Ravi Gurumurthy, Chief Executive, Nesta

He/Him

Ravi Gurumurthy is Group Chief Executive Officer, joining Nesta as Chief Executive in December 2019. Ravi was previously responsible for the International Rescue Committee’s work in designing, testing and scaling products and services for people affected by crisis in over 40 countries - from reducing acute malnutrition and intimate partner violence, to expanding employment for Syrian refugees. Prior to joining the International Rescue Committee in 2013, Ravi held a number of roles in the UK Government, including Director of Strategy at the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change and as a strategic advisor to the Foreign Secretary. Across many departments, Ravi led a number of major social and environmental reforms including the development of the world’s first legally-binding carbon emissions targets and the integration of children’s services. Ravi has also worked as a researcher at the think-tank Demos and in local government in London. Ravi writes a fortnightly substack on policy innovation.

Andrew Sissons, Deputy Director, A Sustainable Future, Nesta

Andrew is deputy director on Nesta's mission to create a sustainable future, which focuses on decarbonisation and economic recovery. His team focuses on setting up innovation projects and partnerships that reduce carbon emissions from homes, which is a key part of the UK reaching net zero. Andrew has a background in climate change, economic geography and productivity. Andrew joined Nesta from the Environment Agency, where he led the agency's work on funding and green finance, having previously been the agency's chief economist. He has worked in government (Cabinet Office, MHCLG) on cities and local growth policy, helping to create the new metro mayors in several cities in England. He has also previously worked at The Work Foundation and as an economic consultant.

John Springford, Deputy Director, International economics, Centre for European Reform.

John Springford is an economist and Associate Fellow at the Centre for European Reform (CER), where he previously served as Deputy Director and leader of the economics team until 2023. A leading voice on the economic consequences of Brexit, John is the creator of the widely cited "doppelganger" model used to estimate the UK's economic performance post-EU. Beyond his work on trade, John's expertise spans the economics of climate change, as well as European monetary and fiscal policy. He has served as a specialist advisor to the House of Commons Treasury Committee. He is a frequent contributor to global publications, including the Financial Times, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Currently, John is focusing on a new venture designed to empower individuals with personalised labour market data to guide their career and educational choices.