Case Study: Chair and Trustee recruitment | Migrant Help
We supported Migrant Help in appoint a Chair and Trustee to join their mission in supporting refugees, asylum seekers and survivors of modern slavery.
Migrant Help is one of the UK’s leading charities supporting refugees, asylum seekers and survivors of modern slavery. For over 60 years, the organisation has provided vital support, advice and advocacy to people rebuilding their lives after displacement.
With services delivered across the UK and an income exceeding £45 million, Migrant Help plays a central role in ensuring that those affected by exploitation and persecution are protected, respected and empowered to thrive.
Following a period of significant growth and change, Peridot Partners was once again appointed to recruit a new Chair to lead the charity into its next strategic phase. During the process, the strength of the candidate field also enabled the appointment of an additional Trustee, further strengthening the Board’s depth and diversity.
Context.
The recruitment came as Migrant Help had recently launched its new strategy, co-produced with clients through its pioneering Lived Experience Advisory Panels (LEAPs). The new strategy set out a bold vision for a client-led organisation that amplifies lived experience, deepens partnership working and drives systems change across the refugee and asylum landscape.
Having achieved substantial growth in both scale and impact, the organisation was ready to consolidate and build sustainable leadership for the future. The new Chair would succeed Madhavi Vadera, whose tenure had seen the organisation expand its national footprint, diversify income and strengthen its voice in public policy.
The brief called for a leader with exceptional governance experience, empathy, moral authority and someone who could unite a complex organisation through values-led leadership while ensuring that lived experience and compassion remained at the heart of decision-making.
Brief and search.
Led by James Hunt, Head of Not for Profit Appointments, Peridot worked closely with the CEO and the Board to design an inclusive and values-driven process. We sought a Chair with national influence, deep experience in governance or public service and a strong connection to the experiences of displaced people. We also looked for trustees with strategic finance, risk and humanitarian expertise to strengthen the Board’s balance of skills.
The search engaged senior leaders from across government, civil society, humanitarian aid and public policy, including individuals with lived experience of displacement. Every stage of the process was designed to reflect Migrant Help’s values of compassion, dignity and inclusion.
Outcome.
Peridot supported Migrant Help in appointing Sir Hugh Bayley as Chair and Najwa Al Abdallah as Trustee.
Sir Hugh Bayley brings over five decades of public service and leadership experience, including as a former MP, Minister and President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. His career reflects a lifelong commitment to international development, democracy and human rights. Hugh’s inclusive and collaborative style, coupled with his extensive governance experience, made him an ideal choice to lead Migrant Help into its next chapter.
Najwa Al Abdallah, appointed as Trustee, is a senior humanitarian leader with 26 years of experience across global NGOs, including the International Rescue Committee, Plan International and Mercy Corps. She is currently CEO of Amna Refugee Healing Network and brings deep expertise in finance, governance and equity, diversity and inclusion, as well as her own lived experience of displacement during the Lebanese civil war.
Category: Board Recruitment & Development
Consultant in charge
James Hunt
Director | Membership & Development
James Hunt is a senior executive search specialist with over two decades of experience connecting exceptional leaders with purpose-driven organisations. As Head of Not for Profit Appointments at Peridot Partners, he has led 300 specialist, senior and board-level searches across the UK's charity, membership and higher-education sectors.
His portfolio spans appointments for organisations as wide-ranging as the Chartered Insurance Institute, Stonewall, University of London, IOSH and Migrant Help. James is trusted for his insight, rigour and empathy when working with boards navigating complexity or transition.
Inclusive recruitment is central to his approach. As a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, neurodivergent and an immigrant who has made the UK home, James draws on lived experience to embed fairness and belonging into every search. He is a Trustee and sits on two Committees of a large charity, and is a member of Peridot's EDI, L&D and People Committees. He actively challenges assumptions, opens space for underrepresented voices and builds transparent, psychologically safe recruitment journeys.
James believes that great leadership is grounded in vulnerability, creativity and empathy. These values shape his work with candidates and clients alike, helping to build long-term relationships and leadership teams that reflect the societies they serve.
