Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund Pro Bono Trustee Recruitment

Damhurst undertook pro bono work to find new trustees for the Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund (LPF), the esteemed 200-year-old military charity.

Targeted outreach, a rigorous interview process and close collaboration with the board enabled the charity to appoint three highly experienced and qualified professionals in less than three months.

The oldest military charity of its kind, the LPF was founded in 1803 by the Lloyd’s insurance market to support veterans and their families.

In 2023 alone, the LPF had 873 direct beneficiaries and supported seven partner charities to meet veterans’ mental health and employment needs.

The LPF was looking for new trustees with knowledge and experience spanning finance, charitable and military sectors. The Chair wished to complete the recruitment process within 100 days.

Damhurst’s extensive network of senior HR staff and board members within the insurance market meant we were ideally placed to help. We also share a similar mission to the LPF – to support talented individuals in sustaining rewarding careers – and regularly undertake pro bono work for charitable causes.

Damhurst took a targeted approach to identifying suitable candidates by searching within our existing network of clients and contacts.
Our consultants contacted a number of current clients, including HR directors and managers, to find out whether they had high potential candidates interested in pro bono or charitable board work.

This approach proved to be highly effective, yielding several high-quality candidates. The trust and rapport we have built with existing clients allowed us to identify suitable candidates with relevant expertise.

Two candidates were also referred by former trustees and contacts within the insurance market. These referrals were again highly relevant, demonstrating the strength of network-driven recruitment, especially in specialist sectors.

Damhurst’s lead consultant conducted preliminary phone interviews with each of the 29 candidates, focusing on their capacity, professional background, and board and trustee experience.

This efficiently narrowed the candidate pool to a longlist of 14 who had suitable qualifications and availability.

The longlist comprised a diverse mix of expertise in finance, military, marketing, risk/governance, legal and HR. Notably, 29% of the candidates were women, reflecting Damhurst’s commitment to diversity in the selection process.

Lloyd’s carried out a rigorous audit of the existing LPF board, identifying gaps in expertise in finance and investments.

The Chair also expressed a preference for candidates with financial and military backgrounds, as well as a diversity of experience.

These insights were essential to shaping a shortlist of candidates who most closely aligned with the board’s strategic needs. From the longlist of 14, six candidates were selected to proceed to interview stage.

With the LPF, Damhurst carefully selected an interview panel made up of diverse personalities and perspectives to ensure a nuanced assessment of candidates. We provided each interviewer with a clear agenda to maintain focus and efficiency during interviews.

We also gave candidates a detailed role profile and specific notes, highlighting key areas to address in their interviews. This meant that candidates were well-informed in advance, which led to more productive and focused interviews.

The interview process consisted of two stages, with two trustees present at each stage, allowing for a comprehensive assessment of each candidate.

Following the second stage of interviews, the Chair gave final approval to three successful candidates who were selected to join the board.

The recruitment process was completed in 80 days, considerably ahead of the 100-day target, despite interviewers’ busy schedules. This demonstrates Damhurst’s ability to deliver efficient and effective recruitment solutions, even in a pro bono context.

We successfully filled the trustee roles with professionals who not only met the LPF’s immediate needs but also brought a range of skills and experiences to the board.

Targeted client outreach, strategic referrals and a structured interview process were key to the success of the process. The outcome underscores the importance of leveraging existing relationships, preparing thoroughly for interviews, and maintaining flexible timelines when recruiting for high-level roles.

“We were delighted with the service provided by Damhurst enabling the Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund to recruit three outstanding trustees. The breadth and depth of candidates they presented to us was first class and, throughout the selection process, the Damhurst team were a real pleasure to work with and provided us with timely and excellent advice throughout. I would definitely use them again and strongly recommend them to anyone looking to recruit new charitable trustees or C-Suite executives.”

Ed Butler CBE DSO
Chair, Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund