Battersea Dogs & Cats Home appoints new director of finance

Battersea Dogs & Cats Home has appointed Jeni Graham as the charity’s new director of finance and corporate services.

Graham will join the well-known animal welfare organisation in August, where she will lead the finance, legacies, IT and facilities teams. She will also be responsible for governance, risk and compliance.

“I want to warmly welcome Jeni to Battersea,” said chief executive Claire Horton. “She joins us at a significant time in our development and given her extensive and wide ranging financial and company secretary experience, I am confident she will be a tremendous asset to the home.

“The depth of specialist knowledge she offers, from her work with other charities and the private sector, will be invaluable to our staff, volunteers and, of course, our animals.”

Graham has more than 25 years’ experience across the third sector, higher education and the public and private sectors, and has also worked internationally.

Most recently, she was director of corporate resources and organisational development and company secretary at Relate, and previously she worked for Compassion in World Farming, where her responsibilities included finance, HR, IT and their European offices.

“I’m really looking forward to joining such a successful charity and this will be an exciting opportunity for me to play a key part in the senior leadership team,” Graham said. “Everybody knows and loves Battersea and it enjoys an enviable reputation across the country and beyond.”

Graham studied law at Edinburgh University before qualifying as a CA (ICAS). She is also a chartered tax adviser and a member of the Institute of Directors.

“As we welcome Jeni, I would like to sincerely thank Howard Beeston, who has made a tremendous and very discernible contribution over the past eight months as interim finance director,” Horton added. “Jeni is stepping into big shoes and I’m sure she will do so effortlessly.”