Derek Rae

Background

About Derek Rae

I have a passion and natural aptitude for working as part of a team while also seeking to develop those more inexperienced to advance the organisation and the individual. Benefitting from a wealth of opportunity from a successful career in the Royal Navy, I’m excited by the prospect of reinvesting my knowledge and experience outside of the military, focussing on the Third Sector. I have natural tact and diplomacy. With diverse internal and external stakeholders, I realise the challenge faced by charities in meeting often competing motivations and needs of team members, supporters and customers. As an accomplished active listener and trained interpersonal mediator I pride myself on rapidly establishing trusted relationships, engaging across social and professional boundaries with proven delivery of positive outcomes, including when faced with differing cultures and interests. I am an effective communicator. Increasing networked activism, the changing face of policy making and addressing political divisions are potential barriers to effectively advocating change for the better. Having worked in Whitehall at the centre of government, providing strategic policy advice to Ministers and securing multi-million pound Business Case approvals, I understand the nuance and strategic communication required to influence key decision makers. This is reinforced with a Distinction in my Masters’ Thesis (2015) analysing Trans-Advocacy Networks discussed through the lens of campaigns addressing Child Soldiers and FGM. I am comfortable collaborating at all levels of an organisation. I realise the challenges charities face in securing the right unpaid trustees while also handling employee churn. Embarking on a new chapter in my working life, as well as identifying opportunities within the Third Sector to be part of a delivery team focussed on organisational outcomes, I would also value the opportunity as a Trustee to work with the leadership team, helping motivate and achieve organisational success. Now with the opportunity and capacity ‘to give something back’, I’m keen to leverage my previous experience as a Non-Executive Director of a £165M revenue generating government agency to also operate at the strategic level within the Third Sector. 07786 372427 derekrae1@gmail.com