Philanthropy Impact

Inspiring philanthropy and social investment across borders, sectors and causes

Our Team

Trustees

Cath Dovey

Chair

Cath co-founded Scorpio Partnership, the global wealth management strategy and research firm. Over two decades, she oversaw the firm’s high-net-worth and strategy research capabilities on client engagement, the client experience, brand identity and the value proposition. She worked with 300 global, regional and niche organisations in more than 40 countries on their operational strategies. In the field of philanthropy, Cath led Scorpio Partnership’s global research work with major donors, family givers and family foundations. She also worked with a number of international private foundations on their future operational strategies. She is recognised as a global thought leader on international wealth management, the onshore and offshore environment, the client experience, global philanthropy, entrepreneurship, the family office, family wealth, the next generation, and women and wealth. Scorpio Partnership was acquired by AON in 2014. Currently, Cath is a trustee of Philanthropy Impact and is the co-founder of the Philanthropy Collaborative. She is also an advisory board member of the Family Office Association in the US and the Managing Partners Forum in the UK. 

Paul Knox

(Deputy Chair) Managing Director, J.P. Morgan Private Bank

Paul is a Managing Director at JP Morgan where he is aw wealth advisor with a focus on Family Offices. He has over 35 years experience in advising wealthy individuals on tax and estate planning issues. 

 

Michael Alberg-Seberich

Managing Director, Beyond Philanthropy

Michael is a partner at the charitable Forum for Active Philanthropy and a Managing Director of its for-profit daughter company Beyond Philanthropy. He has more than 15 years of experience in philanthropy management and advise. Before joining Active Philanthropy in 2008, Michael worked at the Bertelsmann Foundation, where he originally led its international projects promoting democracy, human rights and tolerance. In 2005/6 he worked as a facilitator and strategy consultant for the board of the Bertelsmann Foundation. In 2006/7 he was responsible for the Carl Bertelsmann Prize for “Civic Engagement as a Goal of Education”. Michael began his career as an intercultural coach and program head  for the Deutsche Youth For Understanding Kommittee e.V. (YFU) in Hamburg.

Michael Alberg-Seberich studied North American Studies with a focus on Anthropology in Bonn and Vancouver. He is a trained communications instructor, facilitator and mediator.

 

Matthew Bowcock CBE

Philanthropist
Matthew Bowcock is and a trustee of Philanthropy Impact, The Philanthropy Workshop, the Beacon Awards and the Watts Gallery. He was previously Chairman of UK Community Foundations, a member of the Philanthropy Review Board and a Council Member of the Arts Council of England. In 2012 he authored a report for the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport called “Digital Giving in the Arts – Democratising Philanthropy.”  Through the Hazelhurst Trust he has focused his giving on community projects and developing more and better philanthropy. He is the co-founder of the Philanthropy Collaborative, a campaign to grow the level of private assets that are used for public good.
 
His background is in technology entrepreneurship, company start-up and investment and he has established several businesses in Australia, the US and the UK.
 
 

Ceris Gardner

Partner, Maurice Turnor Gardner

Ceris advises UK and international philanthropists on planning their charitable giving strategy including the availability of tax reliefs and the requirements for cross border giving. Ceris advises charity trustees on constitutional and governance issues, on their powers and duties and on the increased risks and responsibilities facing them in the economic downturn and the challenges posed by the role of charities in the Big Society. Ceris is a trustee of Crimestoppers Trust and  secretary to the STEP Charity Special Interest Group.  Ceris contributes to press articles on philanthropy and gives talks on charity matters to private banks and other professional organisations.  She is also a member of STEP and the Charity Law Association.

 

Darshita Gillies

CEO, Blu Dot Advisory
Darshita’s career spans 4 facets: 'Finance & Strategy', 'Leadership Development' , 'Planetary Sustainability' & 'Technology'. She is a Chartered Accountant, Professional Executive Coach & Entrepreneur. Through Blue Dot Advisory, works closely with the UN, Religious Institutions, Governments, MNCs, Non-Profits, fellow Impact Investors and Family offices.  She also holds a few advisory roles. Her aim is to unleash the power of emerging technologies to address complex business and societal challenges we face in a more sustainable, conscious, and strategic way.
 
 
 

Rennie Hoare

Head of Philanthropy
Rennie joined the bank in 2016, and was invited to join the partnership in 2018. He is Head of Philanthropy, and is also leading the bank’s working group on customer service standards.
Prior to this, he worked at T. Rowe Price and was responsible for relationships with institutional investment consultants in the UK and Europe. Before joining T. Rowe Price in 2011, he spent time at both Threadneedle and Guinness Asset Management.
He graduated from the University of York with a BA Hons in Politics, and holds the Investment Management Certificate.
Rennie is involved with a number of charities and particularly enjoys his mentoring of the next generation of philanthropists.
 
 

George King IV

Partner, MASECO Private Wealth
George is a Partner at MASECO Private Wealth and a senior investment professional with 25 years of financial markets experience who advises high net worth families on their cross border financial needs. For the first decade of his career, George was doing primary investment research as a Financial Analyst (CFA), spending most of that time as an Institutional Investor-ranked analyst at Credit Suisse First Boston in New York. Though responsible for a range of consumer industries, his notable coverage was the dynamic TMT (telecom, media and technology) sector. The second half of his career has been focused on working with high net worth investor clients, principally with AllianceBernstein (AB) and Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). Working in New York, Miami and London, George has experience advising a very broad range of investors around the world on investment strategy and portfolio construction, across all major asset classes and multiple currency regimes. George has played a key role in helping to build wealth management businesses for both AB and RBC, across Florida and in London. He is a frequent speaker at industry conferences, writes for and is quoted in a range of publications, and makes regular appearances on TV and radio programs. Passionate about the critical importance of the intersection of wealth planning and investment management, he has earned a Certificate in Financial Services – Trusts and Estate Planning from the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (STEP). As an American expat in the UK, George has lived through the issues on which he now advises US clients residing in the UK and elsewhere outside the US.
 
 

Nandu Patel

Managing Director, Rothschild & Co Wealth Management

Nandu Patel is Head of Charities and joined Rothschild & Co Wealth Management in 2010. Prior to joining Rothschild & Co Wealth Management (R&CoWM), Nandu spent 20 years working for Morgan Stanley, where he developed their charity business. Since joining R&CoWM he has built a dedicated charities team of 6 people and charity assets under management represent 9% of the Wealth Management business in the UK. Nandu founded and remains a trustee of a grant making UK registered charity focused on education, health and relief of poverty in the UK, East Africa and the Indian sub-continent. Nandu graduated from Cambridge University (Downing College) with a Masters in Economics. He had been a member of Downing College’s Alumni Campaign Board for over 10 years. He is a Chartered Insurer and a member of Chartered Securities Institute.

 

Alana Petraske

Partner, Withers LLP

Alana advises charities and donors on a range of legal and tax matters, particularly connected to international and family philanthropy.   Alana has contributed to International Charitable Giving (OUP), Charitable Giving Desk Reference and other publications and has been quoted in The Economist, The Financial Times, The Guardian  and other publications. Alana is ranked in Legal 500 for charity law and education and Citywealth as a leading adviser in charity law as well as being named as a 'Rising Star' in Superlawyers 2015. Alana is Secretary of the Charity Law Association and a member of its Standing Committee on Taxation, as well as the International Bar Association. A New York native, Alana lives in South London. 

 

Lyn Tomlinson

WEALTH PLANNING DIRECTOR & PHILANTHROPY LEAD, Cazenove Capital

Lyn is a Director at Cazenove Capital and leads on philanthropy and social investment. Lyn is a Chartered Wealth Manager and Chartered Financial Planner and has been advising HNW and UHNW private clients for over 15 years. In addition she is a member of Cazenove’s ethical asset class committee which is responsible for the selection, monitoring and portfolio construction of over £3bn of their third party ethical funds under management.

 

Iain Younger

Director, Frank Hirth
Iain joined Frank Hirth in 2000 and as successfully established and built the Trust and Estates service within our Private Client offering. Iain personally covers numerous areas of US and UK taxation for both individuals and families. He also offers specialist advice relating to FATCA reporting. Iain also heads the firm’s business development plans and has been travelling the globe to promote Frank Hirth to new markets. 
Iain is a qualified Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) and US Enrolled Agent (EA), and was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2016. Iain was listed in ePrivate Client’s Top 35 Under 35 in 2013 and was also honored when listed in The Spear’s 500, 2016. Iain is also a Trustee of the NPT-UK.
 
 
 
 

Staff

John Pepin

Chief Executive

Philanthropy and social entrepreneurship have been his passion. This has been demonstrated in numerous ways including being an author and leader of innovation, change and growth. Experienced in innovative service and programme design, revenue generation, social enterprise and social investment, venture start-up and management, and business strategy consulting across multiple third sector verticals.

Based in the UK for 17 years, he spent over 15 years as a chief executive of a variety of Canadian charities/ social enterprises/ associations; and he has 20 years experience as a social entrepreneurial consultant internationally working with over 300 charities, social enterprises, infrastructure support organisations, and trade/ professional associations of all sizes and in rural and urban settings in the UK and internationally. Currently he is Chief Executive, Philanthropy Impact whose purpose is to increase philanthropic giving and social investment across Europe by working with wealth/ professional advisors to HNWI.   

 

Cecilia Hersler

Director, Training and Development

Cecilia Hersler is Director of Training and Development at Philanthropy Impact, responsible for the organisations specialised training programme developed for professional advisers. Prior to this she was responsible for managing the organisation’s communications and events programme in UK and Continental Europe. She started her career in international development working in membership development at United Nations Association of Sweden. Before moving to London she worked at the Nordic liaison office for World Food Programme in Copenhagen responsible for managing relations with Swedish donors and strategic partners.  She has a Master of Science degree in Development Studies.

 

Rachele Menditto

Administration, Communication and Events Officer

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