Webinar: Launching your NED Career and how to Get Board Ready.
We held our first webinar of 2024 with our partners City CV in March. At Starfish we believe you are never too young to be a non-executive and it is an opportunity available to people at all stages of their leadership journey and from all walks of life. Over the last few years we have seen that the market is becoming more fluid as people begin to blend their executive and non-executive roles and move away from a traditional, linear career path. The whole process is more creative as leaders adopt their own routes to achieving what feels right for them. Accessing opportunities and getting started is often the hardest part however, and with an application to interview rate of 27/1 for most non-executive roles, this webinar was the opportunity for an audience of around 100 people to share in the insight, reflections and recommendations from the experts.
Planning your career success as a board member is as important as any other aspect of your career development. It can be a highly competitive recruitment process, even though the majority of trustee roles are voluntary, and many NED roles offer a relatively modest reward. Even so, the requirement for particular skills, experience and attributes as well as demonstrating a deep commitment to the mission and cause of the organisation are vital. Board roles can be a heavy commitment, but they also offer opportunities to discover a new sector, engaging with a new team of fellow board members and making an impact in another organisation as a leader.
Demonstrating your ability to think strategically and impartially, offering maturity of judgement whilst being a team player and engaging with the business can be very empowering and you learn to quickly recognise the difference between non-executive and executive leadership. It is important to convey this understanding within your application. The focus of your CV is less on delivery and more on strategic vision, oversight and impact.
Our advice for anyone getting board ready is to have a strategy. Consider where and how you would like to work as a NED or Trustee. How can this add value to your executive career or build out your portfolio coherently and with meaning. Be proactive and select your opportunities with care, bringing the entirety of your personal brand and collateral together , ensuring that your LinkedIn and social media profiles all support your application and demonstrate consistency and personal integrity as a leader . The experience of being a NED can enrich your personal and professional life in many ways and equally, broadening the talent pool of NEDs and Trustees brings diverse perspectives and attributes into the board room.
If you’re interested in a board career, our newly launched Board Practice will be a great place to start browsing opportunities – https://starfishsearch.com/board-practice/
Further growth planned for Starfish
Organisations across Civil Society stand to play a more important role than ever before in our society. As political, economic and social pressures compound, populations served by both the Public Sector and by charities are already relying on them more heavily – and these services are only set to grow in importance. Continuing to deliver them well, while also undergoing transformation, requires the right boards and the right executive leadership.
The 2026 leadership paradox: balancing tactical survival with strategic transformation (And why modern leadership isn’t about rules)
Leadership in 2026 is a balancing act: responding to immediate pressures while preparing for long-term transformation. In our latest article, we explore how these competing demands are reshaping senior recruitment, boardroom dynamics and expectations of modern leaders. From financial resilience and fundraising to AI-driven change and evolving governance, discover why successful leadership today is less about following the rules and more about navigating uncertainty with clarity, agility and purpose.
Upcoming Webinar – Starfish Search | Hanover Talent Presents: Embrace your Imposter
Imposter syndrome is more than a passing wobble in confidence - it’s a pattern that quietly shapes how you work, lead and show up. Why does that matter? Because left unchecked, it doesn’t just affect how you feel - it affects the opportunities you go for and the impact you make. That means moving beyond simply pushing through the doubt to understand where it comes from, which type of imposter you are, and how to reframe it. It’s the difference between an imposter that holds you back - and one that works for you.
ACCREDITATIONS
ESPO is a public sector owned professional buying organisation (PBO), specialising in providing a wide range of goods and services to the public sector for over 40 years. Starfish Search has been awarded a place on ESPO’s Strategic HR Services framework (3S). Please contact us to find out how we can support under this framework.
Starfish are proud to be certified Disability Confident Committed. This scheme provides employers with the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to attract, recruit, retain and develop disabled people in the workplace.
Bloom, launched in 2012 is the UK’s leading marketplace for professional services. They provide an end-to-end solution for the procurement, contract management and payment of all professional services, via the compliant NEPRO³ framework. Their public sector clients have access to 20 professional services categories and over 4500 accredited suppliers. Bloom provides swift routes to market via either direct award or mini competition. Starfish is an accredited supplier to BLOOM; our services can be accessed via this framework - Executive and Non-Executive Search and Interim Management.
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