Oxfam chief forced to step down after accusations of bullying

The chief executive of Oxfam GB has been forced out by the charity’s board after an independent review found “serious issues” with her behaviour and decision making.

Dr Begum had faced accusations of bullying, which her allies at the charity described as “absurd”.

The organisation’s trustees decided Dr Halima Begum’s position was “untenable” because of an “irretrievable breakdown in its trust and confidence” in her ability to do the job.

About 70 members of staff had signed a letter calling for Oxfam to investigate Dr Begum’s conduct, with several employees said to have resigned after falling out with her, the Times reported.

Dr Begum had been in the role for almost two years. The BBC has contacted her for comment.

In a statement, Oxfam confirmed the review was commissioned by its board of trustees to examine “concerns raised about the leadership, conduct and approach” of Dr Begum. The review was carried out by legal firm Howlett Brown between November and December 2025, drawing on testimony from 32 current and former Oxfam colleagues, as well as documentary evidence.

Findings showed “serious issues in the CEO’s leadership behaviour and her decision making, including breaches of organisational processes and values, and inappropriate interference into safeguarding and integrity investigations”. The decision to discharge Dr Begum from her role was passed last week, and she has already left the organisation.

The role of acting chief executive will be taken up by Jan Oldfield, Oxfam’s chief supporter officer for more than four years. Acting co-chairs of Oxfam GB, Nana Afadzinu and Dame Annie Hudson, said their priority going forward was to provide “stability” for staff and “rebuild confidence” across the organisation.

Dr Begum’s departure comes after a difficult year for Oxfam. Financial figures released earlier this month showed profits from its shops had dropped by two thirds over the past three years. The charity also made 250 of its 2,100 UK staff redundant earlier this year to save £10.2m from its wage bill.

At the time, Dr Begum said the decline was due to the charity’s work taking place “against a backdrop of deep uncertainty, rising inflation and a cost-of-living crisis”.