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CASE STUDIES
SECTOR SWAPPING – FROM MUSIC TO EARLY YEARS
Despite spending over twenty years in the music industry combining his accountancy and business skills with a love of music and travel, Neil Fenton's career with Chrysalis Group PLC was punctuated with urges to put something back into society. As Chief Operating Officer of the Music Division, he carried on exploring his interest in the charity sector with a visit to Nigeria in 2005, as part of a team working with a trust to provide education for young people who otherwise would not have the opportunity for any type of schooling.
However in October 2007 he was made redundant, which forced him to look at what he wanted to do next. He spent the next few months as a consultant in the music industry and finally, in April 2008, took a month off to seriously consider his future. If he was going to change to another sector, which one should it be? His research into government and local government opportunities showed Neil that he would be slightly removed from the coal face - which led him to realise that it was the world of charities that really enthused him.
The next step was to look at job opportunities in the sector via newspapers and websites. “I naively assumed that people would be falling over themselves to get my skills as many posts made it clear they wanted applicants from the private sector. I subsequently realised that this was not the case” he explained. Although he was short listed to the last four out of a 100 or so applicants a few times, he was not offered the jobs because he had no charity experience. “It was a frustrating and depressing time as I felt that I was putting in a lot of effort which was getting me nowhere” Neil continued. Finally deciding he had to get some experience, he attended a course on the difference between the charity and private sectors and immersed himself in charity sector research.
“A turning point came for me when I was given PrimeTimers' number by a recruitment agency and I went along to meet director, Brent Thomas,” he said. “It was like a light going on; here was someone who understood exactly the problems that I was facing. I was invited to join PrimeTimers as a member and together we made a plan of attack which was a combination of pro bono work, trusteeships and interim management”.
PrimeTimers is a social enterprise that specialises in supplying business skills to the third sector. As Brent explained: “We arranged for Neil to do some pro bono work at Bow Childcare which gave him a huge insight into the problems and joys of running a charity. It was a typically interesting and challenging introduction into the sector as, what was initially a caretaking role, soon became a rescue plan and Bow Childcare was ultimately taken over by a leading children's charity.”
“I also became a trustee of War Child” Neil continued, “and this is particularly rewarding as I can use my experience from both the music business and finance for an organisation that does amazing work, helping to restore the lives of hundreds of children, often in dangerous conditions in war torn corners of the world.”
Three months later, PrimeTimers was able to put Neil forward for an interim role with Westminster Children's Society as Finance Director. WCS is a charity and leading social enterprise, providing affordable community nurseries and education for young children with additional commitment to early years training, research and policy direction. Neil then applied for the full time post and was delighted when he was offered it. “This is an excellent example of someone who had a serious private sector career and, wanting to make the switch between sectors, achieved his goal in a relatively short space of time” Brent added.
Concluding, Neil said: “I'm continuously surprised at how complex the operation of running this charity is with diverse elements such as early year's education provision and contact with government, local government, nurseries staff and, of course, children! And, while I'm clearly making the best of my previous experience as a manager and chief executive, I find myself learning new skills and acquiring knowledge on a daily basis.
“If I was to sum up the key point of difference between the sectors, it is that everyone is here because they want to make a difference to the children, whereas in the private sector, money tends to be more of a driving force”.
