Dawn Austwick, chief executive of the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, will lead the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) from this Autumn.

Austwick, who has led Esmée Fairbairn since 2005, will take over from Peter Wanless, who stands down as chief executive at the end of May to become chief executive of NSPCC.

During Austwick’s time at Esmée Fairbairn she was heavily committed to social investment, describing Esmée as a pioneer in this area. It was one of the first foundations to invest in the UK’s first social impact bond for Peterborough ex-offenders. She is also a Big Society Capital board member.

Austwick has also said in the past that the sector needs to look at the role funders play in encouraging charities to have weak balance sheets. She has said the tendency of funders not to give grants to organisations with high reserves and strong assets, "subconsciously discourages these organisations from building robust balance sheets".

Commenting on her appointment to BIG, Austwick said: “The Big Lottery Fund works hard to transform communities and the lives of people in need, often in the most imaginative ways directly involving the people themselves.

"I am relishing the opportunity to build on the Fund’s impact to date in ways that bring lasting benefits to communities and quality of life throughout the UK.”

Austwick has also been deputy director of the British Museum and project director of Tate Modern from 1995 to 2000.
 
She takes up her position in the Autumn 2013. In the interim period the current director of strategy, performance and learning, Ceri Doyle, will hold the reins as acting CEO.

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