#92 A Common Goal - Dougal Freeman

"And the tension sometimes in the office was palpable. And to get things done you had to start to think about how to keep people on a common goal, despite some of the rivalry or politics that people brought with them to the office." Dougal Freeman

 

Dougal Freeman was working in Iraq during the second Gulf war and narrowly escaped the Canal Hotel bombing in 2003. Based in Jordan with Care Australia he talks about some of the realities of humanitarian work and about the kidnapping and subsequent murder of his boss. Dougal's experience is far from ordinary and he paints a vivid picture of his work-life in agri-businesses in Africa and in the commercial and not-for-profit sectors. He is so much more than the number's person and we talk about understanding people and getting people working toward a common goal, particularly when tensions are high. We also talk about impact, value addition and value destruction and how crucial it is that people in management and teams really care about what they do. 

 

Dougal Freeman is an accomplished CFO with more than two decades of global experience spanning the private sector, NGOs and not-for-profits. He has worked extensively across Africa and the Middle East for major international charities, food and agribusiness organisations, and then held Deputy CEO and Finance Director roles in public health consultancy and for a Nobel Prize-winning charity in the UK. He worked with Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) in Switzerland as CFO for six years. Currently he is the outgoing CFO and board member for Oxford Policy Management (OPM), an international development consultancy, where he leads finance strategy and operations, and plays an integral role in the broader growth and performance of the organisation.

 

Connect with Dougal:

On LinkedIn

 

Resources Mentioned:

Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Photographer Ami Vitale

Uhuru Flowers, Kenya

Hawala System

Canal Hotel Bombing, Iraq, 2003

Margaret Hussain kidnap and murder

Access to Nutrition Index ATNI

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