The Situation

Grapetree, an employee-owned business, has been on a mission to strengthen its governance and employee ownership model as it continues to grow. To support this next phase, the organisation needed a Chair for its EOTAS Trustee Board with deep expertise in employee ownership, proven governance experience, and the ability to help unlock the full potential of its employee-owned culture.

The Solution

Russam was introduced to Grapetree to identify a candidate who could provide strategic leadership and guidance at board level. Through our extensive network of senior leaders in employee ownership, we placed Campbell McDonald, one of the UK’s leading experts in the field.

Campbell brings over 17 years’ experience advising, running, and supporting employee-owned businesses across a range of sectors. His achievements include:

• Serving as Independent Trustee and Chair across multiple EOT Boards, including dxw, OLS, Coffee Bay, TKC Sales, and Broadway Malyan.
• Acting as Managing Director of The Eternal Business, delivering EO transition support, leadership development, and governance training.
• Co-founding GreatEO and developing eoQ, a pioneering EO health-check tool now used by leadership teams.
• Leading the Ownership at Work charity and delivering the EO Knowledge Programme, the UK’s most extensive research into EO’s social and financial impact.
• Supporting government engagement on EO through strategic advisory roles with the John Lewis Partnership, HM Cabinet Office, and No10.

The Results

Since his appointment as Chair of the EOTAS Trustee Board, Campbell has provided critical support to Grapetree by:

• Ensuring best-in-class governance for the EOT, safeguarding the long-term interests of employee owners.
• Aligning the Trustee Board with Grapetree’s purpose, culture, and strategic direction.
• Strengthening employee voice, engagement, and ownership behaviours across the organisation.
• Bringing actionable insights from leading EO research to inform ongoing growth and impact.

The Client

“Campbell’s blend of governance expertise, strategic insight, and passion for employee ownership is exactly what Grapetree needed. He hit the ground running, understood the organisation immediately, and has already made a tangible impact on our governance and culture. We’re thrilled to welcome him to the Grapetree family.”