The Background
Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust (CWCART) were looking to appoint a new Trustee following a recent retirement from the Board. Seeking very specific skill sets, CWCART needed a Trustee that was well connected with a track record of supporting a charity, enabling the Trust to raise $4.7 million annually to maintain this critical, life-saving service that attends close to 1,000 rescues throughout the region each year.
What We Did to Help
Sheffield undertook a pure Search assignment, identifying candidates within the region that fitted the client’s specific brief, and presented a strong list of potential search candidates, which CWCART referred to as their ‘wish list’. During this process, the full effects of the Covid-19 pandemic hit New Zealand and the country went into Level 4 lockdown, causing our client genuine concern the timing may not be appropriate to make approaches. Sheffield was fully functional during lockdown and remained well connected with the market, so advised CWCART to trust the process and the feedback we were receiving during this unprecedented period. The result was a high yielding response from the candidates we approached to ascertain their appetite for the role.
What Happened as a Result
Best summarised by the Board Chair, Murray Willocks, “Sheffield presented the Trust with a list of over 30 candidates … the calibre of these candidates was such … four people have accepted roles within the Trust. One as a Trustee, one as an intern/trainee Trustee and two as Ambassadors for the Trust. That was not an outcome we expected but one we are grateful to Sheffield for. “
Sheffield partnered with CWCART to appoint one Trustee, and we are proud to have delivered a far greater outcome for what is, without doubt a critical emergency service for our region.