‘Civil war’ within Oxfam GB as CEO exit triggers board review

Oxfam GB’s board has announced an independent review of its own processes following the departure of former chief executive Halima Begum, as scrutiny intensifies over governance, transparency, and how allegations were handled at one of the U.K.’s largest aid charities. In a statement released on Jan. 9, Oxfam said the review will be led by a “senior external lawyer” and will be overseen by trustees on the charity’s governance committee, with fact-finding conducted independently. Oxfam said the review will not revisit the board’s decision to end Begum’s employment, but will “establish an accurate picture of events.” But a senior Oxfam source who was interviewed as part of the all review by employment investigation firm Howlett Brown — which led to Begum’s departure — questioned whether the new review would be sufficient to rebuild confidence internally. “The most obvious governance failure we have at the moment is that the board gets to decide who now investigates them,” the source told Devex in an interview. “At a time when there are serious questions about the board’s own suitability for office, it is hard for staff to see how trust can be restored without stronger external intervention.” The source said the organization had become “so dysfunctional that it’s become a kind of civil war within Oxfam.” The board review will also assess whether trustees acted in line with their duties and policies following the former CEO’s departure, “and if relevant, prior to that,” Oxfam said. The charity added that it intends to share a summary of findings with “relevant stakeholders” in due course. Development sector figures say the controversy reflects broader challenges for large NGOs. John Shotton, a development professional who has worked closely with Oxfam staff over many years, said concerns about leadership and internal dissatisfaction were being discussed within sector networks before the story became public. “This didn’t come out of nowhere,” Shotton said. “Quite clearly, things were being done that were not being appreciated by a very significant number of people. But an organization that’s on top of its governance should be aware of that before it reaches this point.” Shotton said views on Begum’s leadership appeared sharply divided — with some staff supportive of the pace and direction of change and others feeling insufficiently consulted — and argued the board’s handling has intensified governance concerns. “This should never have come to what it came to,” he said. “That points to issues in the relationship between the board and the organization as a whole.” A spokesperson for the U.K.’s charity regulator, The Charity Commission, has confirmed in a statement that Oxfam GB submitted a serious incident report relating to its leadership and that the regulator is actively engaging with trustees to determine any appropriate regulatory steps. Oxfam said Jan Oldfield, its chief supporter officer for more than four years, has agreed to lead the charity as acting CEO “until longer term arrangements can be put in place,” with further details to be announced “in due course.” A senior Oxfam source said staff were uncertain how long the acting CEO role would last. “We’re effectively leaderless at the moment,” the source said. Devex understands that concerns about Begum’s leadership were raised by colleagues across the organization over the course of 2025. In an email to Devex, Oxfam said trustees held an extraordinary meeting on Oct. 24 to discuss concerns about Begum’s leadership, prior to Begum launching a whistleblower complaint on Oct. 29 against the then-chair, Charles Gurassa, who has been chair of Oxfam GB since 2020. Oxfam has said Gurassa recused himself from all matters relating to both the CEO review and the grievance against him. The charity said the board subsequently approved and appointed Howlett Brown to examine the staff concerns in November. Oxfam said 32 people were interviewed, including 13 suggested by Begum. On the basis of that independent review, Oxfam said the board “unanimously decided there had been an irretrievable breakdown” in its trust and confidence in Begum, and that her ongoing employment was untenable. Gurassa stepped down as chair on Nov. 27, and Oxfam announced that Annie Hudson and Nana Afadzinu would act as interim cochairs. Questions have been raised inside Oxfam about how staff concerns were characterized during the Howlett Brown review process. A widely reported anonymous letter — allegedly signed by 70 people and sent to the board in October — raised issues about leadership and governance at Oxfam in general terms, rather than focusing solely on Begum, according to people familiar with its contents. “There’s been a tendency to describe that letter as being ‘about Halima,’” the senior Oxfam source told Devex. “It wasn’t. It was about the entire senior leadership team — and it’s been weaponised in a way that feels deeply unfair.” Oxfam has not published the letter or commented publicly on how it was weighed within the review process. Oxfam has also not published the Howlett Brown report and did not respond to questions from Devex about whether Begum was given a chance to respond. According to Emma Walker, a third sector consultant and director of Change The Chat UK, an organization supporting women navigating toxic workplace culture, the Oxfam case underscores how difficult it is for boards to maintain internal confidence in external reviews into senior leaders when the remit and methodology are not shared with staff. “Transparency about remit and process — and confidence that the subject has had a fair chance to respond — are critical,” she told Devex. “Where staff experience the process as opaque, trust can deteriorate quickly.” Some sector voices have framed the episode within wider debates about race in international NGOs. According to Lena Bheeroo, a committee member of the #CharitySoWhite campaign group and a working group member of The Racial Equity Index, there is a “clear pattern” in the charity and international development sectors where “women of colour are brought in to lead organisations through crisis, then punished when they name racism or challenge power.” “Internal processes are described as neutral, but whose concerns are believed is deeply shaped by race,” she said. Matthew Johnson, CEO of Race on the Agenda, also intimated that racism and misogyny had played a role in Begum’s departure, posting on LinkedIn that the former CEO had “inherited a deeply challenging situation” at Oxfam of “financial and internal instability, including acknowledged problems with systemic and structural racism.” Oxfam has acknowledged it operates in a world where racism and racial injustice persist, adding that it knows there is more work to do on inclusion, equity, and culture.