Mike Adamson CBE

Mike brings more than 30 years of senior leadership experience across the charity, public and corporate sectors, including as Chief Executive of the British Red Cross. His work has consistently focused on enabling organisations to lead with purpose, navigate complexity and respond to crises. He understands the strategic and relational dimensions of large-scale change and brings a holistic, values-driven approach to his work with both boards and leadership teams.

During his time at the British Red Cross, Mike led the development and delivery of two major strategies (2015–2019 and 2020–2030), sharpening the organisation’s focus on key causes and embedding a systems approach to impact. He oversaw responses to major national and international emergencies including Grenfell Tower, the Covid-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine, representing the organisation at public inquiries. He also initiated sector-leading collaborations such as the VCS Emergency Partnership and the Asylum Reform Initiative, and led internal transformation programmes to drive effectiveness and inclusion.

 

Mike’s leadership spans strategy, governance, safeguarding, external partnerships and operational delivery. He has worked with corporate partners and major philanthropists on multi-million-pound relationships, and championed anti-racism, equity and inclusion — pioneering new recruitment and culture change practices to meet diversity goals. Mike also has extensive experience of partnering with the NHS.

He is particularly interested in working with leaders and teams who are grappling with ‘wicked problems’, strategic ambiguity or complex relationships — offering coaching, facilitation and reflective space to help reconnect with purpose, clarify direction and make sustainable progress. Mike creates environments where people can be honest about uncertainty, explore tensions between values and action, and build the trust needed to lead through complexity. Whether supporting a CEO navigating a major transition, a leadership team facing drift, or a board wrestling with alignment, he brings a calm, curious presence and a deep commitment to purposeful, values-led leadership.