Emma Davies appointed as new Chief Investment Officer
17 April 2023
With extensive private and third sector experience, Emma will drive our mission to create a healthier society for all, alongside generating attractive financial returns.
We are welcoming Emma Davies to the Foundation as our new Chief Investment Officer to manage our £1 billion charitable endowment for health impact.
As Chief Investment Officer, Emma will be responsible for implementing the investment strategy for the Foundation’s £1 billion endowment which is made up of a diversified portfolio of investments, land and other properties. The Foundation’s overarching Endowment strategy aims to make investments that deliver long term and sustainable financial returns as well as positive health outcomes.
Emma will lead a team of specialists across the endowment portfolio, supporting their work to embed the Foundation’s mission to build a healthier society into investment policy. The Foundation’s commitment to use its assets to generate positive health impact includes the £100 million allocation to impact investments announced last year, one of the largest ever allocations made by any UK based charitable Foundation.
Emma Davies, incoming Chief Investment Officer, Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation said:
I am very pleased to be joining Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation as Chief Investment Officer. The Foundation’s mission to build the foundations of a healthier society is vital in solving the collective challenges we all face as people, societies and global community. The dual mandate the Foundation sets for its endowment to drive financial returns and health impact is ambitious, and exciting. It’s leading the way for foundations and mainstream investors in showing how we can all contribute to building a healthier society. I am looking forward to working with the Foundation to realise this shared vision.
Emma Davies, Chief Investment Officer
Emma will also drive progress towards the Foundation’s commitment to become a more responsible investor across all key ESG factors, as well as further its wider sector and peer group engagement.
Emma brings a wealth of cross-sector experience to the Foundation from previous roles at JP Morgan, Perry Capital, The Wellcome Trust, Marylebone Partners and as the founding Chief Investment Officer at Big Society Capital. Most recently Emma co-led the team at Octopus Ventures. She helped launch the Octopus Future Generations Venture Capital Trust which invests in businesses that support sustainability, improved societal outcomes and measurable health impact. Emma is passionate about DEI and championed internal policies within Octopus Ventures as well as sector wide initiatives aimed at improving DEI outcomes in the early stage investment ecosystem.
Emma holds an MA from the University of Oxford and an MSc from London School of Economics.
