From engineering to managing cream teas at the National Trust and now fundraising for Cheltenham Festivals, Rod Hebden tells us about his career so far.
Development Director, Cheltenham Festivals (January 2016)
I hadn’t been looking to move on when I was approached about this role at Cheltenham Festivals. However, for me it was an exciting opportunity to take on a position of leadership in a small, but dynamic organisation. There’s something about being in a smaller organisation, which gives you a bit more freedom to be agile in your decision-making.
Cheltenham Festivals is an incredible not-for-profit organisation and while it’s small in size, it certainly isn’t small in stature. Every year Cheltenham Festivals attract the world’s most in-demand speakers, artists and scientists to its four Festivals and audiences travel from all over the globe to attend its events. From a fundraising point of view, the organisation also attracts a number of globally recognised supporters who are managed expertly by a small in-house team.
I work across all four Festivals (Jazz, Science, Classical Music and Literature), as well as on our extensive education and outreach projects, so I get a lot of variety, which I love. I’m surrounded by thought-leaders from across every field, which creates a fascinating work environment. What I love most about the Festivals themselves is their incredible breadth; they really do offer something for everyone.
In my time here, I hope to make our fundraising as innovative as the Festivals’ programmes. I want to shift our partnership working so that it creates year-round engagement with our Festivals. I also want to increase our work with Trusts and our donors, to demonstrate the power of the arts and culture to enrich and enhance the lives of individuals, and to strengthen whole communities.
Head of Corporate Partnerships, National Trust (2011–2016)
The National Trust is a much-loved organisation and the largest conservation charity in Europe but for a while it had lost its way as a brand and no longer felt like a charitable cause. As Head of Corporate Partnerships I saw it as my responsibility to start afresh from a commercial perspective, creating new, innovative income streams, while shifting the brand back to its roots and engaging members and supporters.
One big change for me was that my team reported into a commercial director, rather than fundraising, and that meant new skills and new ways of doing things. I enjoy myself most when I’m faced with new challenges and new things to learn.
During my time at the National Trust, through a sudden change of circumstances, I found myself as acting Hospitality Director. This meant I had ultimate responsibility for the Trust’s catering and holiday cottage businesses, just at the point when we needed to create annual budgets and three-year business plans. Having responsibility for cream teas across the whole of the National Trust was a surreal experience!
At the National Trust I experienced great leadership from my line-manager, Harry Heeley. I learnt a lot about commerciality, about the importance of curiosity around detail, and about stepping out of operator-manager mode in order to help an organisation to create a step change. I was particularly proud of building and leading a team that transformed the Trust’s income generation through some innovative big deals, while helping to re-shape its perception through more complex brand partnerships with companies like Good Energy, Panasonic and Cotswold Outdoor.
Development Officer, Development Manager, and Senior Development Manager, Science Museum (2006–2011)
My time at the Science Museum was in two phases, separated by a six-month period working at what later became the UK Space Agency. My background is in science and engineering, so working at the Science Museum was incredible.
My work here gave me a real grounding across a broad range of fundraising streams, including corporate, Trusts, statutory and major donors, and for a variety of needs, including capital, up to £50m projects, and programming of smaller events and education.
Initially, I worked for an inspirational Head of Fundraising, Sally Pettipher, who showed me that regardless of the fundraising stream, successful fundraising is all about great relationships and understanding your supporters. This lesson has stood me in good stead throughout my career. Before long, I was leading on the fundraising strategies for the largest projects in the museum, firstly for Atmosphere, the climate change gallery and programme, and then for the early stages of the Information Age gallery.
Rod Hebden is Development Director at Cheltenham Festivals.
www.cheltenhamfestivals.com
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