Balmer Dawson Executive Search
Specialist executive search for Boards and senior leadership teams
in the charity & non-profit sector.
Proudly working exclusively with Chairpersons, Boards and CEOs to support senior leadership appointments across the charity and non-profit sector, Balmer Dawson Executive Search partners with charitable organisations, non-profits, educational trusts and religious orders on senior leadership appointments. With over 20 years’ experience in this sector, we are trusted to support complex CEO and executive-level searches. By taking time to understand each organisation’s strategy, governance context and values, we support Boards to make well-judged leadership appointments that strengthen organisations for the long term.
Gilly Balmer is a trusted executive search adviser to Boards across the charity and non-profit sector. Over the past 25 years, she has built a strong reputation for guiding Chairpersons and Boards through critical CEO and senior leadership transitions. Gilly brings particular strength in assessing leadership capability, judgement and cultural fit in mission-driven organisations. She is retained by her clients to lead discreet, high-stakes CEO and executive searches, both nationally and internationally, where governance, confidence and long-term impact are critical.
Zena Dawson brings over 25 years’ senior leadership and executive search experience, including roles as Group Director and Head of Human Resources. She is highly experienced in guiding Boards and senior leadership teams through complex executive transitions in mission-driven organisations. Zena brings particular strength in organisational assessment, leadership judgement and cultural alignment. She is trusted to lead rigorous national and international executive searches where precision, discretion and long-term fit are essential.
Grounded in a commitment to supporting Chairpersons, Boards and CEOs through complex leadership decisions, Balmer Dawson Executive Search delivers a rigorous, director-led executive search process supported by targeted market mapping, discreet headhunting and structured Board interview support. We provide practical tools to support confident decision-making, including interview frameworks and scoring tools. A clear and realistic search timeline is agreed at the outset of each assignment, ensuring transparency, momentum and well-managed expectations throughout the process.
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
We really enjoyed working with the team at Balmer Dawson on the hiring of our new CEO. Zena and Gilly took the time to understand our sector, the culture of the organisation, and what we truly needed in a leader. Their communication was consistent, the process was well structured, and the quality of CEO candidates presented was exceptional. It was also positive that they had the experience to look beyond our information and look at candidates from further afield. Whilst we didn’t select these “wildcard” candidates it was very valuable having them be part of the interview process. Their approach felt collaborative and supportive throughout, and we couldn’t be happier with the final appointment.
“We engaged Balmer Dawson to assist us in recruiting our CEO. The team at Balmer Dawson were excellent to work with and we were delighted with the outcome of our search.”
“Super team that helped us fill key roles in DEBRA, very personal service and excellency in delivery.”
I had an excellent experience working with Gilly & Zena. They took the time to understand the Society, it’s culture, and hiring needs, which made the whole process very smooth & efficient. Professional, responsive, and reliable throughout the process. I would highly recommend.
The Society of Jesus have used the services of Balmer Dawson to fill two senior roles in the Irish Province. Gilly and Zena take a personal interest in the process, from the initial scoping of the roles to final interview stage resulting in excellent appointments. Both have an excellent understanding of the not-for-profit sector. They take time to get a good understanding of your organisation and its culture. They oversaw a good advertising and search campaign, met with applicants and shortlisted a panel of excellent candidates. Their communication and support throughout the process was very reassuring.
I would strongly recommend Balmer Dawson and we see them as business partners rather than recruitment consultants.
I have had the pleasure of working with Gilly and Zena on a couple of assignments and have been very impressed with both their approach and professionalism. They took the time to fully understand our requirements and the nuance of our organisation and delivered excellent candidates each time, ahead of our recruitment timeline. If you are looking to fill a specialised role within the charity sector, I highly recommend Balmer Dawson.
Balmer Dawson Executive Search was a joy to work with. They understood our brief, our timelines and our expectations. Their knowledge and insight of the market was exceptional and, importantly, delivered. I look forward to working with them in the future.
We are a client of Balmer Dawson Executive Search. While their whole service is very impressive, it was their understanding of our organisation and our specific needs that really stood out. They took the time to learn our exact requirements which meant only the most suitable candidates were brought into the recruitment process. Their commitment to open communication at every phase ensured a highly effective partnership-driven approach to the project. I would highly recommend them for any recruitment work.
We persistently use the services of Balmer Dawson Executive Search because they take the time to get to know the needs of the DCU Educational Trust in order to assist us in obtaining the best fit. In a sector built on relationships, their relationships have yielded strong results for our organisation.
Balmer Dawson Executive Search have been a great support to Cystic Fibrosis Ireland helping us fill key vacancies in our Charity. It takes away all the stress of trying to find good people when you know they will look after this for you. We have been very happy with the professional recruitment support provided by Balmer Dawson over the past few years.
Some of Our Clients
