Ian Leggett

Regions:: Midlands, South

Background

Just about the whole of my working life has been in the charity sector and in values-led organisations, with a focus on international development and the environment.

It is a background that has required me to find ways to work effectively in organisations where long-distance management and support is essential, where diverse cultural assumptions and behaviours have to be acknowledged and managed and where competing perspectives are the norm.

I am passionate about the need for all organisations – whether public, commercial or third sector – to understand the implications of making a rapid but managed transition to a low carbon world.

This will require a fundamental change in organisational culture at all levels, from what an organisation does to how it manages it staff.

Experience

During the last 25 years I have worked for Oxfam as the manager of its programme in East and Central Africa with responsibility for humanitarian, long-term development and advocacy work; I have been a consultant and advisor to Comic Relief and, most recently, for the last seven years I have been director of a campaigning organisation that works specifically with young people.

I’ve been on the Boards of a range of organisations from sector-wide coalitions to a small charity working in the drylands of Africa.

A common characteristic of these diverse working roles has been the personal development of colleagues and how to bring about positive organisational change to reflect changing circumstances, externally and internally.

I am not a formally qualified coach or mentor but have benefited personally from having a network of colleagues who have challenged me, listened to me and supported me at times when I’ve needed someone to talk to – and sometimes when I least expected it.