Prince William has continued his work to tackle society’s biggest issues by appointing a new director for the Prince and Princess of Wales’s Royal Foundation.
Simon Patterson, managing director of global technology investment firm Silver Lake, will succeed Lord Hague of Richmond, who is stepping down after being elected as Chancellor of Oxford University.
The appointment brings leadership experience from “the very highest levels of business”, according to the chief executive of the Royal Foundation, which aims to tackle society’s biggest issues
Patterson is already familiar with the foundation’s work, serving on the foundation’s board for eight years and held the position of vice-chairman for four years.
The succession is said to be designed to ensure continuity while bringing extensive business expertise to the organisation’s mission of developing and scaling programmes for social impact.
Patterson brings significant corporate experience to the role, having served as a board member at Dell for a decade and as a trustee at the Natural History Museum.
At the Natural History Museum, he focused on digital transformation initiatives.
His educational background includes an MA from King’s College, Cambridge, and an MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
Amanda Berry, chief executive of the Royal Foundation, praised Patterson’s appointment, saying he “brings extensive experience at the very highest levels of business, combined with a truly global outlook.”
His current role at Silver Lake spans investments across various sectors including software, healthcare technology, internet and sports.
Patterson has also previously served as a non-executive director at Tesco.
Lord Hague, the previous director for the charity, is departing after five years of service.
He will maintain his position as co-chairman of United for Wildlife, an initiative founded by the Prince of Wales.
Reflecting on his tenure, Lord Hague said: “During my time as chair, I am enormously proud of the impact that the Royal Foundation has made through a wide range of programmes including Homewards – aimed at proving it is possible to end homelessness in six locations across the UK.”
He also praised the Centre for Early Childhood’s work “to create a healthier, happier, more nurturing society.”
Royal Foundation chief executive Amanda Berry expressed “deep gratitude to Lord Hague for his exceptional leadership as chair of our board of trustees,” and described him as “an inspiring champion who has contributed generously to the Royal Foundation.”
