The board of trustees is delighted to announce the appointment of policy leader and economist Gavin Kelly as the new Chief Executive of the Nuffield Foundation.
Gavin is currently Executive Chair of the Resolution Foundation and Chief Executive of the Resolution Trust. Over the last 25 years, Gavin has worked across a wide range of economic and social policy areas. He was Chief Executive of Resolution Foundation between 2010 and 2015, and before this worked in Whitehall for over a decade. He was Deputy Chief of Staff at No 10 Downing Street, a member of the Council of Economic Advisors at HM Treasury, and a senior civil servant in the Department for Education and at the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit where he was Deputy Director.
In addition, Gavin is Chair of the Living Wage Commission, which sets the UK and London real Living Wage rates, and a board member of the Orwell Foundation and Political Quarterly. He will take up his position at the Foundation in January 2025.
Chair of the Nuffield Foundation trustees Sir Keith Burnett said:
“I am delighted that Gavin Kelly will take up the role of Chief Executive of the Nuffield Foundation in January next year. Gavin has an outstanding track record of leadership in public policy and in government, and we feel confident he will be a tremendous asset to our work at a crucial moment of challenge and opportunity. The Nuffield Foundation has worked in impactful ways to improve people’s lives, jobs, education, and justice for over 80 years, and our collaboration with researchers, policymakers, and practitioners brings evidence to complex issues. As new challenges have arisen, from AI to an ageing population, we have risen to those too.
Now with the election of a new government focused on renewal and social justice, a trusted and independent organisation such as the Nuffield Foundation has an especially important contribution to make. Working with our expert trustees, directors, and subject specialists, as well as academics and practitioners, Gavin will lead an organisation united by a shared sense of purpose to help create a better and more equitable society.”
I’ve long admired the role that the Nuffield Foundation plays in backing research and innovation that improves lives in so many different ways, so I’m greatly honoured to be appointed as Chief Executive. Throughout my career – both in government and in the wider research and policy community – I’ve seen first-hand the power of evidence to transform policy and practice for the better. I’m excited about the role that the Nuffield Foundation can play in the years ahead supporting and pioneering work that will help the country address key social, economic, and technological challenges. I’m looking forward to getting started in January and working closely with trustees and the staff.Gavin Kelly
Sir Keith added:
“I would also like to again extend my sincere thanks to Tim Gardam who has been a thoughtful and transformational leader over the last eight years. The Foundation is highly respected for its contribution to crucial areas for the future of society, and I know we will benefit from his dedication to that endeavour for years to come.”
The Nuffield Foundation is an independent charitable trust established in 1943 by William Morris, Lord Nuffield, with a mission to advance educational opportunity and social well-being. We are the founder and co-funder of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory and the Ada Lovelace Institute.
