CEO Support

We are driving positive change by developing, connecting and empowering leaders in the voluntary and community Sector.

CEO Support

Leading an organisation in the third sector can be rewarding, but it can also bring complex challenges and moments where support from peers and trusted advisors becomes essential.

CO3 provides dedicated support for Chief Executives, offering spaces to seek guidance, connect with other leaders and access practical resources that can help you navigate the realities of leadership in the voluntary sector.

Request Support

Below are some of the ways CO3 supports CEOs.

CEO in Crisis Support System

Sometimes challenges arise that require confidential advice and a space to think things through with someone who understands the pressures of leadership.

Through the CEO in Crisis Support System, CO3 members can request a confidential 1-to-1 meeting with:

  • Valerie McConville, Chief Executive at CO3
  • Suzanne Courtney, Head of Operations at CO3

These conversations provide an opportunity to talk through a challenge, explore options, and receive guidance from experienced sector leaders.

Request Support
Examples of topics that could be discussed include:
Managing organisational crises or unexpected challenges
Leadership and governance issues
Navigating board relationships or difficult conversations
Managing organisational change or restructuring
Personal leadership pressures or burnout
Strategic decision making in complex situations

All requests are treated with complete discretion and confidentiality.

If you feel this support would be helpful, please complete the form below and a member of the CO3 team will be in touch to arrange a meeting.

Request CEO Support

Please complete the form below to request a confidential conversation.

New to Post CEO Forum

Starting a new CEO role brings unique opportunities as well as challenges. The New to Post CEO Forum is a space specifically designed for leaders who have recently stepped into a Chief Executive role.

This forum provides an opportunity to:

Connect with other newly appointed CEOs

Share experiences and good practice

Discuss challenges that often arise during the first years in post

Receive peer support from leaders navigating similar transitions

The forum helps create a trusted network of peers who understand the realities of stepping into senior leadership within the voluntary sector.

Visit the New to Post CEO Forum

CEO Resources

CO3 also provides a range of resources specifically designed for Chief Executives working in the voluntary sector.

These resources include practical guidance, leadership insights and materials that support CEOs in areas such as governance, leadership development, organisational management and navigating sector challenges.

Explore CEO Resources

What Members Say About CO3

We’re delighted to get behind the financial resilience programme who, which will support a range of charity leaders from the small right through to the large, will really help give them the skills to be strong and be there for their communities for as long as they’re needed.

As a chief executive it is a very lonely job at times, particularly in small charities and Northern Ireland has got many small charities. So when you feel that loneliness or isolation, the one thing that CO3 brought was the ability to go and chat to somebody, whether it be a mentor or whether it be just another chief exec to bounce off.

Kate Fleck
Member of the Board, OCN NI

CO3 offer a wide range of courses for middle, middle managers, senior managers and chief executives within the third sector. Some of the programmes include the Leading Edge programme, there’s other leadership programmes available and then they also offer some micro learning sessions around how to present things like finances to your board of directors, reviewing your governance structure within the organisation and they would bring in some expert facilitators to deliver those sessions as well.

Martin Flynn
CEO, OCN NI

We’re delighted to get behind the financial resilience programme who, which will support a range of charity leaders from the small right through to the large, will really help give them the skills to be strong and be there for their communities for as long as they’re needed.

As a chief executive it is a very lonely job at times, particularly in small charities and Northern Ireland has got many small charities. So when you feel that loneliness or isolation, the one thing that Co Three brought was the ability to go and chat to somebody, whether it be a mentor or whether it be just another chief exec to bounce off.

Kate Fleck
Member of the Board, OCN NI

“CO3 is always a great network for support, for encouragement, for advice, answers to tricky questions when you're really, really stuck. Overall, it's been a fantastic network of colleagues who are always there for guidance and encouragement whenever things are really tough.”

Karen Collins
Chief Executive, Aware NI

“It is so valuable having other people who are in a similar position that you can network with, you can share problems with, you can ask advice. And so my whole career, CO3 has been really, really important to me in providing those things.”

Roger Courtney
Founder & Director, Roger Courtney Consulting

“I think for me the CO3 is a safe space just to have a chat, to make connections and also to learn from other people who are in a similar position in their career as you are.”

Lisa Keys
Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Boys’ Brigade

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