This week is national Trustees’ Week – an event that celebrates the huge contribution trustees make to the charities they work with. Transform works closely with eight trustees, including Ollie Smedley, who is approaching his one-year anniversary on Transform’s board.
Ollie’s background is drawn from 25 years of operational and commercial experience within some well-known brands including ExxonMobil, Alliance Boots, Accenture and most recently Centrica (British Gas). He’s held a range of leadership roles as Finance Director and Managing Director. He’s now a qualified and accredited coach and runs his own business coaching leaders and teams in London and the South East.
Ollie explained that effective charities needed to spend their money wisely, so they could provide the best possible care and support for people.
“Maintaining the right balance between the financials and service is critical and I have been genuinely impressed by the way Transform has achieved this,” he added. “The feedback we receive through our client satisfaction surveys is fantastic and really important for us as an organisation. We might think that we’re on the right track but ultimately, it’s about the clients and what they think.”
In the six months since the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic had begun to be felt in the UK, Transform had reinvented the way it had worked, Ollie said. Reflecting on the challenges faced by the organisation, he explained that Transform had been innovative in terms of finding new ways to support clients.
“We have had to change how we communicate between colleagues, for example, and I am impressed with the way our key workers have continued to deliver such a high-quality service,” he said. “Transform has done really well to modernise its approach and shift to best practices, so we are now in a great position to grow the number of clients we can support.”
A word from Ollie Smedley to Transform colleagues:
“I would like to give my sincere thanks to all Transform colleagues. You have continued to provide outstanding service to clients through the Covid-19 experience, despite the challenges thrown your way. This is a fantastic achievement and I look forward to the exciting things we have planned for the future.”
We would like to thank Ollie Smedley for the passion and expertise he continuously brings to Transform. Thank you also to the other trustees on the board: Mark Austen (also Chairman), Jane Bolton, Julie Bradley, Chris Deacon, Paul Rees, Michael Ryan, and Katie Wadey. Your contribution to Transform is invaluable.
