How Charity People helped secure an Interim Director and Interim Head of Communications for one of the conservation sector’s most respected organisations
We have been delighted to support Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) in the appointment of two interim senior leaders. Â Both roles sit at the heart of this hugely respected conservation charity and required individuals with significant expertise, leadership experience and sector knowledge, who had the ability to make an immediate impact within a small, exceptionally effective and high performing team.
The Brief
Whitley Fund for Nature champions and funds grassroots conservation leaders across Africa, Asia and Latin America, supporting locally led solutions that protect wildlife and strengthen communities. Since its founding in 1993, the organisation has supported more than 220 conservation leaders across 80 countries, building an international reputation for impact, integrity and conservation leadership.
The charity approached Charity People to recruit two critical interim positions:
- Interim Director, with a particular focus on high-net-worth individual fundraising and donor stewardship
- Interim Head of Communications
While different in remit, both roles shared common challenges.
- Both were senior leadership appointments within a small organisation where every team member plays a significant role in delivering impact
- Candidates needed not only the experience and knowledge to lead within their respective areas from day one, but also the adaptability, values alignment and collaborative mindset required to thrive in a close-knit team environment
- Both core roles and both interim maternity leave cover contracts; another priority was that candidates came with deep pre-existing knowledge and experience of working within the conservation or environmental space
Adding further complexity, both roles were interim appointments and required a commitment to working from the charity’s London office three days per week. In a highly competitive market for senior conservation talent, this significantly narrowed the available candidate pool.
The Challenge
This was never going to be a straightforward search.
For the Interim Director role, we needed to identify leaders with demonstrable success in major donor and HNWI fundraising, alongside the strategic leadership skills required to guide a respected international charity. Just as importantly, candidates needed credibility within the environmental, conservation or wider sustainability sector.
For the Interim Head of Communications role, the brief called for a strategic communications leader capable of overseeing integrated communications, digital engagement, brand management, media relations and high-profile events. The successful candidate needed to combine strong technical expertise with a genuine understanding of conservation storytelling and experience working within purpose-driven organisations.
Our Approach
We knew that success would depend on reaching beyond active jobseekers and engaging individuals with highly relevant sector experience who may not have otherwise considered the opportunity.
Working closely with the leadership team at Whitley Fund for Nature, we invested time in understanding not only the requirements of each role, but also the culture and values that have helped make the organisation so successful.
The charity’s collaborative ethos, ambitious outlook and commitment to supporting grassroots conservation leaders became central to our messaging and candidate engagement strategy.
Our lead consultants, Alice Wood and Kevin Croasdale, undertook a targeted search across the conservation, environmental and international development sectors, identifying candidates with a blend of leadership experience and sector credibility.
Throughout both processes, we maintained close communication with candidates and stakeholders, ensuring momentum was sustained and that only those with the strongest alignment progressed through the selection stages.
The Outcome
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Despite a highly competitive market and an exceptionally specialist brief, Charity People successfully secured two outstanding interim leaders whose experience closely matched Whitley Fund for Nature’s ambitions.
For the Interim Director appointment, we placed a highly accomplished charity leader with more than 25 years’ experience across the environmental and social justice sectors. The incoming Director brought significant expertise in organisational leadership, strategic development and high-value fundraising, having most recently served as CEO of Rainforest Trust UK, where they led growth in major donor, trust and corporate income and built partnerships to support global conservation initiatives.
For the Interim Head of Communications role, we appointed a communications professional with experience across sustainability and purpose-driven organisations. The candidate brought a strong background in strategic communications, brand development, stakeholder engagement and content creation, alongside a clear passion for environmental issues and conservation. Their ability to combine compelling storytelling with strategic communications planning made them ideally placed to lead Whitley Fund for Nature’s communications programme.
Both candidates demonstrated exactly what the brief required: proven leadership experience, a genuine commitment to environmental causes, and the ability to make an immediate contribution within a small, highly talented and ambitious team.
Candidate Feedback
Following her appointment, Savannah Hayes, incoming Interim Head of Communications, shared:
“I’m delighted to have joined Whitley Fund for Nature as Interim Head of Communications. I’ve always been passionate about wildlife and the role strategic communications can play in driving meaningful change, so this felt like the perfect opportunity for me.
A huge thank you to Charity People for helping me find this opportunity and especially to Alice, who was wonderful throughout the recruitment process, providing the support, encouragement and guidance I needed.”
This feedback reflects the collaborative and highly personalised approach that underpins every Charity People search assignment. By taking the time to understand both the organisation and the candidates, we were able to make two appointments that delivered immediate value to Whitley Fund for Nature while creating exciting next steps for two experienced sector leaders.
Why It Matters
For organisations like Whitley Fund for Nature, every leadership appointment has a direct influence on impact. When teams are lean, each role carries significant responsibility and the cost of getting a hire wrong is high.
By combining specialist sector knowledge, proactive search expertise and a relationship-led recruitment approach, Charity People was able to deliver two successful appointments in an exceptionally challenging market.
The result was a strengthened leadership team equipped to continue supporting conservation leaders across the Global South and advancing the organisation’s mission to protect biodiversity and empower local communities worldwide.
Looking to recruit senior leadership talent in the charity, environmental or conservation sectors? Get in touch with Charity People to discuss how our specialist search team can help.
”Dealing with Kevin at Charity People to secure my current role at the NCTJ was a perception changing experience. He was professional, communicative and accountable, unlike many recruiters I've dealt with in past interactions!
Jennifer Chengplaced at the National College for the Training of Journalists
Kevin gave me valuable guidance in preparation for interviews, was knowledgeable about the hiring organisation and the non profit landscape, plus kept me informed of developments throughout the recruitment process. As an appreciative candidate, I would recommend Kevin for his supportive approach to job seeking and placement.
”Alice has been very helpful and professional throughout the whole recruitment process. I felt that she understood us and the role, and helped us find someone who is a good fit not just for the team but the organisation. She’s very experienced in recruitment and a lovely person to work with.
”Kevin was such a great and refreshing support throughout the whole application and interview process. He was highly communicative, informative and always on hand with any questions or feedback. Would recommend anyone to work with Kevin in the search for their next role.
Elise Antseyplaced as Partnerships Manager at the National Literacy Trust
”This was my first time hiring through a recruitment agency and Kevin has set the bar incredibly high! He was fantastic to work with, understood the role, the team and the organisation's needs brilliantly and put forward a very high calibre of candidates, all with interesting and varied backgrounds. I can't wait for our new CPM to start as I know they're going to hit the ground running and raring to go. I would definitely recommend working with Kevin and Charity People if you have a gap in your team, he made the whole process efficient and enjoyable.
Emily RichmondHead of Development, The Passage
”Alice has been a joy working with as our recruitment contact at Charity People. Over the past few months, she has guided us through the hiring process for our new communications assistant role. She ensured the entire journey was stress-free, and I was particularly impressed by how she balanced the needs of both parties. She really took the time to understand what we were looking for in the perfect candidate while also making sure potential hires felt the role was a good fit for them. This level of care for all involved is rare and so appreciated.
Jordon WardDigital Communications Officer at Moorfields Eye Charity
”Kevin and I worked together to recruit my organisation’s new Fundraising Relationships Manager shortly after I’d joined. Whilst I was still finding my feet, Kevin was a great sounding board on what I thought we needed and was able to use his previous experience as a corporate partnerships fundraiser to help shape and finesse the role. Kevin was great at keeping in touch and updating me on his search for the ideal candidates and presented a really tight, talented, well matched group of applicants. It was a delight to work with Kevin- he really understood the skills and expertise I was looking to hire for the team and the result has been fantastic.
Lizzie StephensonHead of Fundraising & Communications
”I have worked with Alice on the recruitment of 5 Communications roles in the past 18months and without fail she has supported us with enthusiasm, knowledge, honesty and integrity. She has always taken the time to understand what our organisation needs both in terms of skillset and mindset and the candidates she has found for us have always been of brilliant quality. Not only is she an excellent recruiter to work with she is a great person to ask for advice and I am always grateful for her honesty in our discussions. I would highly recommend Alice if all of your Comms & Marketing recruitment needs!
Rachel BignellHR and Operations Manager at National Numeracy
”Kevin recently supported our organisation with an executive-level appointment and we found him to be a pleasure to work with. Like all of his colleagues at Charity People, Kevin was so easy to deal with, really amiable in every meeting we had about the post, responsive to our calls and emails, extremely knowledgeable about our sector, receptive to our needs as a charity and our requirements for this appointment, and tenacious in his pursuit of the right candidates. He made the whole process really easy for us every step of the way.
Chris ClarkeDirector of Business & Development, Chasing The Stigma
Needless to say Kevin helped us to secure the perfect candidate for which we are incredibly grateful.
”Thank you Kevin for always finding the best candidates, listening to our needs and meeting the brief perfectly!
Catherine HartDirector of Development, ZSL
”Alice was great to work with on hiring a new role in my team. Communication throughout the hiring process was really clear and Alice helped the whole journey go smoothly for both me and the candidates. We are really happy with the role we appointed from working with Alice and I would highly recommend working with her if you are looking to hire someone in the charity sector for a Marketing or Communication role!
Rebecca BrewerDigital Marketing Manager at Dementia UK
”Kevin is absolutely brilliant, I have thoroughly enjoyed working with him to secure my next role. I’ve really valued the insight he’s brought, appreciated having him as a sounding board and value his opinion. Kevin is also super supportive, is a great listener and his passion for fundraising shines through. He’s also really responsive, (things moved fast with the role I went for), nothing was too much trouble. Kevin’s added a lot to the recruitment process which I’m very grateful for. I trust him, he’s great to be around and I can 100% recommend him as a recruitment consultant and as a person.
Claire MarshallAward Winning Director & Charity Leader
”Kevin was incredibly helpful when recruiting for an urgently needed role. I chose to work with him as he is highly emotionally intelligent, really asked the right questions, wasn’t afraid to challenge my requirements and brought his own personal experiences into the discussion. The calibre of candidates he sources was really high and I would not hesitate in recommending him as a recruiting partner
Sophie OgilvyDirector of Strategic Partnerships, Transparency International
”Kevin contacted me regarding a job opportunity and has helped me secure the role. He made sure we both were on the same page by constantly following up. He thoroughly guided me through the process and ensured I was confident during my interview. After securing the job he also assisted with the hiring process and stayed in touch for any updates. I would recommend Kevin!
Rimsha SalmanSenior Business Development and Partnerships Officer at Suzy Lamplugh Trust
”Kevin was great to work with when recruiting through an agency. It felt such a collaborative process and Kevin's communication was timely and thorough throughout. He understood the needs of the organisation, team and role which made the whole process feel really straightforward.
Kate DeeganHead of People at The Reader UK
”At Ealing Mencap, we’re working towards becoming the best charity we can be, and I'm just delighted that we have found a great recruitment partner in Charity People to help us on the journey ahead. Guiding us every step of the way so far, have been Kevin Croasdale and Jen D’Souza, and it has been an absolute pleasure working with both; they are fantastic ambassadors for Charity People. So far, we’ve recruited four outstanding people to our team with Kevin and Jen’s help – two fundraisers, an Exec PA and a Job Coach. On each of those recruitment drives, the quality and number of candidates we’ve received has exceeded our expectations and we’ve been so impressed with the attention to detail that Kevin and Jen apply to the whole process, from start to finish! Whether that’s in the sourcing of such a diverse group of candidates, or in the comms before, during and after the interview and appointment processes or just in the lateral-thinking that they bring to everything about recruiting people, sourcing and nurturing talent and keeping their clients happy. Our experience of working with Charity People - and Kevin and Jen in particular - has been simply outstanding and we’re looking forward to continuing this partnership in the months and years ahead.
Nik DemetriadesChief Executive, Ealing Mencap
”I was fortunate enough to work with Kevin on a recent recruitment and couldn't be happier about the process! Kevin is excellent listener...really able to grasp our needs and articulate them better than we could. And able to point out gaps or areas to strengthen within the recruitment cycle. He was patient throughout and never pressured us to make decisions that would speed up the process but compromise quality. So refreshing to work with a recruiter who genuinely cares about placing the right person in the right place at the right time. His in-depth understanding of the sector was also invaluable and helped him quickly understand our needs and organisational culture. Would recommend without hesitation. Thanks Kevin for all the support :).
Melisa YEducation Partnerships Specialist
”Alice has played an extremely important part in my career and I will be forever grateful for the time, honesty and care she has shown me over the years. My first introduction into the charity sector was made possible thanks to Alice's support, as she helped me through the process when applying for my initial role here at The Passage. She has a fantastic energy, is transparent in her feedback, and is always looking for ways to help people naturally progress in their own way. Since then, she has supported me in hiring two new team members as I advanced to a managerial role and my team expanded. This was a first for me, and Alice made this entire experience an absolute joy. At first, it was daunting. But, knowing I had the support and dedication that Alice provides was so reassuring. I can only hope that in future, if I ever need to recruit again, Alice will be a part of that process. No ask is too big, no question too silly, and what fantastic candidates she provides. I couldn't ask for a better Recruiter🧡
Kate Townsend-HolyoakeDigital and Communications Manager at The Passage
