SOCIAL MARKET FOUNDATION - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Research Associate at Bryant Research
Abby Couture is a Research Associate at Bryant Research. Prior to this role, she earned a Masters degree in Psychological Research from the University of Edinburgh, analysing framing effects in meatless eating attitudes, and holds a BA&Sc from McGill University in psychology and sociology. Abby has several years of research experience, including work with the Diversity Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University, Future Majority and the Kerulos Learning Institute.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Policy Advisory Board
Amy was a senior researcher at the SMF. Her research is largely focused on public policy relating to energy and net zero, education and skills, and housing. She left the SMF in 2023.
Prior to joining, Amy worked at an education charity advising on the delivery of the free schools policy and governance challenges across the academies sector. Amy holds a MSc in International and Social Public Policy from the London School of Economics and
Job Titles:
- Author
- Director of External Affairs for Social Enterprise UK
Andrew O'Brien is Director of External Affairs for Social Enterprise UK. He worked as an advisor in Parliament for a Conservative MP between 2010-2013, before joining the National Council for Voluntary Organisations as a Senior Policy Officer. Andrew then worked as Director of Policy and Engagement for Charity Finance Group, moving onto to become Director of External Affairs at Social Enterprise UK in July 2018.
As Director of External Affairs for Social Enterprise UK, Andrew represents 100,000 businesses in engaging with government and developing policies to support the growth of better ways of doing business. Andrew has researched and written extensively on tax, the voluntary sector, business reform and public procurement.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Policy Advisory Board
Olly Grender has been a Liberal Democrat Peer since 2013. Her career has spanned the world of politics, government, the voluntary and corporate sectors. She is currently the Housing Spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats in the Lords. Her Private Members Bill and campaign to ban lettings fees for tenants who rent has resulted in a change in the law. She was on the AI Select Committee in 2018 and is currently a member of the Communications and Digital Select Committee.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Policy Advisory Board
Job Titles:
- Member of the Policy Advisory Board
Bill is a former research intern at SMF, having joined in January 2022. He holds an MPhil in the Environmental Social Sciences and a BA in Politics and International Relations, both from the University of Cambridge. Previously, he worked for a local authority, researching and writing policy on various matters including alternatives to growth-based metrics of local wellbeing.
Bill's main area of knowledge lies in climate change and environmental policy, but he has wide-ranging interests in subjects including income inequality, ‘stakeholder capitalism', and the social impacts of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence. He is currently working on projects relating to access to banking and corporate social responsibility.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Policy Advisory Board
Caroline heads up the stewardship and corporate governance programme at Railpen, the in-house manager for one of the UK's largest DB schemes and responsible for managing £37bn on behalf of 350,000 members. She is also a professionally accredited pension trustee and serves as Trustee Director at the Standard Life Master Trust.
Caroline has previously won Investment Week's "Investment Woman of the Year" award and was one of Financial News' 2020 "Top 25 Rising Stars of Asset Management in Europe". She is currently Chair of NextGen, an industry organisation which seeks to promote greater diversity in the pensions and investment industry. Caroline holds a MSc from the London School of Economics in International Political Economy, where she graduated top of her year.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Policy Advisory Board
Job Titles:
- Head of the Energy and Environment at Public First
- Labour Member of Parliament for Barking
Daisy Powell-Chandler is Head of the Energy and Environment at Public First and also leads their work on reputation. Daisy has spent her career advising political parties, charities and global businesses. Daisy was a senior consultant at pollsters Populus for a number of years and worked on multiple General Election campaigns, Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliamentary elections, the No to AV campaign, Remain and the campaign to keep Scotland in the UK before setting up reputation consultancy Meyland Strategy. Daisy is the host of reputation podcast Why Everybody Hates You.
Margaret became the Labour Member of Parliament for Barking in June 1994. She has served in government, holding portfolios across education, work and pensions, business and culture. In 2010, Margaret also became the first elected Chair of the Public Accounts Committee and was also its first female Chair. Today, Margaret is the Chair of the APPG on Responsible Tax as well as the Chair for organisations in the arts and higher education.
Job Titles:
- Interim Director
- Interim Director of SMF
Dr Aveek Bhattacharya is the Interim Director of SMF, having joined as Chief Economist in September 2020. Prior to that, he was Senior Policy Analyst at the Institute of Alcohol Studies, researching and advocating for policies to reduce alcohol-related harm. He has also previously worked for OC&C Strategy Consultants, advising clients across a range of sectors including retail, consumer goods, software and services.
Aveek studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at undergraduate level, and has Master's degrees in Politics (from the University of Oxford) and Social Policy Research (from the London School of Economics). He holds a PhD in Social Policy from the London School of Economics, where his thesis compared secondary school choice in England and Scotland.
Aveek is co-editor of the book Political Philosophy in a Pandemic: Routes to a More Just Future.
Job Titles:
- Director of Bryant Research and Head of Policy for the Alternative Proteins Association
Dr Christopher Bryant is the Director of Bryant Research and Head of Policy for the Alternative Proteins Association. He has his MSc in Policy Research from the University of Bristol, and his PhD in Psychology from the University of Bath, where he focussed on public perceptions of cultivated meat. He has 7 years of experience researching consumer perceptions of alternative proteins, and has worked with alternative protein companies and animal protection nonprofits including Aleph Farms, Ivy Farms, THIS, Mercy For Animals, The Good Food Institute, and ProVeg International.
Job Titles:
- Senior Fellow
- Author
- Gambling Review and Reform: towards a New Regulatory Framework
Dr James Noyes is a Senior Fellow of the Social Market Foundation. He is the author of a number of influential think tank reports, including work on soft power, social reform and gambling regulation.
James holds degrees from the University of Cambridge and University College London, and has written a book on the destruction of cultural heritage and its relationship to state formation, The Politics of Iconoclasm. For several years he was a lecturer at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, and was a policy advisor to the former Deputy Leader of the Labour Party. James has written for a number of media outlets, including the New Statesman, The Guardian and The Critic.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Policy Advisory Board
Job Titles:
- Member of the Policy Advisory Board
Job Titles:
- Member of the Policy Advisory Board
Job Titles:
- Senior Fellow
- Director of Strategy and Performance at the Energy Systems Catapult
Guy Newey is Director of Strategy and Performance at the Energy Systems Catapult. He was previously Energy Adviser to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Greg Clark, and Special Adviser to former Energy Secretary Amber Rudd.
He has worked as Head of Policy at energy supplier, OVO Energy and Head of Environment and Energy at the think tank, Policy Exchange. Previous to that, he was a journalist with Agence France-Presse in Hong Kong and the Birmingham Mail. He has an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College, London.
He is married to Victoria and they have two children, Finn and Beatrice. He lives in Palmers Green, in North London.
Job Titles:
- Head of Events & Partnerships
Job Titles:
- Events and Office Administrator
Jake joined the SMF research team in March 2020, having previously held roles in the public and non-profit sectors. He was last employed at the Office for National Statistics and before that he worked at public service reform think tank, New Local.
Jake's research portfolio covers a wide range of policy issues, from in-work poverty to gambling, the four-day week to drug reform. Jake has appeared in various print and broadcast media including The New Statesman, The Independent, The Times, Times Radio, and BBC Radio 4.
James Kirkup was the Director of the Social Market Foundation, responsible for the overall management and work of the think-tank. He joined the SMF in 2017 after a 20-year career in journalism, most of it spent at Westminster covering government and politics. He was Political Editor and Executive Editor at the Daily Telegraph and a correspondent for The Scotsman and Bloomberg News. He is a regular columnist for publications including the Spectator and the Times, writing about politics and public policy.
James is currently a Partner at Apella Advisors.
Joe is an experienced policy professional and is the Head of Policy Consulting at WPI Economics. Before joining WPI Economics, he spent five years working in a range of roles at the Association of British Insurers - most recently as a Senior Policy Adviser in the general insurance team. During his time at the ABI, Joe led on policy development and Government engagement across a range of areas including cyber risk, work and health, and civil justice reform. Prior to the ABI, Joe worked in the communications team at the New Schools Network and before that, in the office of Andrew Jones MP. He holds a degree in in Politics and Sociology from the University of Sheffield.
John joined the Social Market Foundation in March 2023. Prior to joining the SMF, John worked at the Centre for Cities, where he conducted research on topics including transport policy, devolution and the geography of the innovation economy. He holds a BA Hons in economics from the University of Manchester.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Policy Advisory Board
John joined the Intergenerational Foundation in October 2021 as an Economics Researcher. He has an undergraduate degree in History, Politics and Economics from UCL and is currently taking the Graduate Diploma in Economics at Birkbeck.
John is interested in incorporating insights from other social sciences, such as psychology and anthropology, into his economic thinking. At IF, he has conducted research on the effects of inflation on young people and the environmental impact of aviation. His other areas of interest include subjective wellbeing and wealth inequality.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Policy Advisory Board
Job Titles:
- Member of the Policy Advisory Board
Jonathan is a Senior Fellow, and has been the Migration Researcher at the Social Market Foundation since 2018. After a career as a senior legal professional in the investment world, he completed an Immigration Law LLM in 2017. He then worked for a number of organisations representing migrants in the UK, including serving on the board of a migrant rights charity, before turning his attention to analysing the opportunities and challenges for the UK that are presented by the many aspects of international migration.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Policy Advisory Board
Job Titles:
- Member of the Policy Advisory Board
Lord Norman Warner is an independent Peer and former Health Minister in the Blair Government. He was a member of the Coalition Government's Commission on Funding Social Care. He was a senior policy adviser to the Home Secretary after the 1997 Election and Chairman of the Youth Justice Board responsible for reforming the youth justice system. He has chaired government enquiries and public bodies, as well as charities. He has been a senior civil servant and worked in local government.
Job Titles:
- Senior Researcher
- Author
- SMF As Senior Researcher
Matthew Oakley joined the SMF as Senior Researcher in July 2015, he is also Director of WPI Economics. Before joining the SMF, Matthew had been Chief Economist and Head of Financial Services Policy at Which?, Head of Economics and Social Policy at Policy Exchange and an Economic Advisor at the Treasury. He has an MSc in Economics from University College London, where he specialised in labour economics and econometrics. He also led the Independent Review of Jobseeker's Allowance sanctions that reported to Parliament in 2014.
Melville Rodrigues practices as a solicitor and has been associated with the SMF for many years. On a pro-bono basis, he provides guidance on the establishment and management of various charities and other non-for-profit organisations.
In terms of policy issues, he is leading a UK funds industry campaign for a onshore professional investor fund. He has also been active with initiatives aimed at attracting pension fund and other institutional capital for UK real estate social impact projects particularly focused on the affordable housing sector. Melville is a regular contributor to the real estate press.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Policy Advisory Board
Job Titles:
- Member of the Policy Advisory Board
Niamh joined the SMF research team in August 2021, with previous roles in higher education and research on nuclear issues. Niamh holds an MA in Intelligence and International Security from King's College London, and a BA in Politics, International Relations and Irish from University College Dublin.
Job Titles:
- Senior Researcher in the Education and Skills Team at Policy Connect
Peter Wilson is a Senior Researcher in the Education and Skills team at Policy Connect, working with the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Skills, Careers & Employment, the Skills Commission, and the Higher Education Commission.
Peter was with the SMF in February and March 2023 and, although he is no longer involved with the SMF, he contributed in numerous important ways to the development of this interim report while he was. He carried out extensive desk research into the existing evidence base on fraud and the nature of victimisation, as well as designing much of the two surveys, which this paper focuses upon.
Professor Wendy Thomson CBE was appointed Chair of Trustees at the Social Market Foundation in early-2021. She is also the Vice-Chancellor of the University of London.
Born in Montreal Canada, Professor Thomson joins the SMF with a distinguished career in public service and social policy research in Canada and the United Kingdom. Her experience has combined senior roles in academia and government.
During Prime Minister, Tony Blair's second government, Professor Thomson led the Office of Public Service Reform in the Cabinet Office, and served on the advisory committees of the University of Warwick's school of local government, the University of Birmingham's INLOGOV and several think tanks. She was awarded a CBE for her work on public service reform in the 2005 New Year Honours.
In the same year, Professor Thomson was given a tenured Professorship at McGill University in Montreal when she was appointed Director of the School of Social Work and a founding member of the Centre for Research on Children and Families. The MSc in Couple and Family Therapy was established with the support of her leadership at the School.
Alongside her role at McGill, Prof Thomson continued to play an active part in public service. She was appointed to Commissions for the governments of Ontario (Commission on Child Welfare) and for Quebec (Patient-based financing of health care). International work included advising governments in Nigeria and Ghana, and working with the UNDP and OECD missions in the middle east. She was honoured by the Montreal YWCA's Women of the Year for her contribution to education.
In 2014, Professor Thomson returned to the UK to serve as Chief Executive of Norfolk County Council. She currently is the Director of London Higher and sits on the board of Universities UK, as well as the national charity Diabetes UK.
Rhiannon joined the SMF team in September 2020 after graduating with a BA in Events Management from Bournemouth University. During her time at university, she completed a placement year as a Policy and Events Intern at West London Business.
Richa is the Impact Officer at the Social Market Foundation. Richa assists the Research, Events and External Affairs functions of the SMF to ensure that the core messages, policy ideas have a greater impact on policymaking and public debate. Prior to joining, Richa graduated from the University of Warwick, with a BSc in Politics, Philosophy and Economics.
Richard joined the SMF in August 2019 as senior researcher. Before joining he was a Senior Policy Advisor at FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) with responsibility for a diverse range of small business policy issues including the small business regulatory environment, data and cyber security, crime and civil justice. Prior to FSB, Richard was a Policy Officer at the Law Society of England and Wales. He has also held policy and research roles at Which? and the Small Business Research Centre (SBRC) at Kingston University.
Richard has an LLM in law from the University of London and an MA in Global Political Economy from the University of Hull.
Job Titles:
- Senior Researcher
- Senior Researcher at the SMF
Sam is a Senior Researcher at the SMF. Before joining, he was a Senior Research Fellow at Bright Blue, where he wrote reports on a variety of topics including tax reform, self-employment and pensions policy. He has been published in a number of national media outlets including The Times, The Express and City AM. Prior to that, he worked in Parliament at the Policy Research Unit, writing research briefings for MPs. Sam studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Leeds.
Job Titles:
- Director in the Data & Modelling Team at Public First
Scott is a Director in the Data & Modelling team at Public First, with 15 years of experience in applying rigorous economic analysis to a wide range of complex issues, from alcohol duty reform to road pricing to explaining the drivers of the "Great Retirement" following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Scott's insights have been covered in publications including the Financial Times, the Sunday Times, the Guardian and the Daily Telegraph. He has appeared on BBC News, Sky News, Radio 4 and a range of other broadcast media.
Shreya is the Chief Economist at the Social Market Foundation, where she leads the organisation's economic policy work. Prior to this, she was an economist at the Institute for Public Policy Research, and a government economist. She has published research on wide range of UK domestic policy areas, and carried out debate-leading work on macroeconomics, monetary and fiscal policy, and housing and transport.
She is an advisor to Tax Justice UK, the Women's Budget Group, London YIMBY, and Taxing the Rich, as well as a spokesperson for the New Economy Organisers Network. She regularly appears in national print and broadcast media.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Policy Advisory Board
Job Titles:
- Member of the Policy Advisory Board
Job Titles:
- Member of the Policy Advisory Board
- Professor of Politics at the Queen Mary University of London
Tim is Professor of Politics at the Queen Mary University of London and Co-Director, Mile End Institute and Deputy Director, UK in a Changing Europe. He has also worked for the NHS. Tim has taught politics in universities in the UK and New Zealand. He has published several books and his media work includes writing for the Financial Times and the Guardian. He has also appeared on various BBC radio and television programmes. Tim holds BA from the University of Cambridge, Masters Degree from Northwestern University, USA and PhD from Sheffield University.
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- Managing Director of on Purpose
Tom Ebbutt is Managing Director of On Purpose, leading its work in London, Paris and Berlin. Prior to joining On Purpose Tom was the Chief Operating Officer of Ambition Institute, the country's leading school leadership development charity, and worked as a Venture Partner at Ark Ventures, supporting the growth of high-impact social purpose organisations. He has also worked as a management consultant, journalist and in international development. He is a trustee of the Social Market Foundation and Tempo Time Credits, and a former local councillor. Tom holds a degree in History from the University of Cambridge and is a qualified accountant.
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- Writer and Television Producer
Trevor Phillips is a writer and television producer. He is the co-founder of the data analytics consultancy Webber Phillips, and Chairman of Green Park Interim and Executive Search. He is the Chairman of the global freedom of expression campaign charity Index on Censorship; a Senior Fellow at the Policy Exchange think tank; and a Vice-President of the Royal Television Society. He was the President of the John Lewis Partnership Council until 2018, and founding chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. He was knighted in the 2022 New Years honours for his services to equality and human rights.
Job Titles:
- Events and Communications Intern