David Brief, chair of Headway East
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Close"Every director since I took over in February has had to do a day volunteering at Headway House, including me."
About the chair
Name: David Brief
Chair of: Headway East London, www.headwayeastlondon.org
Job: Chief Investment Officer, BAE Systems Pension Schemes
Interview Date: 5th October 2009
About the interview
No ordinary businessman
David Brief might appear your stereotypical suited and booted successful businessman. He has almost 30 years' experience in the world of investment. He’s the Chief Investment Officer of BAE Systems Pension Schemes, the Director of two trusts and the advisor to a superannuation scheme.
But David injects some of his energies, skills and experience into a totally unrelated area. David is the Chair of Headway East London; a small Hackney-based organisation that supports anyone affected by an acquired brain injury (ABI).
Their headquarters, ‘Headway House’, is a buzzing community hub for ABI sufferers, their friends, family, carers and professional healthworkers.
Charity or sailing?
David is brutally honest: “Somebody said to me – you should only get involved in voluntary things if you like the people and if the environment is interesting, because, after all, you are giving up your free time when you could be sailing or doing something else.”
David derives much of his motivation from the people who work at Headway:
“I’ve become very convinced by what we do and by the fantastic commitment and energy of the staff. I suppose I get personal satisfaction by enabling that action,” he said.
Hands off
David employs a rather ‘hands off’ management style. When he first took his position as chair, he sensed a degree of frustration and a need for trustees to back off and 'allow the managers to manage the organisation'. He does however insist upon the rule that all directors must spend a day volunteering at the centre, including himself. They also have a presentation from a member of staff at every board meeting to update them on what is happening in the organisation at ground level.
Onward and upward
There are great plans ahead for Headway East London. The board recently came to a unanimous decision to direct the organisation’s legacy funds into a post-Headway House scheme know as ‘The Arch Project’, which will help people make the move into the outside world.
Listen to the interview
Question 1
How did you become chair?
Download question 1 (mp3, 2mb)
Question 2
What is the difference between a trustee and a chair? How much time commitment does your new role involve in contrast with your role as a trustee?
Download question 2 (mp3, 4.3mb)
Question 3
What was the role of the board of trustees when you joined Headway and how is it changing?
Download question 3 (mp3, 4.5mb)
Question 4
How did you know this was the right time to make this change in the organisation?
Download question 4 (mp3, 1.6mb)
Question 5
What is the change in the role of the chair and the CEO in this changing environment and changing role of the board of trustees?
Download question 5 (mp3, 2.3mb)
Question 6
How do you feel about being chair? What do you gain from it? What has it felt like making this transition?
Download question 6 (mp3, 4mb)
Question 7
Download question 7 (mp3, 737kb)
Interview transcription
Transcript of the whole David Brief interview (Word, 45kb)
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