Hanneke Smits, CEO of Newton Investment Management and a current trustee, is to succeed Johannes Huth, MD of KKR as Chair of Impetus – The Private Equity Foundation (Impetus – PEF). Huth has served as Impetus-PEF’s chair since 2013.
Impetus-PEF finds, funds, and builds the best charities working with disadvantaged young people, providing long term funding, access to a pro bono network of over 350 companies and dedicated support from its expert investment team. Since its inception Impetus-PEF has generated GBP121 million of value for the charities it supports.
Smits was appointed CEO of Newton in 2016. Prior to that she was a member of the Executive Committee and Chief Investment Officer at Adams Street Partners, and before that an investment manager at Pantheon Ventures. Hanneke is a co-founder and former chair of Level 20 – a not-for-profit organisation set up to inspire women to join and succeed in the private equity industry.
Smits says: “I’m honoured to be Impetus-PEF’s new chair. Impetus-PEF has shown that by combining investment rigour and social purpose we can transform young people’s lives in school and in work. It provides a platform for the investment community to achieve that goal by applying its expertise to philanthropy.
“I’m excited to lead Impetus-PEF to achieve even greater things in the years ahead.”
Andy Ratcliffe Impetus-PEF CEO, says: “Hanneke is deeply respected in the investment world and beyond. She’s a great leader, a smart investor, with a great commitment to what we do. And I’m thrilled to be working with her to take Impetus-PEF to even greater heights.”
