Shaks Ghosh CBE, Chief Executive of Clore Social Leadership, to retire

After a long and distinguished career in the voluntary sector, Shaks Ghosh CBE will be retiring next month and stepping down from her role as Chief Executive of Clore Social Leadership. 

Since joining in 2015, Shaks has been on a mission to democratise social leadership and make development more accessible and affordable to those who need it most. In this time, she has led a dramatic growth in the organisation, from 20 fellows a year when she started to more than 800 leaders a year now taking part in Clore Social’s programmes and courses.

Prior to joining Clore Social, Shaks had previously held CEO roles at Crisis and the Private Equity Foundation. Throughout her career, her work has always been about social justice and serving the voluntary sector. She intends to stay close to the voluntary sector, and will continue to work on leadership in Black and Asian communities.

Reflecting on her career and time at Clore Social, Shaks said: “The voluntary sector is the nation’s most precious asset and it has been an honour to serve it for almost 40 years. Watching thousands of Clore Social leaders develop and take on ever challenging roles has been a privilege and I wish them all the luck in the world.”

Clore Social’s current Director of Development, Nadia Alomar, will be stepping up to take over from Shaks at the beginning of July. Nadia currently leads fundraising and business development for the organisation and was previously Clore Social’s Director of Marketing and External Affairs. Prior to joining in 2019 she led the communications and marketing functions at national organisations, including UK Youth and Brook Young People, and international organisations such as The World of NGOs and CIRSE (Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe).

Chair of Clore Social Leadership, Sir Ciaran Devane, said: “Current and past trustees are sad to see Shaks retire. She has been a fabulous leader and campaigner, putting her passion and energy into democratising leadership, digitising our offer and championing personal development for groups from across our communities. 

We are equally pleased to welcome Nadia Alomar as our new chief executive and as the leader of our excellent team. We know they will help us engage with even more new leaders and partners, and continue to support charities and community groups as they grapple with the current challenging conditions.”

Nadia Alomar said: “It is a privilege to be succeeding Shaks who leaves an awe-inspiring legacy at Clore Social. Under her leadership, the organisation has experienced remarkable growth and innovation, with an unwavering commitment to democratising leadership. 

This year is no exception, as we continue to find new ways to support social leaders at all levels to develop and enhance the skills, resilience and capabilities they need to lead through these complex and uncertain times."