Michael Hodgson

What were you doing before you joined the Development Office?

Before coming to Oxford, I was working for a large arts organisation in London, working on funding proposals, communications and prospect research.

Why did you move to Oxford?

The driving decision was moving out of London to somewhere with a better quality of life for my family. Oxford University is a large and well-respected organisation, so it felt like a secure move.

What does a typical day look like, in brief?

A typical day will often include helping to coordinate the research team’s due diligence activity, but it might also involve performing due diligence desk research, writing a meeting briefing for a senior colleague like the Vice-Chancellor, or identifying potential new donors for specific University projects.

What’s the best thing about working here?

The people. There is a diverse range of backgrounds and interests in the office. The work is also very varied and shifts focus all the time, which, of course, makes it more interesting.

What is the biggest challenge?

In the research team we provide a range of services to colleagues across the University, so we are always in demand! Ensuring we meet everyone’s requirements is always a challenge, but I think we manage it very well.

What has surprised you the most?

I came from an organisation where the fundraising campaign was on a much smaller scale and, whilst I knew that I was moving to a much bigger operation here, the scale of fundraising at Oxford still surprised me.

What has been the most special project you have worked on and why?

A colleague and I spent over a year designing and developing a database that now underpins a lot of the work we do in the research team. It involved a lot of close collaboration and problem solving to complete, and relied heavily on my very talented colleague’s technical expertise. I think it was a good example of teamwork, and seeing the database in action now is very satisfying.

Describe working in Development Office in three words or short phrases

What would your super power be?

Speaking multiple foreign languages fluently without having to learn them first!