Campaign Leadership

Dr. Susan Liautaud is Founder and Managing Director of Susan Liautaud & Associates Limited, an ethics advisory firm supporting global organisations and leaders in business, government, and the non-profit sector. She is also founder of The Ethics Incubator, a non-profit platform for broadening debate about ethics issues. She serves as Chair of Council of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and as Vice Chair of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). Her past professional experience includes international corporate, financial, and transactional law at Sullivan & Cromwell in Paris and New York.

Larry Kramer has been President and Vice Chancellor of the London School of Economics and Political Science 1 April 2024. Previously, he served as President of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation from 2012-24, and before that spent most of his career in the academy, most recently as the 15th Dean of Stanford Law School. Larry has taught and researched American law and legal history at several top universities, and was a law clerk of the Supreme Court of the United States following his education. He serves as board chair of iCivics and has been a director on the boards of numerous nonprofit organisations.

Ben Plummer-Powell joined LSE in February 2018, where he serves as a member of the LSE leadership team (SMC), and has strategic oversight for philanthropy, alumni engagement, corporate engagement, international strategy and global academic partnerships. Ben travels extensively, representing LSE globally and working extensively with LSE’s global community of alumni, partners and friends. Ben leads on the School's most significant philanthropic opportunities and global partnerships. Ben is also Chair of the LSE International Strategy Board, Campaign Ambassadors and the Ross Group, and is a member of the CASE Europe Council.

Julia Black is Strategic Director of Innovation and Professor of Law at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Julia joined LSE as a lecturer in 1994, having completed her first degree in Jurisprudence and her DPhil at Oxford University. She was LSE’s Pro Director of Research from 2014-19 and interim Director of LSE from 2016-17. She is also Director of Zinc, a social sciences and mission-based incubator, and is President of the British Academy, the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences.

Vincent is a private investor. He was previously a senior executive and director of New World Development (China) Ltd., Deutsche Securities Asia Ltd., and Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China Ltd., among others. In the early 1990s, Vincent co-managed three direct investment funds with global institutional investors to build one of the largest real estate and infrastructure investment portfolios in China for New World Development Co. Ltd.. He was also one of the early investors in Chinese financial institutions and global technology icons. In his youth, Vincent won a full undergraduate scholarship to study Monetary Economics at LSE. He is an Honorary Fellow of the LSE, an Elizabeth Wordsworth Fellow of St Hugh’s College, University of Oxford, and a council member of the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups.

In 1988, Firoz co-founded Zones Inc. a Seattle-based, award-winning global provider of IT products and solutions to businesses. In addition to Zones, Firoz owns the Fana Group of Companies, a real estate investment organisation in the United States and Canada. Firoz is Chair of the LSE North American Advisory Board and the Lalji family are longstanding and generous supporters of the School, having first endowed a master's degree scholarship in 2009 for students from Uganda. In 2012, they launched the Programme for African Leadership (PfAL) at LSE and in June 2016, the Lalji Family Foundation endowed the Firoz Lalji Centre for Africa at LSE to foster African leadership, academic excellence and a commitment to the transformative power of research and teaching from LSE, alumni and partners in Africa. In June 2021, the Centre became the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa to expand and build upon the Centre's objectives.

Having founded Markit in 2003, in 2016 Lance jointly led the merger of equals between IHS and Markit, becoming Chairman and CEO of IHS Markit in January 2018. Since the merger, the company has grown revenues at a CAGR of 12% and in 2020 had revenues of $4.3 billion. In November 2020 the company announced it had agreed to merge with S&P Global at a market capitalization of approximately $39 billion. He was the UK EY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2012 and won the Outstanding Alumni Award, 2014 at Simon Fraser. Lance has pledged £23.4 million to create The Uggla Family Scholarship Programme in perpetuity. The Programme is designed to provide financial support within a holistic programme that will aid students’ personal growth and development. 

David Beecken is the founder and Managing Director of Beecken Petty O’Keefe & Company Healthcare Private Equity. David sits on LSE’s North American Advisory Board and is a generous supporter of the School. He and his wife Kitty made an endowment gift in support of LSE’s Faith Centre and LSE’s Faith and Leadership Programme. On supporting the Faith Centre, David commented, “We are proud to support this work which we hope is sowing the seeds of a more peaceful future.”

Founder, investor and leading advisor on China’s dynamic technology and consumer sectors, Duncan is a recognized expert on the Internet and entrepreneurship in China. He has lived and worked in Beijing and Shanghai for more than 20 years. Duncan is chairman of BDA China, a company he founded in 1994 after working as an investment banker with Morgan Stanley in London and Hong Kong. BDA is an advisory firm serving investors in high growth companies in the technology and consumer sectors in China and other Asian markets. BDA employs over 85 mainland Chinese professionals in Beijing.

Jules was part of the management team that founded Ashmore Group plc in 1999. It went on to become one of the largest specialist institutional investors in the emerging markets field. Jules and his family have always been hugely supportive of LSE. Jules and his wife Susan have pledged to kickstart a fundraising drive for 100 African Scholarships at LSE. Jules said, “With this pledge we aim to galvanise existing philanthropic partnerships, energy and focus within Africa and look to develop a Community aligned with the concept of “A Step Here for a Change There”.

Dr Musimbi Kanyoro is an Independent Member of LSE Council, as well as Board Chair of United World Colleges and the Women's Learning Partnership. Musimbi was President and CEO of Global Fund for Women from 2011-19. She devotes her time to serving on boards and to mentoring the next generation of women leaders, with a special focus on African women. She is globally recognised for her leadership of organisations and initiatives that advance women’s and girls’ human rights, and philanthropy for communities.

Kathleen is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Queen Anne's Gate Capital Management, a consulting firm focused on global macro and commodity markets research. She has spent over 25 years in global macro research and portfolio management after beginning her career as an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Kathleen holds a BA in economics from Smith College and General Course degree from LSE. She serves on a number of non-for-profit boards, including LSE’s North American Advisory Board, and is a co-founder of High Water Women, a non-profit organisation focused on the economic empowerment of women and youth.

Richard Nesbitt is an Adjunct Professor of the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. Richard is now based in London, where he is Chair of The Inclusion Initiative at LSE. In June 2017, he published a book (with Barbara Annis) titled “Results at the Top” on the issue of men’s responsibility for gender diversity to improve their organisations (Wiley 2017). He said, "Equity, inclusivity and diversity enrich all of those involved with LSE. Over the years we have seen our school constantly evolving and now leading in this work. The Inclusion Initiative at LSE is producing cutting-edge research and training to create inclusive leaders and build better organisations.”

After an MSc in Planning Studies, Richard conducted research into integrating US and UK transport innovations. Richard founded Commuter Check Services Corp which reduced commuter fares by 40% in the US. Through the Oram-Stott Schlusche Scholarships, Oram Diamond Fund, and Leslie and Richard Oram Fund, he supports the Regional and Urban Planning Studies (RUPS) programme. Richard said, “The inspiration, support and encouragement I received at LSE was central to the impact I had.”

John Phelan serves on LSE’s North American Advisory Board. John and his wife Amy are longstanding supporters of the School and their most recent gift in April 2021 for $10 million was to endow the US Center and to foster its commitment to outstanding scholarship, teaching and public engagement on US affairs. On supporting the US Centre, John commented, “LSE’s unique capacity to convene the world by engaging audiences on campus and around the world captivated me when I was a student at the School and still resonates now. The US Centre exemplifies that approach today and I am delighted to be able to support its future.”

Alison is an experienced non-executive director in financial services, technology, sport, education and property sectors. She is an expert in corporate brand and reputation, strategic marketing and communications. Her focus is on corporate character, diversity of thought, technology, inclusion, and culture. Alison said, "We donated to the digitisation of the library because I’m a huge fan of people not being geographically or physically limited. I want people to be able to access the library wherever they are in the world and whatever their ability."

Lutfey is an Adjunct Professor at the National University of Singapore and a Visiting Professor-in-Practice at LSE IDEAS. Lutfey was recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2012 where he has served on global future councils since 2014. He is a member of the governing boards of UWC Atlantic and ShareAction. As an emeritus governor, Lutfey is a prolific connector, convenor and catalyst for resources and collaboration between LSE academics and the practitioner community. His philanthropic ‘theory of change’ involves expanding access to LSE’s insights to communities outside of universities – to empower them to shape the future.

Manny is the Founder of Kingsway Capital, an investment firm focusing on frontier emerging markets. Kingsway's venture capital strategy focuses on the disruptive impact of crypto or digital assets, which have become an important tool for financial inclusion globally, but of particular importance across the firm's core markets. Manny studied Economics at LSE, where he was awarded the Stelios Scholarship, and was a recipient of the German National Merit Award. He serves on the Board of the Sohn Conference Foundation London and created the LSE Pass The Torch Scholarship for underprivileged students in 2016.

Marvelle is the founder and CEO of MCo, a firm that partners and invests in breakthrough innovation opportunities that are poised for transformational growth. Prior to founding MCo, Marvelle was a Managing Director at J.P. Morgan and the Global Head of M&A of Novartis. Marvelle holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law and a MSc from LSE. She is a Board member of Baron Capital and LSE’s North American Advisory Board.

Dame Rosanna Wong has a distinguished record of public service, both as a politician and as a social administrator. Her passion for young people continues as she is currently engaged in international and bilingual education across Asia. In 1982, she was awarded the Commonwealth Scholarship, studying Social Policy and Planning at LSE.

Chenning Zhao has a long and distinguished career in finance and investment in China and around the world. He was a co-founder and manager director of FountainInvest Partners. More recently he is working on a series of investments in the area of new technology and start-ups. He has created an endowed gift towards PhD scholarships for students from China to "alleviate talented Chinese students’ financial anxiety and give them confidence and a platform to pursue their academic interests wholeheartedly.”