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Client: Rotary Australia World Community Service (RAWCS)
Service: Exclusive Executive Search
Role: General Manager
Placement: 2023
Rotary Australia World Community Service (RAWCS) provides humanitarian aid and development assistance both in Australia and overseas through Australian Rotarians and Rotary Clubs. RAWCS provides a project management structure and accounting support to a broad range of activities through web based support systems. RAWCS’ turnover in 2023-2024 financial year was in excess of $25M across more than 500 projects in Australia and 30+ developing countries.

Challenge

NGO Recruitment was tasked to find a general manager for RAWCS at a time of pivotal change for the organisation.

RAWCS needed a leader who could refine and implement their strategic and financial plan and build RAWCS’ reputation by engaging and managing external stakeholders. This candidate needed to have strong networking experience with a broad range of authorities and success advising and influencing at the C-suite level and overseeing fundraising and transformations.

RAWCS is uniquely a volunteer led organisation, and this was important experience for this candidate to have.

RAWCS needed a leader who was both a talented operational and project leader, and also had the expertise to represent the organisation both nationally and internationally.

Solution

NGO Recruitment took a detailed brief and devised an advertisement and database campaign that would appeal to humanitarian leaders in Australia who had broad sector experience to meet our brief.

The brief included sourcing internationally experienced candidates with field experience from Asia.

NGO Recruitment approached over 100 potential candidates to assess their interest and ensured the vacancy was given maximum exposure through its social media channels with over 360,000 followers.

NGO Recruitment was able to identify and secure the perfect candidate for the role. A former refugee from Afghanistan, our candidate had led finance and operations for the World Bank, had programme leadership expertise and had been CEO of a microfinance refugee non-profit and an aid organisation which he had set up and led in Afghanistan.

A Refugee Week ambassador and a Credit Union Times International Trailblazer Award recipient, our candidate was a Rotarian, had strong sector relationships, and was well positioned to lead the RAWCS operations and to exceed their fundraising goals.

Our candidate was hired as general manager and was quickly promoted to CEO where he has had great impact.

Results

  • 100+ approached candidates
  • We identified and secured the perfect candidate with lived experience as a refugee and impressive leadership background
  • This placements supported RAWCS’ commitment to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion
  • The appointed candidate was promoted to the Chief Executive Officer role following his probation period