Big Issue Invest appoints Danyal Sattar as Chief Executive Officer

Big Issue Invest has announced the appointment of Danyal Sattar as its new Chief Executive Officer. Danyal joins the social investment arm of The Big Issue from The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, where he held the role of Head of Social Investment.

In his time at The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Danyal has cemented a reputation as one of the most respected leaders in the impact investment sector. During his tenure, the organisation invested £15m in charities and social enterprises, in line with their solving UK poverty mission.

Sattar was one of the six co-conveners of the Social Impact Investors Group, which coordinates social investment activity amongst UK trusts and foundations.

Previously to The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Danyal worked for Big Society Capital and the Access Foundation for Social Investment. Danyal spent time at Esmee Fairbairn Foundation managing their social investment fund and environmental grant making. Prior to that, he held a position at Charity Bank in the lending team. He has also held roles at the Brussels-based network International Association of Investors in the Social Economy, the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association, local investment fund the Aston Reinvestment Trust, and at the think-tank New Economics Foundation.

Danyal will start in the role Chief Executive Officer of Big Issue Invest on 3 December, 2018.

Danyal Sattar said of his new role:

Big Issue Invest’s focus on supporting enterprising solutions to help people move out of poverty is an effort I’m delighted to join. As a social investor, I like being part of an organisation where a deep social mission is hardwired into the organisation, which couldn’t be more true than at Big Issue Invest. Above all, I have been lucky enough to work with some great people over the years, so the team is a real draw to working with Big Issue Invest.

Nigel Kershaw, Chair of The Big Issue Group, said: “Danyal is one of the most respected pioneers and leaders in social and environment investment. For more than 25 years, he has helped create and forge our sector and I am so excited to have him onboard to play an instrumental part in The Big Issue Group’s mission to dismantle poverty in the UK.”

He added: “We are also delighted to announce that Daniel Wilson-Dodd, Head of Lending, will assume the role of Deputy Chief Executive. Danny originally joined Big Issue Invest in 2012 as an Investment Analyst and has built a strong and innovative track record in lending and investment, including working on the creation of new offerings.

We believe Danyal, Danny and the SMT will be a formidable leadership team, building on the great work of all our staff past and present at BII and the invaluable support we have had from the organisations we have helped over the last 13 years.

Big Issue Invest provides finance and support to social enterprises and charities seeking to dismantle poverty and create opportunity for people across the UK. It invests between £20K and £3 million in organisations seeking repayable financing options, helping them to scale up and maximise their social impact. Since launching in 2005, BII has have invested in over 350 organisations, all of which have positively influenced the lives of people across the UK. BII currently manages or advises on £192 million of social funds.