Kate James

 Kate is an active leader in the non-profit  and impact investing community. In addition to chairing the Board of Vital Voices she serves on the boards of the National Audubon Society, Unreasonable, Arabesque, the US Board of the Prince’s Trust and World Reader. She has previously served on the board of America’s Promise and as a director of the Pearson Affordable Learning Fund, helping millions of the world’s poorest children access quality education.

A former Chief Corporate Affairs and Global Marketing Officer for Pearson and member of Pearson’s Executive she oversaw marketing and the Pearson brand, communications, government and investor relations, and the company’s innovation and social impact work.

Prior to joining Pearson, Kate was Chief Communications Officer for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, leveraging the foundation’s voice in support of the organization’s global and domestic initiatives. Before Gates, she held senior leadership roles in the financial services industry including heading communications globally at Citibank and leading the advocacy and sustainability practice at Standard Chartered Bank, where she also served as a director of Standard Chartered Pakistan. Prior to joining Standard Chartered Kate spent nine years at Glaxo Smithkline, joining as a graduate from Magdalene College, Cambridge.