Talk on Leadership with Catherine Johnstone CBE

When

11 May 2023

1:00 pm-2:00 pm

Event Type

Events in Tower Hamlets

Catherine Johnstone CBE, he School of Business and Management, Matt Hyde OBE, Queen Mary University of London, Talk on Leadership, The Big Help Out

Thursday 11 May / 1.00 to 2.00pm / Queen Mary University of London Students’ Union Hub 329 Mile End Road, E1 4NT

The School of Business and Management at Queen Mary University of London are excited to welcome Catherine Johnstone CBE, Chief Executive of the Royal Voluntary Service, onto campus for a Spotlight talk on Leadership!

Catherine will be discussing her career journey into senior leadership, any challenges with such a career and advice for others looking to become a leader themselves. We will be supported in the discussions by Matt Hyde OBE, Chief Executive of Scouts, who in collaboration with Catherine has recently worked to develop The Big Help Out. Set to start on Monday 8th May, The Big Help Out aims to achieve the greatest single mobilisation of volunteers in recent memory.

Catherine Johnstone CBE Biography

Catherine has been leading Royal Voluntary service as Chief Executive since August 2017. Starting her career as a trained nurse in the NHS, she has extensive experience across all sectors building innovative and sustainable services and inspiring and enabling voluntary action. Her key passions are frontline service delivery and enabling the gift of voluntary service which recently saw her leading the development of a number of large-scale initiatives to support the NHS and our communities during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Before joining Royal Voluntary Service, Catherine was Chief Executive of Samaritans, which provides confidential support to anyone experiencing a tough time in their life. Whilst at the helm for almost 7 years, Catherine was responsible for developing a long-term strategy that saw the organisation become the thought leader of suicide prevention and innovator of postvention services in the UK. This resulted in her being awarded a CBE in 2016 for services to suicide prevention. Catherine was fortunate enough to also spend some time working in the Asylum and Refugee support sector which in her own words was exceptionally humbling and tough.

In her career Catherine is also well known for her leadership roles across the world of volunteer infrastructure having held CEO roles in CVS/Volunteer Bureau and Community Action organisations. As Chair of Directory of Social Change for many years she understands the key role that small charities make to their local communities. With a keen appetite for collaboration, Catherine has recently led the development of Shaping the Future With Volunteering coalition that she now Co Chairs with Matt Hyde. She was recently appointed as Vice Chair of the Richmond Group.

Her time as CEO of NDPB national funding agency, Capacitybuilders placed her at the heart of government and VCS funding decisions. The breadth of experience that Catherine has been able to secure also included a period of time working in the Asylum and Refugee support sector. Catherine is particularly proud of her five children and three grandchildren who keep her grounded and eternally entertained and busy.

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