a challenging time for the Cathedral, which was actively focused on driving financial sustainability and addressing well publicised funding challenges. To meet these challenges, the organisation needed a new COO who was inherently collaborative, could confidently seek solutions, deliver both quick wins and mid to long term sustainability options, and understood that Cathedrals function as both workplaces and sacred spaces. The role demanded significant leadership and transformational experience.

Brief.

The role required a COO who possessed exceptional operational and strategic leadership skills. The core requirement was finding someone who could balance commercial acumen, specifically in driving income generation, broad fundraising strategy and oversight of commercial activities, with a deep appreciation for the Cathedral’s Christian ethos and community mission.

The role also required expertise in estates and facilities management, stakeholder engagement and leading teams through change with a collaborative, inclusive style. Peridot Partners, leveraging its track record of appointing similar COO roles at other Cathedrals such as Wells and Hereford, implemented a comprehensive executive search and selection process. This approach emphasised targeted search and engagement, ensuring candidates were evaluated not only on experience but also on values and cultural fit.

Outcome.

Through an extensive search, more than 200 candidates were approached, resulting in 30 applications. A longlist of applicants was drawn from the charitable, commercial and heritage sectors. Shortlisted candidates included:

• A strategic and operational leader with a comprehensive background in higher educationand cultural institutions, notably managing operations for a Grade 1 listed museum within a university setting.
• A highly experienced financial professional, qualified as a chartered accountant, who held Chief Financial Officer and Finance Director roles primarily within the charity and education sectors.
• A commercially focused General Manager/Regional Head with extensive operational leadership experience in the holiday letting industry.
• A values-driven Chartered Manager with specialised experience in operational management, staff and volunteer development within complex heritage sites, including the National Trust.
• An Executive Director/CEO with significant experience transforming and growing Christian charities.

The search successfully identified and appointed an individual with substantial leadership experience in the heritage, cultural, and public sectors, having served as a Director and Project Manager for a major heritage visitor attraction.