Nesta, the global innovation foundation, is pleased to announce that Ravi Gurumurthy has joined as its new Chief Executive.

Gurumurthy follows Geoff Mulgan, who left Nesta at the end of 2019. He joins Nesta from the International Rescue Committee in New York where he was the Chief Innovation Officer and founder of the Airbel Center.

Ravi Gurumurthy said, "The UK in the 2020s faces major challenges - from weak productivity and an ageing society, to building social cohesion and tackling climate change. But the potential for breakthrough innovation exists if we rethink how we use our people, data and money. Nesta is uniquely positioned to generate and grow new solutions by bringing together expertise, networks and resources."

Ravi joins Nesta as it builds on its work of tackling the big challenges of our time, from the frontiers of personalised healthcare to stretched public services and a fast-changing job market.

Working both nationally and globally in partnership with foundations, governments and businesses, Nesta invests over £40m a year researching and scaling innovations that change the world for good.

Notes to Editor

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About Ravi Gurumurthy:

• Ravi Gurumurthy joins Nesta from the International Rescue Committee, where he was responsible for designing, testing and scaling products and services for people affected by crisis in over 40 countries, from reducing acute malnutrition to expanding employment for refugees.
• Prior to joining the International Rescue Committee in 2013, Ravi held a number of roles in the UK Government, including Director of Strategy at the Department of Energy and Climate Change and strategic advisor to the Foreign Secretary. During this period, Ravi led a number of major social and environmental reforms including the development of the world’s first legally binding carbon emissions targets and the integration of children’s services.
• Ravi has also worked as a researcher at the think-tank Demos and in local government in London.

About Nesta:

Nesta is a global innovation foundation. For us, innovation means turning bold ideas into reality and changing lives for the better.

We use our expertise, skills and funding in areas where there are big challenges facing society. We've spent over 20 years working out the best ways to make change happen through research and experimenting, and we've applied that to our work in innovation policy, health, education, government innovation and the creative economy and arts.

Nesta is based in the UK and supported by a financial endowment. We work with partners around the globe to bring bold ideas to life to change the world for good.

Nesta is a registered charity in England and Wales 1144091 and Scotland SC042833