Sir Stuart Etherington believes that fundraisers will become chief executives at a faster rate than has been the case, he told a conference this morning.

Speaking at a seminar at UBM’s Responsible Business Exhibition 2012 in London, the NCVO chief executive said he has been talking to headhunters recently who say the market for senior leaders in the charity sector has changed.

“Three or four years ago headhunters would ask for skills such as presence, policy-making ability and influencing skills,” he said.  

“But now they just want someone who knows how to make money.”

Because of this, Sir Stuart said fundraisers are becoming chief executives at a faster rate than before.

“We need more enterprise-type activities in charities’ portfolios,” said the NCVO chief, adding that enterprise skills will be increasingly valued in the sector.

The low proportion of fundraising professionals that make it to chief executive has been perceived as an issue in the past, with a notable dearth of chief executives in the top 100 charities coming from a fundraising or marketing background.