After a thorough process involving consideration of a wide range of candidates, the Big Society Capital Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Stephen Muers as Chief Executive Officer with effect from 1 May.
Stephen has been at Big Society Capital since 2016, working for four years as Head of Strategy and Market Development and more recently as interim CEO since May 2020. During this time, Stephen has led on the organisation’s strategy planning, building strong relationships across Big Society Capital’s range of stakeholders, from the social and public sectors to institutional investors and latterly leading the organisation in its response to the pandemic.
Stephen joined Big Society Capital from the Civil Service, where he held the post of Director, Criminal Justice Policy, and before that, senior posts in the Cabinet Office and Department for Energy and Climate Change.
Stephen is a Trustee of Fair Trials International, the global criminal justice watchdog, and Chair of Trustees for Friends Provident Foundation, an independent charity making grants and using its endowment towards a fair and sustainable economic system that serves society.
Stephen’s appointment comes at an important time for Big Society Capital, ahead of the launch of its new strategy later this year. Having been instrumental in developing the new strategy, Stephen is ideally placed to lead the organisation into the next stage of its development.
Sir Harvey McGrath, Chair of Big Society Capital, commented:
“Big Society Capital’s Board wholeheartedly backs Stephen’s appointment as CEO. He has shown great leadership throughout the last year, taking the helm at a difficult and critical time. We are confident that under Stephen’s direction, Big Society Capital can deliver for all stakeholders in helping to build the social impact investment market to tackle social issues.”
Stephen Muers, Chief Executive, Big Society Capital added:
“It is an honour and privilege to lead Big Society Capital, a unique and exceptional organisation. During my five years here, and especially in the last year as interim CEO, I have learned how much difference can be made to some of the biggest issues facing UK society if investment capital is connected to the right organisations in the right way. We are at a huge moment of opportunity to grow that impact many times over and improve more people’s lives. I am looking forward to working with the fantastic team here at Big Society Capital, as well as our wide range of stakeholders, to seize that opportunity and take social impact investing to a new level.”
ENDS-
Notes to Editors
Media contact
Caroline Hailstone
M 07885 879 500
E chailstone@bigsocietycapital.com
About Big Society Capital
Big Society Capital exists to improve the lives of people in the UK through social impact investing. We unite ideas, expertise and capital to create investment solutions for the UK's social challenges, supporting organisations that deliver both positive social impact and sustainable financial returns. So far, we have helped channel £2.2 billion* into investments tackling a wide range of problems such as homelessness, mental ill health and childhood obesity.
To widen access to social impact investing, we have partnered with Schroders, a global asset and wealth manager, to launch the listed Schroder BSC Social Impact Trust plc. As the portfolio manager, we provide investors with high impact investments that contribute to solutions to social challenges alongside targeting long-term capital growth and income.
Further information about Big Society Capital can be found atwww.bigsocietycapital.com
*As at 31 December 2020