Asked to MC retiring boss's party after being passed over for her role

No. Fuck them. Get the person that got the job to do it

Idealist3, what have you decided to do?

They want you to continue soaking up all the extra work, don’t do it.

Dont offer to do anything, feel free to decline work when it doesn’t suit.

When the new CEO flails around, dont step in, leave the silence.

plan a new exit strategy

100%. Far from realising that they’d made a mistake, they’ll be delighted that you’re still doing the dogsbody work.

Go on your holiday and leave them to it!

You are not good enough to do the job, so you are not good enought to MC, either. The person who took the position must do it, or it won't get done. That is all.

Exactly.

Being MC won't make the Board see they made a mistake at all. They will just see they can treat her any old way and she'll suck it up. She even said herself she never says no. That's people pleasing and that's not CEO behaviour, that's subordinate behaviour.

I think the advice from @ACynicalDad is really great career wise.

Not unreasonable to feel like this but do it. Be witty, be charming. Let them see their mistake. Fuckers.

This.
Wouldn't dream of doing.
Drop the rope in work completely.
Start looking around.
Dont be used for the handover to the new boss.
Consider taking leave if it helps.

What have you decided to do?
I'm very invested in this chat.
If you do the MC-ing, I think it will be very easy to slip back into doing over and above your role. It will need you to constantly say No, where as if you make a stand now they might think twice about their expectations of you going forward. Use your extra time to get up to speed on the funding side of things if this is your weakness, then look for other opportunities. Good luck!

Best advice on this thread. Use the time you're not working outside your paid hours to increase your professional knowledge

MC for a retirement do sounds very formal and therefore probably something for one of the big bosses.

If you feel this strongly about it, and why wouldn’t you, book a holiday. If you are not there you can’t do it and your employer will have to make other arrangements. No explanations, or drama. - just do your own thing.

This, this and this. All day long.

I’m sorry you didn’t get the job OP.
As I see it you have 3 choices - do it, say no to doing it, or book time away from work so you can’t.
I’m in the say No camp on the basis that it should be MC’d by whoever your boss reports to. If this is the Board then they can pick a name out of the hat.
I suspect that if you do say yes, you’ll be left to organise and run the whole thing, which in the circumstances wouldn’t be my choice - better to let someone else have the worry.
Surfer Roma’s suggestion that you offer to pay a short personal tribute during the evening is a good one.

I remember that thread too . Never go above and beyond for an employer . Just do what you have to do. Most people get on in a company because they are liked , not because they went the extra mile.

Yes I often witnessed really good people not being promoted and it seems to me that those people are SOooo good at their job that replacing them would be more difficult so let’s get in an outsider or another more replaceable person.
Sad really 🤔

When you say you do a lot of extras, staying late etc, it reminded me of a thread last year. A woman went for a promotion and unexpectedly didn’t get it. Then she overheard someone asking the boss why she didn’t get it and the boss said something like ‘she does two peoples jobs now, if we promote her who is going to do everything she does?’ So her helpfulness worked against her. I can’t remember what she did about it though 🤔.

Is the new CEO likely to move on after a couple of years? If so, you may get a chance again. If you like the charity, and would like to stay, sounds like you need to build up your finance skills- so do that. I am not remotely surprised the interview was about finances. Get the development. Qualifications (funded by charity) and experience there - can you pivot to finance in your current role span? Sounds like you don’t have much experience in winning funding and grants, that is bread and butter I would think, so do it. And be ready either for the post when it comes up again or equip you to move elsewhere.

I agree with PP above, finance and funding is the cornerstone. IMO ‘vision’ is the fun stuff and blue sky spitballing a lot of people have skills in. What you need is delivery, and if it’s of a changed system, and for less money, then that’s showing CEO level leadership. And no, I don’t think MC is appropriate for you in light of their decision, but you should ask to say a few words in a speech yourself. That’s Csuite behaviour! Good luck.

“Sorry you didn’t get the job but please work all night at my party”.
So you don’t even get to relax and enjoy a night out.

Fully agree with everything said here.

Definitely start saying no. I bet they will expect you to support the new hire as rhey know how awesome you are. You sound bloody awesome btw. but you're giving too much of yourself for free! Which is why they were probably loathe to promote you as you are doing about 3 people's work.

This!
100%

This is a very underrated statement. I’ve never thought about this before but the last events I’ve been to, many have been emceed by women while the key note and main speakers have been men.

Right!!!?!?!?!!

You’re busy that day aren’t you?