Sir Damon Buffini | |
|---|---|
| Born | Damon Marcus Buffini May 1962 (age 62)[1] Leicester, England |
| Education | |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Employers |
|
| Spouse(s) | Deborah Chao, Lady Buffini[2] |
| Children | 3 |
Sir Damon Marcus Buffini (born May 1962)[1] is a British businessman, deputy chair of theBBC Board and chair of the BBC Commercial Board.[3] He was formerly head of theprivate equity companyPermira[4][5] and governor of theWellcome Trust.[6]
Born inLeicester in 1962,[1] the son of an African-American serviceman and a British woman, he was educated in Leicester and graduated with a degree in law fromSt John's College, Cambridge, and has anMBA fromHarvard Business School.[4]
Buffini worked forL.E.K. Consulting, and under the firm's scholarship scheme undertook an MBA from Harvard Business School.[4] On return to the UK he joinedImperial Group working as a management consultant, before being recruited byJon Moulton (now[when?] head of rival firmBetter Capital), in 1988 to joinSchrodersleveraged buyout team, known then as Schroder Ventures Europe.[7]
Buffini became a partner in 1992, and was promoted to managing partner of the UK business in 1999, and managing partner in 2000, just before he led amanagement buyout group and renamed the firm Permira.[4] Buffini took home £3.2 million plus bonuses in 2004.[4]
In November 2021 he was appointed as a non-executive director of theBBC Board, effective from 1 January 2022, and subsequently also as chair of the BBC's commercial board.[3] In December 2022 the BBC Board created the honorary title of deputy chair to be heldex-officio by the chair of the BBC commercial board,[8] with Buffini assuming the title on 9 December 2022.[9]
Buffini was also a non-executive board member ofSVG Capital plc[1] and chairman and co-founder of theSocial Business Trust.
Buffini established The Buffini Chao Foundation with his wife, Lady Deborah Buffini, in 2005.[10]
He is a main board member of theRoyal Shakespeare Company and a trustee of theRoyal Anniversary Trust, which administers The Queen's Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education.[when?]
In September 2012 Buffini was appointed to the board of governors atThe Wellcome Trust.[6]
In July 2020, the UK Government announced Buffini as chair of the Culture Recovery Board, an administrative body tasked with managing the £1.57bnCulture Recovery Fund intended to protect UK arts and heritage assets during the COVID-19 crisis.[11]
Buffini was appointed Chair of theRoyal National Theatre in 2016.
Buffini was ranked first in the men'sTop 10 of the 2007Powerlist, a publication ranking the most influential Black Britons.[12] Buffini's influence has also been recognised in Business, having ranked number three by the Times Power 100 for people who hold sway over British Business.[13] Boasting power and influence, together with a personal fortune of between £100m and £200m. Buffini was appointed to then Prime MinisterGordon Brown's business advisory panel.[14]
Buffini wasknighted in the 2016 Birthday Honours for voluntary and charitable services.[15]
Married to a solicitor, Deborah (née Chao), the couple have three children and a family home inWeybridge[16] and a city flat inWandsworth.
Buffini plays tennis and golf, football for a local amateur side, and supportsArsenal.[17]
