Jason Knauf LVO

I have worked with leaders in business, public life, and philanthropy for two decades. From climate change, the global financial crisis, and the sea change in public attitudes to mental health, I’ve been lucky to be part of some of the defining conversations of our time. I began my career working in government and politics in New Zealand, a country that is very close to my heart. In 2008 I moved to London, working at HM Treasury and helping the UK government explain the historic steps it was taking to rescue the financial system. I then spent five years at the Royal Bank of Scotland as it transformed itself from the biggest bank in the world to one refocused on the needs of the British taxpayers and customers that had saved it from collapse. From 2015, I worked as Communications Director at Kensington Palace before becoming CEO of The Royal Foundation. In these roles I helped create The Earthshot Prize, the Heads Together and Heads Up mental health campaigns, and The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. And I was part of amazing moments along the way including celebrations of royal births, a wedding, and 36 international visits. In 2022 I founded the strategic advisory firm Mission Overstory and have worked with inspiring leaders around the world in renewable energy, finance, government, and media. I have served as Global Leadership Fellow at Conservation International and was a member of the Board of Trustees of The Earthshot Prize before becoming the organisation's CEO in April 2025.