Our Team

Staff

Shaks Ghosh, Chief Executive

Shaks Ghosh is the first Chief Executive of the Private Equity Foundation. For the previous nine years she was Chief Executive of Crisis, a homelessness charity in the UK. In the 80s and 90s, Shaks pursued a career in housing and regeneration working at Community Housing Association and the National Housing Federation. She has a Masters degree in Urban Studies.

Shaks spent her early years in India, but now lives in London.

Sophie Livingstone, Deputy Chief Executive

Sophie joined the Private Equity Foundation in January 2008 and is responsible for the organisation’s strategic projects, including developing a European strategy, PEF’s research programme, engaging with Government and all communications activities.

Sophie joined PEF from the Foyer Federation, a national charity working with young people between the ages of 16 and 25, helping them with accommodation, support, education and training. Her role as Head of Policy and Communications included responsibility for corporate partnerships, involving young people in the work of the whole organisation, and delivering projects such as the roll out of Media Centres in Foyers across the UK. Prior to this, Sophie worked for environmental regeneration charity Groundwork UK, at ITV, and for a Member of Parliament.

A former Chair of School Governors, Sophie has appeared on a variety of national TV, radio and in print in both a professional and a personal capacity, and has written for the New Statesman, Progress magazine and Tribune. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

In her spare time, Sophie is learning French, growing tomatoes and not exercising enough.

Harvey Koh, Portfolio Manager

Harvey has been working with the Private Equity Foundation since March 2007 and has overall responsibility for the Foundation’s charity investment portfolio and new investment process. Before this, Harvey worked as a consultant to The One Foundation (a Dublin-based venture philanthropy fund partnered with US-based New Profit Inc) and their portfolio charities whose work ranges from youth mentoring to Traveller empowerment. Harvey's background is in strategy consulting with Monitor Group where he led projects for clients across Europe and North America, in a range of industries including consumer goods, healthcare, agrochemicals, airlines and banking. He has also led work on public policy issues including UK economic competitiveness and healthcare system reform in Poland. Harvey has also worked at New Philanthropy Capital and Andersen Consulting.

Harvey speaks a number of languages with varying degrees of incompetence: these include Spanish, Malay and Mandarin Chinese. Harvey likes travelling and intends a thorough tour of the Middle East when the necessary personal and geopolitical factors are in favour.

Harvey holds an MA (Cantab) from Robinson College, Cambridge University.

Julie Nesbitt, Events and Office Manager

Julie has been working at the Private Equity Foundation since July 2007. Prior to working at PEF, Julie was Internal Events Manager at Marsh UK, the US Insurance Brokers based in the city, where she was responsible for setting up and project managing all internal UK and European conferences and events.

In addition to studying psychology at Birkbeck University, Julie has an interest in people, travelling the world (intends to visit 60 countries before her next milestone of a birthday) and avoiding the tube in the summer.

PEF is grateful for the support of volunteers who help us in our small office.