(2 minute read)
Published: 3 February 2023
Written by: Sufina Ahmad, Director
John Ellerman Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Lily Tomson as our new Trustee, with a specialist interest in and experience of finance and investing. Lily joins the Board this month.
Lily works as a Senior Research Associate at Jesus College, University of Cambridge, where she is leading a feasibility study to build an anti-greenwash corporate bond index that explores more ambitious approaches to index construction. Her role combines research and practical engagement with investors across capital markets to drive rapid and just decarbonisation. Alongside this role, Lily is a Non-Executive Director for Positive Money and a Trustee and the New Economy Lead for New Economy Organisers Network. She also provides pro bono advice and coaching to various responsible investment initiatives.
Lily previously worked at the responsible investment charity ShareAction, where she was Head of the Networks team and led work supporting asset owners to set bold standards and hold the wider industry to account. Whilst at ShareAction, she also undertook a part-time role with the Department for Work and Pensions, during which she launched the Occupational Pensions Stewardship Council, a community of schemes with combined assets of over £550bn and a commitment to promote and facilitate high standards of stewardship.
John Ellerman Foundation’s Strategy for 2022-25 and Investment Policy make a clear commitment to ensuring that our endowment is not invested in businesses and markets that contradict the work that we support through our grantmaking – especially in terms of our environmental work, specifically work relating to mitigating the impacts of the climate and biodiversity crises. This requires thoughtful and innovative engagement with our fund managers and sector peers, a greater commitment to impact investing and a clearer understanding of our time horizon and investing decisions relating to this. Our investing, alongside our grantmaking in the arts, social action and environment are all vital in pursuit of our aim to advance wellbeing for people, society and the natural world. Lily brings both enthusiasm and expertise that will be a great support to our ability to deliver our work.
Lily is joined on the Board by seven other Trustees, ably led by Foundation Chair, Peter Kyle CBE.
Peter Kyle CBE, Foundation Chair, said, “We received much interest in this role from an exceptional field of candidates – many offering a deep understanding of finance and investment markets, as well as our grantmaking priority areas. We are deeply committed to being a responsible investor through our endowment, and recognise its importance in ensuring that we are doing good with 100% of our assets. Lily’s expertise and experience will support us to make much more progress in these areas.”
Lily Tomson said “In this moment of multiple and systemic crises for people, society and the natural world, it is a huge honour to be joining a Foundation willing to think so bravely about its purpose and contribution. I am especially looking forward to working with the team and Board on a responsible investment approach commensurate to the scale of the challenge.”