There are some roles where getting the right person matters enormously. Not just for the organisation, but for the community it serves. The Salisbury Museum is one of those places, and finding its new Chair of Trustees was exactly that kind of appointment.

We were delighted to work in partnership with The Salisbury Museum on this search, and even more delighted by where it ended up.

A museum with real depth

The Salisbury Museum is not your average regional institution. Housed in a grade I listed building within the Cathedral Close, it holds some genuinely remarkable collections. Prehistoric material from Stonehenge, the Pitt Rivers' Wessex collection, and a fine medieval collection including finds from Old Sarum, Clarendon Palace and the city itself. Add in fascinating displays of costume and ceramics, and a programme of regular temporary exhibitions, and you have a museum that genuinely rewards curiosity.

The Museum is also part of Wessex Museums and holds status as an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation (NPO), which adds another layer of significance to its governance and leadership needs.

Why this appointment mattered

The Chair of Trustees carries real responsibility. Beyond strategic oversight and effective governance, this person would need to create the conditions for good decision-making across the board, quite literally. They would also serve as a connector and ambassador, championing the Museum both locally and in the wider cultural sector.

That blend of internal leadership and external advocacy meant the profile was specific. A strong regional connection was important. So was familiarity with funding in the charitable sector, and a genuine feel for the cultural landscape in Salisbury and the surrounding area. This was not a role for someone who would treat it as a line on a CV.

Our approach

Charisma has a solid track record of supporting museums and cultural organisations of this scale and nature. We have worked with NPOs and National Lottery Heritage Fund grant recipients, and we understand what good governance leadership looks like in these environments. That experience meant we could approach the search with both confidence and rigour.

We ran a robust and dynamic campaign designed to surface candidates who were not just qualified, but genuinely motivated by what the Museum stands for. Regional reach and influence were high on our criteria, alongside proven experience in charitable governance and a real understanding of what it takes to support an institution like this through its next chapter.

"Thank you for your help at every step of the way!"

The Salisbury Museum

The outcome

Following a thorough search and selection process, we appointed a candidate who met the brief in full. Someone with the regional connections to make things happen, the understanding of charitable funding to ask the right questions, and the genuine enthusiasm to promote the Museum's interests across both the local community and the broader cultural landscape.

It is the kind of outcome that reminds us why we enjoy this work so much. When the right person lands in the right role, you can feel it.

Thinking about your next appointment?

If you are looking for trustee or chair-level support for your museum, cultural organisation, or wider charity, we would love to have a conversation. Get in touch with the team at Charisma and let us help you find the leader your organisation deserves.