In this Q&A with Francesca Aita, Head of Marketing at Together TV, Paul Amadi MBE, Chief Supporter Officer at British Red Cross shares his current career highlights, his thoughts on the shift from linear to streaming and the impact of the broadcasting industry on the charity sector.

Francesca Aita (Head of Marketing, Together TV): What is the project that you are most proud of? 

Paul Amadi MBE (Chief Supporter Officer, British Red Cross): Coordinating the British Red Cross’ (BRC) fundraising response to the Ukraine crisis. We saw across all of the audiences an extraordinary response and we were able to channel that generosity in a way that ended with us raising over £140 million. 

Francesca: How did you get into your current position?

Paul: My professional career began with me completing two degrees in politics, but graduating without really knowing what I wanted to do. I knew that I wanted to work in a setting where I was driven by social justice and supporting marginalised communities. Since then I've had the opportunity to work for a wide range of charities and supporting groups that otherwise might not have received visibility. I am really pleased to know that looking back at my career, all I've ever tried to do is to make a difference.

Francesca: What skills do you need to be successful in your role as Chief Supporter Officer? 

Paul: I would say that there's a set of technical skills, but also a set of humour and personal skills. If you're in any form of leadership role on the personal side, I think that you need to have resilience, because things are not always going to go the way that you want. Actually, there's a Mike Tyson [former professional boxer] quote that always strikes me, who said “everybody's got a plan until they get punched in the face. Life has a habit of punching you in the face”. You need to have resilience, and the ability to acknowledge that some of the challenges you will face will knock you is vital.

Secondly, every leader should have curiosity. I think that every colleague you know should be interested in the people around you, be focused on their wellbeing and what motivates them so that you're in a position to create the conditions for success. Something that I think everyone at Together TV has done very well.

Francesca: How important is the media industry and specifically broadcasting TV for delivering on the work you do?

Paul: Broadcast media is incredibly important for us. One of the attributes that the BRC has as a brand asset is that there's a huge amount of trust. We have visibility, but that typically comes from people seeing us responding to a crisis. In many ways we don't want to maintain our visibility through that, because it means that communities are struggling.

So for us we have a significant and extensive media space, and that is our primary thought of recruitment that enables us to tell stories. That's one of the aspects that, as an organisation, we're very keen to bring to life. 

Francesca: The TV industry is in an era of change, with digital, streaming and on-demand. How has this change affected the way that charities consider the TV and media industry?

Paul: I've never positioned myself as a media expert, but even to the untrained eye, it's very clear that the media landscape is increasingly fragmented. One of the points that we have focused on as an organisation is that if we want to attract and retrain a younger cohort of supporters, then we need to be a great deal more digitally enabled and aware. 

So, that's why we made the decision to invest in our digital capability and we're now trying to make much more use of digital channels, being more explicit and intentional about our approach towards SEO and all of the benefits and challenges that come from that. This is the new reality, so the question is, how progressive will we be about it?

Francesca: Did you always occupy roles in fundraising or did you have experience in other areas too? 

Paul: One of the ways that I seek to define myself is that I like engaging with people. I have never been afraid to ask people to support causes that I am passionate about or that they might become passionate about. So, fundraising felt like a good place to actually execute some of those ideas. And can I just say, that is something that really excites me about Together TV. There is real accountability in terms of what we are trying to achieve. Whether it is engagement or viewership, I really like that about the Together TV model, in addition to the fact that it speaks to my passion and interest in community.

Francesca: You have been on the board of Together TV from 2020. Why did you take on this role on top of your busy role at the British Red Cross?

Paul: There are two reasons. The first reason is that I was asked and it was flattering. I feel it is a real privilege to have served on the board. The second reason, and arguably the foundational reason, is that Together TV is an entity which is driven by a passion for social change. I believe in the strength of communities and in giving people the opportunity to make connections. 

I love the high-quality content that we procure, broadcast and commission. Initiatives like Together TV’s Diverse Film Fund, which is about giving voices to people who are underrepresented and otherwise struggle to be heard, are just so inspirational to me. 

Francesca: What do you think of the role that Together TV plays in the media ecology?

Paul: For me, what defines Together TV is the social purpose in the not-for-profit dimension. The delivery model is relatively unique and I feel that in a fragmented media ecosystem an entity such as Together TV becomes even more important. 

Francesca: So that our readers can get to know you better, in another life what job might you have chosen? 

Paul: I probably would have been a defence lawyer. I'm very conscious that there are loads of people who don't have a voice or and are not represented or poorly represented. 

Francesca: I end each interview with a “pass it on” question provided by the previous guest without knowing who would be interviewed next – they asked: If you had to pick, which time and place other than your own would you like to live?

Paul: I would have liked to live in America in the 1960s, during the civil rights movement. I am currently reading a book about the impact of slavery in America and what emerges is the strength of anybody who was committed to social justice at that time. It was a time of real change, resistance, advocacy and courage, to have been part of that or to have witnessed that, would have been incredibly inspiring. 

You can learn more about the people in need that the British Red Cross are helping on their website. Revisit other editions of ‘Spilling the T’ to discover the bold happenings at Channel 4 with their Head of Media, Jennifer Carey. Or, ITV’s Commissioning Director, Satmohan Panesar discuss ITV’s latest social responsibility priorities.

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