Dementia UK

About

Dementia is both the UK’s biggest health crisis and the country’s leading cause of death. For too many people, it brings fear, exhaustion and uncertainty – and families are often left without the specialist support they need. Dementia UK is a values-driven charity providing specialist dementia support and advice through its Admiral Nurse services.

Prospectus is proud to have partnered with Dementia UK on numerous successful leadership and Board appointments and to have built a strong, trusted relationship across the organisation.

The Brief

Dementia UK approached Prospectus to support the appointment of a new Director of Finance – a pivotal role, particularly given the charity’s new growth strategy and following significant growth in income, expansion of services and an increased national profile over the previous five years. The Director of Finance would be responsible for strategic financial leadership, compliance, risk management and long-term sustainability. Given the scale and complexity of the organisation, it was essential to identify candidates with experience of operating at a similar scale who bought the ability to shape financial strategy in a growing environment.

Our Approach

Prospectus delivered a thorough and inclusive search process, grounded in our and Dementia UK’s Disability Confident commitments, designed to attract a broad and high‑quality field. Alongside targeted outreach to senior finance leaders across the health and wider non-profit sectors, we ran a carefully managed advertising campaign that generated strong interest in the role. Prospectus coordinated stakeholder engagement sessions with members of the Senior Leadership Team, enabling meaningful two-way conversations during the process. With a total of 92 applications received, we implemented a structured and consistent assessment framework to manage the high level of interest effectively. From this, we invited nine candidates to interview, providing a robust and values‑aligned longlist for consideration.

The Outcome

Charlotte Walker was appointed to the role. A KPMG ACA-qualified and strategically minded finance leader, Charlotte brings deep non-profit experience spanning charity audit and senior finance positions. Most recently Director of Finance at Age UK, Charlotte had led on strengthening financial insight, improving systems and reporting, and delivering major organisational efficiencies. Charlotte brings strong Board-facing experience for national and regional organisations, a collaborative leadership style and a clear commitment to equity.

If you would like support in sourcing exceptional talent into a leadership role in your organisation, find out more about our Executive Search Service or Charity Board Recruitment Service.