There will be another time, much closer to Christmas, when I will again have the opportunity to publicly appreciate Jim Knight. If you see me in person around that time, there will probably be laughter, and smiles, and possibly tears. Jim is stepping down as our Chair at the Tinder Foundation AGM in early December after what will be five years in the role, and, when he does, I will miss his support, his challenge, his intellect, and his ‘just being there’. Jim is a really exceptional Chair and he always gets the balance right: of support and challenge, ideas and influencing. I will miss him enormously, as will the staff and the rest of the Board, and I’m delighted that he has agreed to stay on as one of our Patrons and to stay part of the Tinder Foundation family.
Me and Jim cutting Tinder Foundation’s third birthday cake back in 2014
Jim is the inaugural Chair of Tinder Foundation. I knew him as Schools Minister and then as Employment Minister when we dreamed up the idea of having a digital champion in every job centre (as there still are). Jim shares our commitment to making a difference for everyone through technology and helping people realise greater opportunities by being part of a digital world. Jim is a big fan of consensus, he is very strict about meetings finishing on time, he’s a great person, and he has been a terrific Chair. Thank you Jim, we will all miss you.
We’re now looking to replace Jim and to find a new Chair.
We’re not looking for a clone, rather someone best placed to guide us on the next stage of our development. Over the next few years we will continue to diversify: working with partners across Government, Corporates, local authorities, trusts and foundations, both within and beyond the UK. As ever at Tinder Foundation we’re ambitious about the impact we can have and our goal is to help another 2 million people to benefit through digital by 2020.
We’re looking for someone who is passionate about a world where everyone can benefit from digital, and who has relevant experience. We need someone who is good at chairing meetings, involving board members and SMT; we’re a mutual so we have staff on our board as well as some excellent and supportive people from a range of backgrounds and organisations.
If you’d like to know more, here’s the official ad. Closing date 19th May. If you’d like to talk to me about the role then I’d be more than happy to have a chat, or you can contact Tasneem Aboobaker, Recruitment Manager at WIG on 020 7222 1166.
Helen Milner 