About Nesta

Nesta is a research and innovation foundation. We apply our deep expertise in applied methods to design, test and scale solutions to some of the biggest challenges of our time, working across the innovation lifecycle.

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Tamara Finkelstein

Trustee

Tamara Finkelstein is the chief executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

She studied engineering and economics before starting her career as an economist in HM Treasury where she worked for over 20 years as a policy adviser and leader in roles spanning tax, public spending and debt management.

Her wider career in government included leadership roles in Sure Start, Adult Social Care and the Building Safety Programme in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire.

Before joining the Academy in 2026 she spent six years as the Permanent Secretary at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs having previously led the department’s work on EU Exit Delivery. She was also head of the Government Policy Profession. Tamara is a trustee of a number of community and social care charities.

We extend our impact through two specialised units that help people and organisations to solve complex problems and achieve their goals.

BIT

BIT helps clients from government, nonprofits and the private sector to improve people’s lives through our empirical problem solving and deep understanding of human behaviour.

Challenge Works

Challenge Works designs and runs challenge prizes to spark innovation in science, technology and society.

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Tamara Finkelstein

About Nesta

Tamara Finkelstein