Halima Khan appointed as our new Chief Executive

Published: 30 July 2024 
Halima Khan

We are pleased to announce Halima Khan will be joining as Chief Executive in November.

Halima will join the Foundation in November, succeeding our current Chief Executive, Moira Sinclair, who announced earlier this year that she would be leaving her post after a decade of leading Paul Hamlyn Foundation. Halima joins us at an important time, as we look to renew our current strategy which comes to an end in 2025.

Halima will bring a wealth of experience in grant-making, government and the social sector, with a particular interest in innovation for social good and people-powered approaches. She was an Executive Director at Nesta, the UK’s innovation foundation, for nine years, and has subsequently held a position as a member of the England Committee at The National Lottery Community Fund. 

Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s mission for a just and equitable society is as vital as ever. The Foundation plays an important role enabling people to come together with creativity and determination to improve one another’s lives. I feel honoured to be joining such an exceptional organisation and look forward to building on its work to further social justice.

Halima Khan 

She has also had significant responsibilities in national, regional and local government, first in the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, then at Camden Council and the Greater London Authority, working across social policy including young people, disability, education and skills, civil society and public health. 

More recently she has been working independently for foundations, government and think tanks. She is currently an Affiliated Researcher at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge and Senior Advisor at PPL, a social enterprise management consultancy.

On behalf of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s team and trustees, I am delighted to welcome Halima Khan as our new Chief Executive. She brings great expertise and experience across so many areas of our work and shares the same conviction and passion for the ambitions of the Foundation as we do.

For any press enquiries, please contact Olivia Smith (olivia.smith@phf.org.uk).