The Nuffield Foundation has appointed Matt Whittaker to the newly created senior leadership role of Executive Director for Research, Grants and Programmes.
Matt joins from PBE, a think tank that uses economics to improve lives, where he has been Chief Executive.
He will play a key role in shaping and delivering the Foundation’s research priorities, leading its grants and programmes team and working closely with the wider leadership. Matt will take up the role in late September.
A leading social policy analyst, Matt brings more than 20 years of experience working across some of the UK’s most significant social and economic issues.
Before joining PBE, he was Chief Economist at the Resolution Foundation where he helped steer its influential research programme on a wide range of policy areas. Matt has also worked in private sector consultancy and in Parliament.
Matt said: “The Nuffield Foundation sits behind some of the very best social policy research in the UK and helps decision makers to improve the lives of individuals and communities across the entire country. It already supports a better Britain and, guided by the new strategy introduced last year, it has the potential to deliver even more. I’m excited to help the organisation meet that potential.
“Having worked at the intersection of research and policy for more than two decades, I understand the vital role funders play in shaping agendas and supporting innovation. I’m looking forward to working with colleagues at Nuffield to meet the many challenges the country faces by supporting rigorous, impactful evidence to underpin policymaking.”
Gavin Kelly, Chief Executive of the Nuffield Foundation, said: “Matt joins the Foundation at an important moment as we advance our new strategic direction, focusing on the key social challenges facing the country. His wide-ranging experience of using evidence to illuminate and tackle some of the issues of our age will be invaluable to Nuffield.”
We look forward to welcoming Matt to the Foundation.
