ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2025

Speakers

Sir Stephen Bubb, Keynote Speaker

Executive Director, Gradel Institute for Charity, University of Oxford

Sir Stephen is the founding director of the Gradel Institute. He is globally recognised as a leading voice in charity and philanthropy and has provided advice to governments nationally and internationally. He has led the development of the charity sector in the United Kingdom through his 16-year leadership of the organisation for charity chief executives (ACEVO). He is well known as the voice of charity in the national media and has spoken extensively in international fora. He has worked with successive governments developing public sector and charity policy. He is the only charity leader ever to have addressed a full meeting of the British cabinet. He conducted a major national review into choice and competition in the NHS.

For a decade Sir Stephen chaired the Social Investment Business, an organisation founded to make social finance available to 3rd sector organisations: at its peak £400 million was invested. He has also had numerous non-executive appointments including six years on the Honours Committee, and as an independent assessor for government appointments. In 2013 he was asked by the Prime Minister to review government policy on people with learning disabilities following the Winterborne view scandal and he has become known as a strong campaigner for the rights of such people.

He has received accolades for his leadership work from former UK Prime Ministers Tony Blair and David Cameron. He was Knighted in 2011.

Professor Peter Frumkin

Academic Director of the Gradel Institute of Charity and Visting Fellow, New College, Oxford

Peter Frumkin is the Academic Director of the Gradel Institute of Charity at New College, Oxford University and the Heyer Chair in Social Policy and Faculty Director of the Center for Social Impact Strategy, both the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice (on leave). Frumkin is the author of On Being Nonprofit (Harvard University Press, 2002), which considers the changing roles and responsibilities of nonprofit organizations in American democracy. His book, Strategic Giving: The Art and Science of Philanthropy, was published by the University of Chicago Press in 2006. It has been touted by reviewers as the “benchmark text for the field” and “the most penetrating exploration of contemporary philanthropy now available.” In 2010, two books by Frumkin were published: Serving Country and Community (Harvard University Press), which examines the effectiveness of the volunteer service programs AmeriCorps and VISTA, and The Essence of Strategic Giving: A Practical Guide for Donors and Fundraisers (University of Chicago Press). Additional books by Frumkin include The Strategic Management of Charter Schools (Harvard 2011), Building for the Arts (Chicago 2014) and Social Impact (UPenn 2017). Prior to coming to Penn, Frumkin taught at the University of Texas’ Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs and at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Before academics, Frumkin worked as a foundation program officer and as a program evaluator in both nonprofit and public agencies. Frumkin received his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Chicago.

Professor Liz Grant FRSE

Professor of Global Health and Development and Co-Director of the Global Compassion Initiative, University of Edinburgh  

Liz is responsible for developing and supporting global health partnerships with colleagues in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) communities, and for local and global advocacy translating global health research into action.

Liz is a co-director of the University of Edinburgh’s Global Compassion Initiative developing work on the value base of the Sustainable Development Goals, the science of compassion, and the contribution that faith communities make to the SDGs. 

Liz has led the development of a suite of global health MSc programmes, MOOCs and coordinates the Global Health PhD programme all specifically designed for students from resource constrained countries.   She currently is the Co-Director of the Masters of Family Medicine and the MSc in Global Health Challenges

Her own research interests span planetary health and palliative care in contexts of poverty and conflict – new beginnings and better endings.  

She sits on the Scottish Government NHS Global Citizenship Board.

Liz was on the Board of Directors for the Consortium of Universities for Global Health, (CUGH), an association of over 170 Academic institutions training in Global Health, and currently chairs the CUGH Research Committee.  Previously Liz was the Senior Health Advisor to the Scottish Government’s International Development Team working primarily in Malawi.  She has worked for NHS Lothian’s Public Health Directorate leading an NHS HIV partnership between the NHS and Zambia.  She has been an advisor to a number of global health charities and serves as a trustee for CBM Scotland.

Tobi Schneider

Sector Engagement Lead for Financial Services and FinTech, Edinburgh Futures Institute

Tobi Schneider is the Sector Engagement Lead for Financial Services & FinTech at the Edinburgh Futures Institute and the Co-director for External Engagement and Partnerships at the Edinburgh Centre for Financial Innovations. He is responsible for leading the strategy and engagement with organisations involved in enabling and delivering financial services, ranging from small start-up companies to large corporations, from policymakers to trade associations, and from industry practitioners to academics.

This specifically involves initiating and maintaining relationships and dialogues across the financial services and related sectors to facilitate collaboration and innovation aimed at sparking positive societal impact and making better futures possible. Tobi works closely with colleagues and teams across the University to provide the interdisciplinary approach needed to address the increasingly complex challenges faced by business and society.

Before his current role at the University of Edinburgh, Tobi worked for 12 years in the financial services industry in market research, strategy consulting, and partnership management roles in London, Sydney, and Singapore. He has a deep understanding of the key challenges faced by the financial services industry and first-hand experience in delivering data-driven, innovative solutions to consumers and businesses through FinTech models.

LGT Wealth Management 

LGT Wealth Management is part of LGT Group, one of the last family-run private banks, and is able to leverage the support of its forward-thinking owners, the Princely Family of Liechtenstein, as it seeks out new ways to improve our client experience. LGT manages a number of Scottish-based philanthropic and grantmaking organisations, with its Edinburgh team headed by Gair Brisbane, Partner and Head of Charities, Scotland. 

We are delighted that representatives of LGT will be in attendance and speaking to delegates as part of their sponsorship of the SGM Annual Conference.

Details of our final leading speaker will be announced shortly.