Relationships vital as charity's leadership changes hands.
Outgoing Starship Foundation CEO Andrew Young and his replacement, Brad Clark, have spent some long days together over the past two weeks as Young finishes his tenure after almost seven years at the foundation.
Young offered to spend the fortnight with Clark, the former general manager of marketing and fundraising at CanTeen, to help the handover of valuable partnership relationships, which the hospital charity relies on for its funding.
"It's been full on, with back-to-back meetings since Monday this week and next week, but I can't imagine not having it. It would be tough coming in blind," says Clark. "Starship is so relationship driven."
He and Young have collaborated on big projects such as modernising the oncology ward for adolescent children at Auckland's Starship Hospital. At other times they were rivals who competed for funding.
Young was passionate about making sure the relationships continued without interruption - not only for Clark, but for the Starship's partners and clients, says Shelley Bell, search principal at Sheffield, the recruitment consultancy in charge of finding Young's replacement. Young, who is leaving to take time off, was understanding about giving his employer plenty of warning about his departure, says Bell.
"The opportunity to transition was unusual and it was great that they could have this two-week handover," she says.
"It was an opportunity for Brad to understand the framework of the Starship Foundation."
Bell says one reason Clark is such a good fit for the job is because he formed part of the Starship stakeholder group, as general manager at CanTeen, which is a charity for young people with cancer.
Clark has a strong sales, marketing, PR, communications and sponsorship background, says Bell. "He was a great style fit - he's not a dissimilar person, he has a genuine interest in the cause.
"Starship is a very iconic brand; it needed someone with superb leadership skills and with the values of that brand."
Peter Kerridge, whose executive search firm Kerridge and Partners has a coaching arm which helps ease new CEOs into their positions, says while Young is obviously a hard act to follow, Clark should be making his own decisions about people as he meets the Starship team.
"Young will have had his favourites; Clark has to make his own decisions on what he thinks of the people," says Kerridge.
A new CEO should be challenging assumptions, no matter how beloved the former leader is, he says.
The recruitment specialist advises coaching a new CEO before they start the job, especially if this is their first CEO role.
"On day one, you make an awful lot of first impressions - it's not necessarily what you are saying but people are watching your every move to see how authentic you are," he says. Your first board meeting as CEO is vital, too.
"The board is looking for your ideas on strategy; meanwhile how are you going to manage the relationship with the chair?"
Another crucial step to get right from the beginning is managing your relationships with stakeholders.
"With the Starship Foundation it's the medics, the kids, the parents, corporates, the staff, and each of their needs. Everyone is looking for something from the [new] chief executive," says Kerridge.
Meanwhile, it is also important for the outgoing chief executive to make a good exit. "It is important to leave without baggage, to say your goodbyes," he says.
Clark jokes that he will keep Young on his speed dial, and Kerridge says the new CEO shouldn't be afraid of picking up the phone to the former CEO.
Clark says another five-star sponsor is about to be named to join the other sponsors, which include The Warehouse, Barfoot and Thompson and Mercury Energy.
"There will be a big focus on partnership and delivering value in a relationship. Starship is about raising money for life-saving equipment, making sure the hospital is a world-leading operation," says Clark.
Clark says the foundation works hard to help its corporate partners get something out of their involvement with Starship, and customers and staff are invited in regularly to see what their money has paid for.
Clark has done a lot of work on partnerships at CanTeen: "You need to know what their objectives are, to know what they want [and what] will help them. We need to make sure we give back - we need to make sure that we are creating value."
The next project will be to transform level six at Starship hospital, the neuro and medical specialty wards, at a cost of $5 million. "There is such an ongoing need to raise money and build sponsors."
The new CEO says he will also be supported by his board, who have been influential in introducing corporate partners. "We have a wonderful proactive board including [chairman] Bryan Mogridge, Rosie Horton and Sharon Hunter," he says.
"I am a bit humbled, and so excited about the opportunity that exists for me in this role."
Gill South is an Auckland freelance writer
* Donations can be made to Starship at starship.org.nz/donation
