Page 115 - Powerlist 2019 - Digital Edition

Sir Damon Sir Ken
Buffini
Philanthropist
An incredibly successful
businessman and now
philanthropist, Sir Damon is
formerly the head of Permira
which he built into one of
Europe’s biggest private
equity firms.
During his time at Permira,
Damon became one of the
industry’s powerhouses and
sat on then Prime Minister
Gordon Brown’s business
advisory panel.
Today, he is on the Board
of Governors at the Wellcome
Trust in London, and was
appointed as chair of the
National Theatre board in 2016. was Deputy Chairman of
Employing the same skill
and passion he brought to
Permira in his new line of
work, he dedicates time to
his role as the President of
Fairbridge, a nationwide
charity that works with
marginalised young people,
and as the founder of
Breakthrough, an initiative to
boost social enterprise. He
also co-founded the Social
Business Trust, an initiative to
develop social enterprises by
utilising the knowledge, skills
and capital of UK businesses.
Described as an
“inventive and dynamic
risk-taker”, Damon was
knighted in 2016 for his
contribution to voluntary and
charitable services.
Karen
Olisa
Lord Lieutenant, Greater
London; Founder and
Chair, Restoration Partners
Businessman and
philanthropist Sir Ken is Lord
Lieutenant of Greater London,
the first black person to hold
the position.
He was knighted in 2018
for services to business and
philanthropy.
He has a long list of
achievements that make
him a firm fixture on the Hall
of Fame. He is the Founder
and Chairman of Restoration
Partners, the boutique
technology merchant bank.
He is a non executive director
of Thomson Reuters, and
The Institute of Directors. In
the past 12 months, he has
been appointed as the new
Chairman of Interswitch, an
Africa-focused integrated
digital payments and
commerce company.
Much of Sir Ken’s time
has been invested in helping
people less fortunate than
himself, and he serves on the
boards of several philanthropic,
educational and regulator
organisations.
When he gives one of his
many motivational speeches
he often draws the attention of
his audience to the simple but
powerful motto on his coat of
arms: “Do well. Do good”. He
has a library named after him
at his alma mater, Cambridge.
Hall of Fame
Blackett
WPP Country Manager;
Chairwoman, Mediacom
Karen holds the distinction
of being the first
businesswoman to head
the Powerlist when she was
Number One in 2014.
In 2018, she was appointed
the WPP Country Manager
in addition to her role as
Chairwoman of Mediacom UK,
cementing her position as one
of the most powerful people
in the advertising industry.
Karen had a formidable
reputation and she is one
of the leading voices in the
campaign for boardroom
diversity. Last year she
became one of four external
advisers to the Civil Service.
She has received a number
of awards throughout her
career, including the Women
In Marketing Outstanding
Contribution to Marketing
Award, and was also one
of the 2014 finalists in the
Veuve Cliquot Business
Woman of the Year awards.
Her reputation was further
cemented in 2014, when
she received an OBE for
services to media and
communications.
Karen’s reputation has
meant she is often profiled in
the media, having featured
in the Evening Standard, The
Independent on Sunday and
The Sunday Times Business
section, among many others.
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