The Hygiene Bank is a UK charity working to make sure people have access to everyday hygiene essentials. Through a network of volunteers and local partners, they collect and distribute products and raise awareness of hygiene poverty.
The charity asked us to help appoint a Deputy CEO — a role created to strengthen day‑to‑day operations, support the organisation’s growth and give the CEO more space to focus on partnerships and external work.
Context.
The Hygiene Bank had grown quickly from a grassroots movement into a national charity. With that growth came the need for clearer systems and more consistent ways of working, along with a leadership structure that could support a larger organisation.
The charity wanted to strengthen how teams worked together, improve internal processes and make sure growth was sustainable without losing the values and community‑led approach that shaped its early success. Creating a Deputy CEO role was a practical step towards building the leadership capacity needed for this stage.
Brief.
The Board and CEO were looking for a Deputy CEO to work closely with the CEO, bring structure to a fast‑growing organisation and lead day‑to‑day operations with confidence. The role needed someone who could think strategically while staying hands‑on, with experience in finance, organisational development, team leadership and turning plans into practical delivery. Just as important was the ability to build trust across a values‑driven organisation and lead through change.
We spent time with the CEO to understand the organisation’s needs and the working partnership the role required. We then shaped the brief to attract candidates from across the charity and social enterprise sectors with expertise in leading teams through growth and scaling organisations successfully.
We ran a broad search and carried out 17 preliminary interviews before presenting a solid and diverse shortlist of five candidates for the final stage.
Outcome.
The appointed candidate brought strategic and operational leadership experience, alongside a strong grounding in financial management, gained in both a national charity and a social enterprise. She had led organisational growth in previous roles, improving internal systems and strengthening financial performance.
She had also worked closely with CEOs in senior partner roles, with experience in governance and income generation. This made her well placed to provide the operational leadership and stability the charity needed.
She showed a collaborative and values‑driven approach, with the credibility to work well with staff, volunteers, trustees and external partners. Her motivation was strongly aligned with The Hygiene Bank’s mission.
The new Deputy CEO has strengthened the charity’s senior leadership at an important moment, giving it the operational capacity needed to support future growth and deepen its impact.
