Welcoming our new Chair

We are delighted to announce Debu Purkayastha will join our board of Trustees as Chair from September 2021.

Debu brings a wealth of global experience from senior roles across both technology and financial sectors in the US, UK, Europe, and Asia including executive positions in venture capital, private equity, mergers and acquisitions, and business development, as well as tech incubators and start-ups. In addition, Debu holds a broad range of non-executive positions across the NHS, academia, and international NGOs.

Debu is the Managing Partner at 3rd Eye, a UK-based venture capital and private equity firm. Previously, Debu spent almost six years at Google, spearheading its corporate M&A/corporate development, investment, and business development efforts globally and thereafter was Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Octopus Investments, one of the largest venture capital firms in Europe.

Debu sits on the boards of University of Cambridge/Cambridge Enterprise as well as University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, one of the largest NHS hospital trusts in the UK, and until very recently was on the board of global humanitarian NGO, Mercy Corps. He is also a member of several advisory boards including at consumer giant Unilever and London Business School.

When he joins in September 2021, Debu will succeed Wol Kolade CBE, who steps down after six years chairing our board.

Debu added: “I look forward to working with the team and the board, taking forward Wol’s remarkable legacy to deliver on the Foundation’s ambitions for the future.”

“Debu brings an entrepreneurial spirit and expertise from working with some of the world’s leading companies, hospitals and NGOs. His experience in scaling up organisations will be invaluable as we continue our growth as a Foundation and I am hugely excited to welcome him to our board”, said our Chief Executive, Kieron Boyle.

“I also want to thank Wol for his considered leadership and contribution to the Foundation over the past decade and especially during the unprecedented challenges brought about by the global pandemic. His vision, commitment and passion for addressing health inequalities has been inspirational.”

Reflecting on his tenure, Wol said “It has been a privilege to serve as Chair of the Foundation’s board, working closely with a truly talented and compassionate group of colleagues. I have every confidence that, in the hands of the fantastic team and with Debu’s leadership, the Foundation will continue to grow its impact and ability to address health inequalities and help build a healthier society.”