The Board is seeking a Chair who combines strong governance leadership with emotional intelligence, strategic judgement, and a genuine commitment to the charity’s mission.
The Chair will:
- champion the values and mission of Cats Protection
- support a culture of openness, trust and accountability across the organisation
- help ensure the charity remains strong, sustainable, and impactful for the next century
- recognise and respect the central contribution of volunteers to Cats Protection success
- above all, this role is for someone motivated by stewardship: enabling a respected national charity to continue evolving as a modern, unified and exemplary voluntary organisation delivering lasting change for cats and the people who care for them
They will achieve this through a blend of the following style, skills, and experience:
Style
- Authenticity and integrity: credible, principled and trusted across diverse communities of employees, volunteers and stakeholders
- Low ego, high standards: creates an environment where challenge is welcomed and decisions are clear
- Inclusive leadership: actively draws out quieter voices and ensures all trustees contribute fully
- Collaborative instinct: works naturally through partnership rather than hierarchy
- Confidence with complexity: comfortable navigating ambiguity and organisational change
- Empathy and emotional intelligence: sensitive to organisational dynamics and able to manage difficult conversations constructively
- Visible commitment to the mission: genuine interest in animal welfare and the role of volunteers in delivering impact
Skills
- Effective board leadership and chairing capability in complex environments
- The ability to support and challenge a Chief Executive effectively
- Confidence operating across strategic, financial and reputational issues
- Experience strengthening board effectiveness, contribution and cohesion
- The ability to mobilise trustees and senior stakeholders around shared priorities
- Strategic judgement in periods of transformation and organisational evolution
- Diplomatic handling of sensitive issues while maintaining clarity of direction
- Credibility as an ambassador with supporters, partners and sector peers
- The capacity to help the organisation remain outward-facing and future-focused
- Able to delegate effectively in a high pressure role
Experience
- Senior executive and/or non-executive leadership experience in a complex organisation, having experience of chairing boards, committees or governance structures carrying real accountability
- Experience supporting organisations through change or strategic repositioning
- A track record of engaging with diverse stakeholders across the UK
- A demonstrable commitment to animal welfare or related mission-led work
- Experience working with volunteer-led organisations, membership bodies or federated structures is desirable, though not essential
- Understanding of charity governance and the wider voluntary sector environment would be highly beneficial