Douglas Graham
Upper Heyford,Oxfordshire
Summary
Purpose-driven Chief Executive with a proven track record of leading large-scale strategic transformation across the charity and public sectors. Expert in driving significant income growth, delivering high-impact programmes, and leading innovation, rebranding, and cultural change. Renowned for building high-performing, mission-aligned teams and combining visionary leadership with robust financial planning to ensure sustainable growth and lasting social impact.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
10
10
years of post-secondary education
Work history
Chief Executive
Oxford Hospitals Charity
10.2016 - 06.2025
- Leading, growing, and developing a team and organisation of 30 staff to raise and deliver charitable expenditure of between £5m and £7m pa into the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust.
- Director of joint venture company formed with the OUH Trust to build more keyworker accommodation.
- As the first CEO I have transformed OHC into a forward looking and proactive charity raising and funding £millions pa across four hospitals.
- Changed our model of income generation focussing on raising spendable income, and introducing a very successful commercial strand of income/service delivery - building onsite keyworker accommodation.
- Transformed the financial planning and management of the charity to better link types of income with types of spend; and revised our approach so that everything is focussed on the delivery of charitable expenditure and how we provide support across all levels of the OUH Trust.
- By significantly increasing our funding into the hospitals over the past 6 years I have transformed OHC so that it is now seen as their charity by the clinical staff, and as the trusted charity partner by the OUH NHS Trust Executive and Board.
- Developed and delivered the charity's first strategies, implemented proper budgeting, and continually developed improved financial planning.
- Working collaboratively with the SMT and all charity staff have developed successive strategies and delivery plans to grow the income and delivery of the charity.
- Created a network of other NHS Charity CEOs to share learning at regular meetings.
- Driven and navigated the process of becoming independent from the OUH Trust, and overseen rebranding to become much more recognisable and applicable at all levels.
- Led the charity through the COVID pandemic when we had to transform overnight to become an emergency support organisation for hospital staff.
Director of Fundraising
Motor Neurone Disease Association
04.2008 - 10.2016
- Developing and delivering successive evidence based, integrated multi-year fundraising strategies that generated sustainable income growth across a broad portfolio. Had grown to £15m during my tenure with an expenditure budget of over £2.5m.
- Leading and motivating the Fundraising Department of 7 teams/48 staff to deliver significant and sustainable income growth in national and regional fundraising, and via local volunteer Branches and Groups.
- Doubled income with an average of 13% pa growth in and improved the fundraising ROI to 3.7:1 (not including legacy income).
- I was the director in sole charge of leading the organisation-wide response to the Ice Bucket Challenge social media phenomenon (which generated £7m and massive publicity over the space of 3 weeks), including planning our media response and key messaging, and subsequent planning of these extra funds.
- I formed the Fundraising Management Team from my team managers which was instrumental in delivering an integrated approach and cross team working, and providing me with a highly performing team to help drive the growth of our activity.
- I developed a £½ million programme of extra investment in new fundraising activities to generate longer term growth.
Head of Supporter Retention
British Heart Foundation
02.2007 - 03.2008
- Leading the Supporter Retention department of 3 teams (20 people) within the Fundraising Division.
- Ensuring the strategies, tactics, staff, ways of working, budgeting, financial forecasting, and business processes were in place to deliver stretching income targets, legacy pledges, and high quality supporter care.
- Turned around a fundraising strategy that wasn't delivering budgeted income for 07/08 to achieve the yearly income target of £4.4 million and 1,000 legacy pledgers.
Head of Business Development
Oxfam
10.2004 - 01.2007
- Head of a new unit tasked with generating new income streams and responsible for 3 teams - New Product Development, Corporate Partnerships and Oxfam Unwrapped.
- Establishing Oxfam Unwrapped as a dominant brand and market leader by consumer-facing product and promotional development - in its second and third year Oxfam Unwrapped generated over £30 million and more than 200,000 customers (over 100,000 which were new to Oxfam).
- Turning round an underperforming corporate team - introducing a new and focussed strategy and ways of working resulting in the doubling of income from £1 million to over £2 million in 2 years.
New Products Development Manager
Oxfam
02.2004 - 10.2004
- I had sole responsibility for the development and launch of Oxfam Unwrapped - Oxfam's first alternative gift catalogue and website, and a completely new sub-brand and new retail-focussed income stream for the charity.
- This included catalogue and web design; promotional, retail and e-commerce strategy; budget management; agency management; set up of fulfilment systems; ensuring proactive buy-in from key organisational stakeholders; and being spokesperson for national and local TV, radio and press.
- The first campaign (Xmas 04) delivered £4.2 million against a target of £1.5 million entering market as leader and brought in 30,000 new supporters.
Head of Fundraising
Earthwatch Europe
09.2003 - 02.2004
Direct Marketing Manager
Oxfam
04.2003 - 09.2003
Legacy Marketing Manager
Oxfam
01.2000 - 08.2003
Education
Advanced Certificate in Marketing -
Chartered Institute
10.1996 - 07.1998
Ph.D. - Seasonal Ecology and Biochemistry of Juvenile Atlantic Salmon
University of Glasgow
10.1988 - 03.1994
B. Sc. (Hons) 2(i) - Zoology
University of Glasgow
09.1984 - 06.1987
Timeline
Chief Executive
Oxford Hospitals Charity
10.2016 - 06.2025
Director of Fundraising
Motor Neurone Disease Association
04.2008 - 10.2016
Head of Supporter Retention
British Heart Foundation
02.2007 - 03.2008
Head of Business Development
Oxfam
10.2004 - 01.2007
New Products Development Manager
Oxfam
02.2004 - 10.2004
Head of Fundraising
Earthwatch Europe
09.2003 - 02.2004
Direct Marketing Manager
Oxfam
04.2003 - 09.2003
Legacy Marketing Manager
Oxfam
01.2000 - 08.2003
Advanced Certificate in Marketing -
Chartered Institute
10.1996 - 07.1998
Ph.D. - Seasonal Ecology and Biochemistry of Juvenile Atlantic Salmon
University of Glasgow
10.1988 - 03.1994
B. Sc. (Hons) 2(i) - Zoology
University of Glasgow
09.1984 - 06.1987
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